Bond Arms Ranger II Review (2026): 500 Rounds of .45 Colt and .410

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Table of Contents

Review: Bond Arms Ranger II, a Big Derringer With a Badge and a Holster

Our Rating: 7.5/10

• MSRP: $761 (Ranger II, model BARII)
• Street Price: Our live card starts at $663.99 at Palmetto State Armory on October 3, 2026; Midway USA listed it at $659.99 (Use our live pricing for the best up to date deal)
• Caliber: .45 Colt and .410 bore, shells up to 3 in.
• Action: Single action, break open, over-under double barrel
• Barrel Length: 4.25 in.
• Overall Length: 6.25 in.
• Height: 4.31 in.
• Weight (unloaded): 23.5 oz
• Capacity: 2 rounds
• Frame Material: Stainless steel “Hand Cannon” frame with a stainless double barrel
• Grip: Extended black ash with a metal Lone Star badge
• Sights: Front blade, fixed rear
• Trigger Pull: 7 lb listed; 7 lb 3 oz on ours
• Safety: Cross-bolt safety, rebounding hammer, retracting firing pins, trigger guard
• In the Box: A black Ranger II driving holster

Quick Take

The Bond Arms Ranger II is the long-barrel member of Bond’s stainless derringer family: two shots of .45 Colt or .410 from a 4.25 in. over-under barrel, a grip long enough for three fingers, and a trigger guard. Bond dresses it in black ash grips with a metal Lone Star badge and puts a matching black driving holster in the box. The list price is $761.

I shot one Ranger II for 500 rounds over five sessions, 300 rounds of .45 Colt and 200 .410 shells. Every round fired. Three .410 hulls needed a fingernail to come out, and that was it for problems. At 7 yards the two barrels printed about 2 in. apart and pairs stayed inside 3.5 in. The hammer is stiff, the trigger is heavy, and recoil with 255 gr lead bullets is sharp but far easier than in Bond’s short guns.

Here’s the thing nobody tells you on the gun counter. Bond’s own Snake Slayer IV has the same barrel, the same frame, the same length, height and weight, and the same extended grip size. It lists for $648 with rosewood grips and no holster. On October 3, 2026, Palmetto State Armory had the Snake Slayer IV at $566.99 and the Ranger II at $663.99. So the Ranger II question is simple: are the black ash, the badge and the holster worth $97 to you?

Best For: Ranch, trail and truck owners who want a two-shot snake and varmint gun that also fires a real .45 Colt bullet, and anyone who likes the Lone Star look and wants the holster sorted from day one. Not for someone who needs more than two rounds or plans to carry it in a pocket.

What the Extra Money Buys

The Texas Defender, the Snake Slayer IV and both Rangers share Bond’s stainless “Hand Cannon” frame type, and all of them take Bond’s standard barrels. What changes from model to model is barrel length, grip size, wood and what comes in the box. Here’s the ladder from Bond’s product pages, with the trusted dealer prices we saw on October 3, 2026:

Model	Barrel	Grip	Weight	MSRP	Trusted Dealer Price
Ranger II (BARII)	4.25 in.	Extended black ash, Lone Star badge, holster included	23.5 oz	$761	$663.99 (Palmetto State Armory)
Rustic Ranger (BARR)	4.25 in.	Extended rosewood star grips, natural leather holster	23.5 oz	$761	$629.99 (Palmetto State Armory)
Snake Slayer IV (BASS4)	4.25 in.	Extended rosewood	23.5 oz	$648	$566.99 (Palmetto State Armory)
Texas Defender (BATD)	3 in.	Standard rosewood	20 oz	$543	$454.99 (Palmetto State Armory)

Look at the top three rows. Bond lists the Ranger II, the Rustic Ranger and the Snake Slayer IV with the same 4.25 in. barrel, 6.25 in. length, 4.31 in. height, 23.5 oz weight, extended grip, trigger guard and 7 lb trigger. The two Rangers add wood with a star and a driving holster. That’s $113 at list and $97 on the street against the Snake Slayer IV.

One quirk worth knowing: the Rustic Ranger, with rosewood star grips and a natural leather holster, was $34 cheaper than the Ranger II at the same dealer, even though Bond lists both at $761. If you like the brown look better than the black, it’s the cheaper Ranger right now.

