Gun-a-Day 25: Bond Arms Ranger II + PDX1 .410 ammunition

I drove home in the rain, in the dark, and in a state of semi-exhaustion, but I had a job in mind for the Ranger. A couple of days ago, I thought I’d be able to let it go, thought I’d be able to just fire the “normal” shells as the break-in rounds, thought I’d be able to save the super-shells for the “real thing.”

But by the middle of this afternoon, I knew it was absolutely necessary to get home asap and get some Winchester PDX1 shells run through this mini-cannon. I wasn’t sure I had a target that would do them justice (something squishy or puffy or thick and brittle), but something would be figured out, and these attack-ending loads would have their chance to match up with this Texas-proud, hand-held, mini-tank gun.

Or, at least almost absolutely necessary.

If I were a rich man, maybe I would have taken time to let a couple gallons of milk in jugs sit in the sun and curdle up nice and smelly. They’d make a nice mess in response to shotgun fire, and it would look great on the slow-mo playback. If I were a richer man, I’d probably have dedicated vats filled with Mythbusters-grade ballistic gelatin just jigglin’ in anticipation of being struck by flying metal. If I were a rich, rich man, I’d probably have my butler doin’ all the shooting for me, and what a bummer that would be, so I’m just going to be happy to be under-funded and overly-cheap and that I found this novelty-sized, jumbo-button, truck-stop-bargain-sale calculator that no longer works laying around in the garage stacks.

I didn’t know for sure how it would turn out, but it figured to be good enough for at least a slight bit of friction effect on the Certs-shaped slugs and buckshot BB’s that comprise the wad-contents of the PDX1 shot-shell. I don’t have any idea of how to visualize or comprehend the combined forces of kinetic energy bound up inside them. Even if I understood all the gunpowder and force+mass mathematics, I still don’t think I’d understand it in any kind of personal way. These shells are very intimidating just sitting quietly on a shelf all to themselves. They start to look even more mean and jumpy when they slide into their chambers.

Trigger control and aim-accuracy both improved, mostly because practice enhances familiarity, and familiarity does not have to equate to distraction or disinterest. I drew the pistol, set the hammer, two-handed the grip, sighted the front blade, confirmed the target, touched the trigger, released the safety, breathed out into the cold, wet, night air, and fired. Several holes appeared on the target in concert with a strong kick and a loud report (even with quality ear protection). I repeated the steps and fired again. I think the first round circled low, and the second round arced high.

The kick was still strong, but I’m very glad for the practice, because I’m getting more comfortable with it rather than more tentative and flinchy from it. Maybe it also had to do with the PDX1’s, too. Regardless, I’m totally and completely sold. These are my rounds of choice for the Ranger. Maybe one Hornady ballistic-tipped .45LC and one PDX1 shell. Great day in the mornin’, what a potent combination that is.

Shots o’the Day are found all over the plastic husk of a cheap electronic device where it appears that all of the slugs ended up on target. One slug was sitting out loose on the timbers behind the target, still looking like a little tab of candy (slightly deformed) with hefty weight to it.

The back of the calculator (which is like eight or nine inches wide by 14 or 15 inches high– once again, approximately center-mass, torso sized) shows the impact holes a bit more clearly. Best I can tell, all slugs hit, and some of the pellets must have, too, ’cause I can’t account for all of the holes without ’em.

My guess is that while the 000-Buck shells may be packed to “lead” above and away from center-aim (not intended for stationary targets, are they?) and the smaller buckshot is spun out and around a bit by the slight rifling of the barrels, these Winchester personal defense rounds are designed to go straight out and straight into (and through) whatever is directly in front of the barrel(s).

I’m going to just accept the idea as highly probable that the calculator warranty has been well and truly voided. Oh, well … In fact, I feel it’s safe to say that just about anything this ammo hits will no longer be functional and will have its warranty unmistakably and permanently voided. And that’s all I have to say about that.

This will also close the Gun-a-Day book on the Ranger II for the time being. If the rain is gone tomorrow, I’ve got an old, favorite friend in mind for some 50-yard targeting, and I’m so eager for some bolt-action action that I may not let the weather have any say in the matter at all.

Gun-a-Day 24: Bond Arms Ranger II .410/.45LC (Another Day, Another Dollar’s Worth of Ammo)

A stunning sunset of the light pale blue behind burnt orange-edged clouds and bruise-purpled treetops was breaking my heart on the way home for at least two reasons. The first was its throat-choking beauty (I took such a quick, deep breath when I saw it that I couldn’t get a word out). The second was the fact that I was 10 minutes from the house, and the darkness was dropping like lead-weighted canvas, so I knew I’d be taking aim well-past sundown and on into night by the time I got out of the truck and out to the range.

A jumbo LED emergency spotlight put a beam of faux-daylight on the line of sight to the target, though, and I was good to go. So was the Ranger. On my way home, it occurred to me that the time between yesterday’s first and second shot was just plain unacceptable for any kind of urgent-response-necessary situation, and it seemed like I should find out what it was like to run 000-buck through my newly-tested, tiny-giant super-Derringer.

It was helpful to pretend that my wrist wasn’t still hurting from yesterday’s initiation into the Bond Arms Click-Bang Club, especially since I need to know that I am comfortable and confident with it in hand.