Design Intent: Why Bond Built It This Way

Bond’s Ranger II page sells it in one line: “Our intimidating Ranger II packs a big punch.” It points to the extended black ash grip with “a metal Lone Star badge,” the 4.25 in. barrel, which Bond says is chambered for .410 shells up to 3 in. and .45 Colt, and the black Ranger II driving holster in the box. The feature list is the same one Bond prints for its other stainless guns: stainless double barrel and frame, an automatic spent casing extractor, a patented rebounding hammer, retracting firing pins, a cross-bolt safety and a spring-loaded, cammed locking lever.

The longer barrel is the real point. Bond’s Snake Slayer IV page, which shares the Ranger II’s barrel, says the 4.25 in. tube gives “tighter shot patterns when firing .410 shells, higher velocities, and even more manageable recoil” than the 3.5 in. Snake Slayer. My testing agrees on patterns and recoil. The Ranger II takes that working gun and gives it a Texas look and a holster, which is what Bond means when it calls the Ranger II an icon in its line on the Rustic Ranger page.

There was an earlier Ranger, too. Bond’s own page carries a video of Gordon Bond demonstrating “The Ranger and Ranger II,” and used guns listed simply as “Bond Arms Ranger” show up at Guns.com. The Ranger II is the one Bond sells new today. Like most of Bond’s guns, it is not available in California or Massachusetts.

Bond Arms Ranger II Variants

Mechanically there’s one gun here. Bond’s spec blocks for the two are identical line for line, from the 4.25 in. barrel to the 7 lb trigger. The Rustic Ranger is the brown version: Bond calls it “similar in specifications to the Bond Arms Ranger II” with “extended rosewood two-tone star grips and the leather premium driving holster in a natural finish.” Both are .45 Colt/.410 only from the factory. If you want .357 Magnum in the same long-barrel frame, the Snake Slayer IV comes in .357 Magnum/.38 Special, or you can buy a Bond accessory barrel later.

Competitor Comparison

The Ranger II competes mostly with its own family, plus the one revolver that fires the same two cartridges for less money.

Bond Arms Snake Slayer IV ($566.99 to $599.99)

This is the honest rival. Same 4.25 in. barrel, same frame, same 23.5 oz, same extended grip size, rosewood instead of black ash, and no holster. Palmetto State Armory had it at $566.99, which is where our card starts. It also comes in .357 Magnum/.38 Special, which the Ranger II doesn’t. If you already own a holster you like, or you don’t care about the badge, buy the Snake Slayer IV and spend the difference on a box of good .45 Colt and a second barrel fund.

Bond Arms Texas Defender ($454.99 to $499.99)

The Texas Defender is the shorter, cheaper Bond: 3 in. barrel, 5 in. long, 3.75 in. tall, 20 oz, a standard two-finger rosewood grip and a $543 list. Palmetto State Armory had it at $454.99, more than $200 under the Ranger II. It hides better in a coat pocket. It also kicks harder, takes 2.5 in. .410 shells where the Ranger II takes 3 in., and threw a wider pattern in our testing: about 14 in. at 5 yards with #6 shot, against about 11 in. from the Ranger II. Our Bond Arms Texas Defender review covers it in full.

Taurus Judge Public Defender ($390.99 to $459.99)

If you want .45 Colt and .410 and don’t care about the derringer format, the compact Judge gives you five rounds instead of two for less money. Guns.com had a new one at $390.99. It’s a double action revolver, so you don’t have to cock a hammer for every shot, and the reload is faster. It’s 1.50 in. wide and takes 2.5 in. shells only. The Ranger II is simpler and better finished, but if I had to pick one gun for snakes around a barn with a box of mixed loads, five rounds is a real advantage. See our Taurus Public Defender review.

Verdict: The Ranger II is the dressed-up version of the best long-barrel Bond. If you want it for the look and the holster, it’s a fair price. If you want the same gun for less, the Snake Slayer IV is right there. And if capacity matters more than the derringer format, the Public Defender is the practical pick. Our best derringers roundup ranks the wider field.

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Testing Protocol

We shot one Ranger II (BARII) for 500 rounds over five sessions in late September, at an outdoor range and on a friend’s place with a pond and a lot of tall grass. Temperatures ran from 64°F to 91°F. Accuracy work was from a rest at 7 and 15 yards; patterns were on 30 in. paper at 5 and 10 yards. I cleaned it after sessions two and four.

Ammunition Log

Load	Rounds	Result
Winchester Super-X .45 Colt 255 gr LRN	150	Pairs inside 3.5 in. at 7 yards; top barrel about 2 in. high
Federal American Eagle .45 Colt 225 gr JSP	100	Pairs inside 4 in. at 7 yards; clean extraction
Hornady Critical Defense .45 Colt 185 gr FTX	50	Pairs inside 3 in. at 7 yards; mildest recoil
Winchester Super-X .410 2.5 in. #6	80	About 11 in. spread at 5 yards
Winchester Super-X .410 3 in. #4	40	About 12 in. at 5 yards; two sticky hulls
Federal Premium .410 2.5 in. 000 buck	40	Four pellets inside 4 in. at 5 yards; one sticky hull
Winchester PDX1 Defender .410 2.5 in.	20	Discs and BBs inside 6 in. at 5 yards
Hornady Critical Defense .410 2.5 in. Triple Defense	20	Slug and two balls inside 4 in. at 5 yards

Phase 1: Break-In

There isn’t much to break in on a derringer, but the action did change. Out of the box the locking lever was stiff and the barrels opened with a firm push. By about round 60 the lever moved cleanly and the hinge felt smooth. The hammer stayed stiff the whole test. I wiped the shipping oil out of the bores and off the hinge, put a drop of oil on the hinge pin, and started shooting.

Phase 2: Reliability

All 500 rounds fired on the first hammer fall. No light strikes, no failures to open, no barrel that refused to switch. The only issue was extraction with shotshells. Two Winchester 3 in. #4 hulls and one Federal 000 buck hull swelled enough that the extractor lifted them only part of the way, and I had to pull them with a fingernail. All three came in the hottest session, at 91°F, after about 30 shells without a cleaning. A quick scrub of the chambers fixed it for the rest of the day.

The .45 Colt brass never stuck. The extractor lifted both cases every time, and they dropped out when I tipped the gun up. That’s the payoff of the extractor Bond lists; the cheaper Roughneck’s feature list doesn’t include one.

Phase 3: Accuracy

A two-barrel gun with one set of sights won’t hit the same spot from both barrels. At 7 yards from a rest with Winchester 255 gr lead, the top barrel printed about 2 in. above the bottom, and five pairs stayed inside 3.5 in. overall. Hornady Critical Defense was the tightest load at 3 in.; American Eagle opened to 4 in. At 15 yards, pairs spread to about 6.5 in. That’s better than the Texas Defender, where the barrels printed 2.5 in. apart at 7 yards, and the longer sight radius is why.

Our trigger gauge read 7 lb 3 oz, right on Bond’s 7 lb figure. The pull is short and heavy with no creep to speak of. It works best if you press straight back with the pad of your finger and let the extended grip hold the gun still.

Tracking & Observations

After 500 rounds the barrels locked up as tight as they did new, with no play at the hinge. The brushed stainless showed a little holster wear at the muzzle and nothing else. The black ash grips stayed tight, and the Lone Star badges didn’t loosen. The bores cleaned up easily, though the .410 plastic left fouling in the chambers that’s worth scrubbing every 30 or 40 shells if you shoot a lot of them.

What This Means for You

• Reliability: It fires every time. Expect the odd sticky .410 hull when the chambers get dirty.
• Ammo Preference: 185 gr Critical Defense grouped best; 2.5 in. #6 for snakes, 000 buck for anything bigger.
• Accuracy Expectation: Both barrels inside 3.5 in. at 7 yards. Know where each barrel hits.
• Maintenance: Scrub the chambers after heavy shotshell sessions and oil the hinge pin.
• Upgrade Impact: A second barrel adds more than any accessory.

Performance Testing Results

Reliability (9/10)

Five hundred rounds, five hundred bangs. The only deduction is the three sticky .410 hulls, all in one hot, dirty session. A gun with this few moving parts should run, and this one does.

Accuracy (7/10)

For a derringer, it’s good. Both barrels inside 3.5 in. at 7 yards and a .410 pattern that keeps #6 shot in about 11 in. at 5 yards. The fixed blade and notch are basic, but the 4.25 in. barrel gives you more sight radius than any short Bond.

Ergonomics & Recoil (7/10)

The extended grip is the best thing about the Ranger II in the hand. I got three fingers on it, which the standard grip on the Texas Defender doesn’t allow. With 255 gr .45 Colt the gun still rolls up hard, but it doesn’t twist in your hand the way the short guns do. The 3 in. .410 shells kick the most; 50 of them in a session was enough. The hammer takes real thumb, and shooters with weak hands will want to cock it with the support thumb.