Maybe tomorrow the comfortable part will improve …

Shot(s) o’the Day can be seen on this improvised, scrap-cardboard and cover-dot target which was almost exactly as big as my chest from neckline to the bottom of my rib-cage. The buckshot patterned left and high, but there were shots on center, too, from my spot about 10-12 feet away. The three .32-caliber pellets in the 000 shell were, as usual, high and left (the uppermost hit at the extreme top of the target material, just above where the shot-shell’s wad went through), but all were “on center mass” … for what it’s worth.

The only real problem (and it is a genuine concern) was that I could barely get the trigger pulled on the second shot. There was no “quick” to that follow-up. The pull-weight was much heavier than I remember from yesterday, but I’m also considering that the awkward hand-hold grip is a big part of the issue, too. There was a long “creep” to the trigger, and the pressure necessary to pull it definitely pulled me off-center, aim-wise.

I really do like the weight and feel and look of the gun, so it’s definitely worthwhile to keep experimenting until I find the right strategy and steps for ease of function and improved target accuracy. I went two-handed and with both eyes open for point-without-precise-aim shots (which seems the most likely method in a surprise-threat, up-close, them-or-me attack scenario), and I think I can do much better tomorrow with this extra-heavy trigger weight in mind.

Once again, I thought I might just fire it one day and move on to something else, but reflection can be educational, and I realized during my mental playbacks today that I want and need to try a few more rounds to know what to expect from the gun and from myself when handling the gun.

Hey, the wrist doesn’t hurt too bad either, so I’m pretty sure I’m good for a few more rounds. That means that it’s not quite sundown on this pistol’s break-in period … come to think of it, I’ll have to try to get a picture of the sunset reflected off that pair of stainless steel barrels, too.

It think that might be right perty.

Gun-a-Day 23: Bond Arms Ranger II, .45LC/.410ga.

This is the first of what might be several “Firing a Brand New Gun for the First Time” days this year. What’s more fun and interesting than that?

Today is January 23rd– that is, 1/23, so I wanted to feature a gun that was “easy-as-1-2-3” to operate. My first inclination is to think, “Shotgun,” when my idea is to have an easy time putting holes in and on a target, but I’ve had this Bond Arms beauty in-hand but off-range since early last December, and it eats .410 shells along with .45 Long Colt rounds. My curiosity won out (and I’m in .45 caliber-cleaning mode right now anyway), so I called it good and chose my ammo, and headed out under heavy, thick, solid, gray skies (cold, too!).

I put a six-inch Shoot-n-C (which also gives a clear scale to the pistol itself– it’s no scrawny little pocket pea-shooter) in a torso-sized box lid and stepped off 10-12 feet. I aimed the first two LC’s with the blade front sight on center-red. The first shot was on the target– high and left. The second shot ended up higher but on line straight above the first. It couldn’t be that I was already flinching, could it?

Seems all too likely.

After aiming two, I wanted to “hip-shoot” a couple. As a last-ditch, close-range weapon (whether the threat be a poisonous snake or a “person-ous” one), deliberate aiming may not be an option, so I want to be practiced at the fluid motion of draw-cock-release safety-point-fire. Or as fluid as I can make it …

I knew enough to expect a serious kick from a shotgun shell, but after the third LC (also high and wide), I one-handed a #6 round and immediately tried to figure out if I’d broken my wrist. Wow! What a snap. Probably a good thing I left the 000-Buck in the house this time. Turns out all the bones were in place, but that wrist will be sore for a time. No major problem, but it’s another reminder that I need to improve my grip and hold strength.

The shot patterned pretty well on the target and box. The other two shells ended up wide-high right and wide left, but every shot left obvious damage. The biggest hole of all in middle-left, and it’s from the last shell’s wad. I wouldn’t want to be hit even by one of those!

The gun works. No question.

Shot o’the day is the pic of this LC slug.

That is one seriously intimidating hunk of heavy metal– a horse-pill of a bullet … some very bad medicine. And that’s just the flat-nosed Cowboy Action slug. I’ve also got a speed-load strip of ballistic-tipped Hornady Critical Defense rounds for “real” home security or concealed carry use, and their potential for devastation is almost scary.

Not being a card sharp (and not being a cheating or suspicious player or even a gambler of any kind), I don’t plan to keep this up my sleeve or at the ready under a felt-covered table. It’s a great carry piece with the proprietary holster included in the Ranger package. Not too concealable (for me anyway), but the weight of it and cross-draw positioning give it a seriously Wild West feel which is nicely complemented by the miniature circled-stars on the holster and the grips.

The Ranger II version appeals to me because of the trigger guard, too. It’s removable, but I like the extra sense of safety– at least comfortable familiarity– it provides. In the interest of full disclosure, it should be pointed out that the hold is not a natural fit for my hands. I’m still working to find the grip position that will be best for me.

Easy as … one … two … three!

I bought this as much for my interest in the engineering and design as in the practical use issue, and it’s a product of the Republic of Texas, and I like that, too.

I sincerely hope I never have to use it in an emergency. I don’t even want to think how much hearing damage it would do, especially in an enclosed space like a vehicle some thug might try to car-jack.

Please, Lord, no.