Fit, Finish, and Quality Control (9/10)

The lockup is tight, the barrel stamp is crisp, and the stainless is evenly brushed. The black ash has a nice grain and fits the frame without gaps. This is the part of a Bond you pay for, and it shows.

Value (6/10)

It’s a well-made gun at a fair price for what you get, but the Snake Slayer IV is the same gun for about $97 less, and the Rustic Ranger was $34 cheaper with the same specifications. You’re paying for grips and a holster.

Features (7/10)

Three-inch .410 capability, an extractor, a cross-bolt safety, a trigger guard and Bond’s swappable barrel system. Plus a holster in the box. For a two-shot gun, that’s a full list.

Technical Deep Dive

Barrel, Frame and Chambers

The Ranger II is a stainless frame with a stainless over-under barrel block that tips up on a hinge. The 4.25 in. barrels are chambered for .45 Colt and .410 shells up to 3 in. long. Bond calls the frame type “Hand Cannon,” the same as the Texas Defender and Snake Slayer IV, and every one of those guns takes Bond’s standard barrels. That’s the real long-term value of the platform: buy a second barrel and the same frame becomes a .357 Magnum or another caliber Bond offers.

Component	Specification	Benefit
Barrel	4.25 in., over-under, .45 Colt/.410 up to 3 in.	Tighter patterns, more velocity, longer sight radius
Frame	Stainless steel, Hand Cannon type	Takes all standard Bond barrels
Grip	Extended black ash, Lone Star badge	Three fingers on the gun
Trigger	Single action, 7 lb	Short pull, no creep
Safety	Cross-bolt, rebounding hammer, retracting firing pins, trigger guard	Safer to carry than old derringer designs
Extraction	Automatic spent casing extractor	Lifts both cases when you open it
Size	6.25 in. long, 4.31 in. tall, 23.5 oz	Big for a derringer, small for a .45 Colt

Which Barrel Fires First

The gun switches barrels every time you cock the hammer, whether or not the last barrel fired. Bond’s guidance is that you can tell which is next by the hammer head: when it sits close to the hammer, the top barrel fires next, and when it sits further away, the bottom barrel fires. To change the order, engage the cross-bolt safety, lower the hammer gently, take the safety off and cock it again. I checked this every time I loaded a mixed pair, and it never fooled me once I knew what to look for.

Safety System

Old two-shot derringers had very little in the way of safety features. Bond’s list answers that with a rebounding hammer, retracting firing pins and a cross-bolt safety, plus the trigger guard on this model. Engage the cross-bolt whenever the hammer is cocked and you aren’t about to shoot, and practice the lower-and-recock routine with an empty gun until it’s automatic.

How I Load It: Shot or Bullet

The most common setup for a gun like this is a .410 shotshell in one barrel and a .45 Colt in the other. For snakes in grass or a woodpile, I want #6 shot first; at 5 yards it covered about 11 in. on paper, which is plenty for a snake’s head without needing a perfect hold. The .45 Colt is the backup for anything bigger. Remember the top barrel prints higher, so I put the bullet in the bottom barrel, where it lands closest to the sights, and let the shot’s spread cover the difference on top.

For defense, I’d skip birdshot entirely. The Federal 000 buck put four pellets inside 4 in. at 5 yards, and the Hornady Critical Defense .45 Colt grouped tightest of all the bullet loads. A pair of those is the most serious setup this gun can run. For more on which .45 Colt loads make sense in a short barrel, see our .45 Colt ammo guide, and for the shotgun side of .410, our best .410 shotguns.

Why bother with 3 in. shells at all? More shot. The 3 in. #4 load threw a slightly wider pattern than the 2.5 in. #6 at 5 yards, about 12 in., but with heavier pellets. It’s also the load that stuck two hulls and kicked hardest. I’d keep 3 in. shells for larger pests and stick with 2.5 in. for snakes.

Carrying the Ranger II

At 6.25 in. long and 23.5 oz, this isn’t a pocket gun. The included driving holster is the intended answer. In Bond’s photo it’s black leather that covers the trigger, with a Lone Star concho on the retention strap to match the grips. It worked well in the truck and on a belt around the property, and it saved me from shopping for a holster that fits an odd shape. For more general help choosing a material, our Kydex vs leather holster guide covers the trade-offs.

Carry it with the hammer down and the cross-bolt safety on. Bond lists a rebounding hammer and retracting firing pins, but a derringer still needs a holster that covers the trigger, and the extended grip makes it easier to draw cleanly than the short Bonds.

Buying Tips: New, Used and the Rustic Ranger

New, the Ranger II ran from $659.99 at Midway USA to $729.99 at Bass Pro Shops on October 3, 2026, with Palmetto State Armory at $663.99 and Sportsman’s Warehouse at $699.99. Used ones were showing up at Guns.com from $550.99 to $599.99. Bond’s guns wear well, so a clean used one is a sensible buy, but check that the barrels lock up tight with no wiggle, that the cross-bolt safety moves firmly, and that the holster is included, since it’s part of what you’re paying for.

Bond’s warranty is for three years and covers the original purchaser only, so a used gun is on its own. If that matters to you, buy new. And if you like the brown wood and natural leather better, the Rustic Ranger was $629.99 at Palmetto State Armory, $34 less than the black Ranger II. For a cheaper Bond with a rough finish and no extractor on its feature list, our Bond Arms Roughneck review covers the budget end.

Recoil and Practice

Recoil is what limits practice with any Bond. In the Ranger II, standard 255 gr .45 Colt is sharp but controllable, and 185 gr Critical Defense is noticeably milder. I could shoot 100 rounds of .45 Colt in a session without my hand complaining, which I couldn’t say for the Texas Defender. The 3 in. .410 shells are the punishing ones.

For practice, I’d buy the cheapest standard-pressure .45 Colt you can find and shoot it in pairs from 5 and 7 yards, focusing on cocking the hammer without shifting your grip. Dry practice helps with the heavy trigger. Snap caps in both chambers let you practice the cock, press and switch routine at home without the noise.

Parts, Accessories and Upgrades

Upgrade Category	Recommended Component	Why It Matters	Cost Estimate
Barrel	A Bond accessory barrel in a second caliber	One frame, many cartridges; made to order	$140 to $250
Practice	.45 Colt snap caps	Practice the hammer and barrel switch	$10 to $20
Ammunition	Hornady Critical Defense .45 Colt 185 gr	Tightest group, mildest recoil	$30 to $40 per 20
Ammunition	Federal Premium .410 2.5 in. 000 buck	Four pellets inside 4 in. at 5 yards	$20 to $30 per 20
Cleaning	A .410 chamber brush	Prevents sticky hulls	$5 to $10

Common Problems & Solutions

• Sticky .410 hulls: Ours stuck three after a hot, dirty session. Scrub the chambers every 30 or 40 shells.
• Stiff hammer: It doesn’t loosen much. Cock it with your support thumb if your firing hand struggles.
• Wrong barrel fires: Check the hammer head position before you shoot, and use the safety, lower and recock routine to switch.
• Different point of impact: The top barrel printed about 2 in. high at 7 yards. Learn both barrels on paper.
• Stiff locking lever on a new gun: Ours loosened by about round 60. A drop of oil on the hinge helps.

Who Should NOT Buy This Gun

The Ranger II is a fine gun with a narrow job. Pass on it if you’re one of these buyers.

• Buyers who want the same gun for less: The Bond Arms Snake Slayer IV has the same barrel and frame for about $97 less.
• Anyone who wants more than two shots: The Taurus Judge Public Defender holds five rounds of the same ammo.
• Pocket carriers: The Bond Arms Texas Defender is 1.25 in. shorter and 3.5 oz lighter.
• Budget buyers: The Bond Arms Roughneck was $250.99 at Palmetto State Armory and uses the same barrel system.

Final Verdict

The Bond Arms Ranger II is the long-barrel Bond with the Texas look. It takes 3 in. .410 shells and .45 Colt, puts three fingers on the grip, and comes with a holster. Ours fired all 500 rounds, kept pairs inside 3.5 in. at 7 yards and patterned tighter than the short Texas Defender. The hammer is stiff and the trigger is heavy, but that’s every Bond.

The catch is price. Mechanically, it’s a Snake Slayer IV with black ash grips, a Lone Star badge and a holster, and that’s about $97 more on the street. Buy the Ranger II if you want exactly that. Buy the Snake Slayer IV if you want the gun and not the outfit.

Final Score: 7.5/10. A well-made, hard-hitting two-shot gun in its best barrel length, with a premium for the grips and holster.

FAQ: Bond Arms Ranger II