anyone out there have either?

Case you don't know, the judge is a 5 shot .410 revovler

the snakeslayer is a 2 shot O/U derringer

Both can fire .410 or 45 colt, mostly used for snakes.

I kinda like the snakeslayer, seems like it would be smaller to carry.

The judge has 3" barrel, whereas the slayer I think might have an inch after that 3" .410 shell.

I assume 2 shots for a snake would be enough but what if you miss once? Then I'm wondering about carrying the .45 LC for protection, but is that like a cap gun for griz protection during a bowhunt? better than nothing I assume. Also what about for mtn. lion? wolves? etc...?

Wondering about the velocity differences between the 2 with the .45 colt? The judge would have close to 6" minus the .45 LC shell length...and the slayer would have im guessing 4" minus the colt length again...?

Any insight would help. Thanks.

Without knowing availabilty or pricing, to me the judge wins on barrel length and capacity.

The O/U would be handy to have in a pocket while working your way around the banks of a farmpond, though.

Friend of mine has the Judge, and he likes it. He has it really for protection, as it is small enough to fit in the door pocket of his vehicle. Also, he likes the idea of having alternating rounds of the .45 and .410 I've handled it, and I like the the Taurus rubberized grip. Feels comfortable yet secure in my hand. Also, it has very little recoil. You can't go wrong between the two, getting the Taurus Judge. IMO

I have the .45/.410 bond arms snakeslayer derringer. Mine is the snakeslayer IV with the 4 1/4 inch barrel and the extended grip. I suggest getting the extended grip.

It serves the specific intended purpose for me of killing snakes. Our tropical piney woods have muddy logging trails, and as soon as our short chilly season ends, the moccasins sit in the water holes in the trails and wait for any frog bird or whatever happens by. I used to carry my old .410 single shot with me on the 4 wheeler, but the derringer is very handy and keeps my hands free. Last summer getting ready for the deer season I killed either 6 or 7 moccasins(lost count)and one copperhead. Our woods seem to be a breeding ground for the moccasins, and If I go a season and ignore them they seem to come back twofold the following year. Plus, they are just fun to shoot.

The bond arms derringersare a bit pricey, but they are very well made. They are not the traditional derringer you think of when you might consider carrying it in your pocket for a backup gun. I have the BATB high and tight leather holster I ordered from bonds. Sometimes I carry it, but I have a few other guns that I think are better carry options. When I do carry it, I have it loaded with .45 LC. I think it would be much easier to carry than the Judge, because the Judge looks pretty big and bulky to me. Iwouldn't ever see myself using the Judge as a carry gun because of the bulk, but there might be an advantage to having more shots in the cylinder for snakes without having to carryextras in your pocket.

Another cool feature of the bonds derringer is the ability to order different barrels to change caliber. For about $140, you can pretty much change it into any gun by turning one allen screw. I foot the bill for one box of .45 LC shells, and then ordered a Lee Loader to reuse the brass. The little bit of rifling that is in the .45/.410 barrel stabilizes the bullet out to about 12 yards. After that, my .250 gr. SWC's key hole. I'm thinking about getting a fully rifled .45 colt barrel. I wish the law would allow a fully smooth bore.

Here is a creation of mine. It is a .45 LC shell loaded with 8.8 grains of herco, a felt wad, and aprox. 132 grains of 7 1/2 shot on top of that. I shot a snake out in the yard with it, and it killed the snake with ease. My only problem is sealing off the end. The card board wad with liquid glass on the end is coming loose with the recoil of the first shot. This one is sealed with a Styrofoam wad, and a thicker layer of Elmer's glue. I haven't had a chance to try it yet.

C. Davis

Sorry, I forgot to add the picture. If anybody has tried this, and has a good way to seal the end please pass on the info.

C. Davis

Try puting a crimp on the end of the case.

Well, that was simple enough. Thanks.I used a rubber hammer and my lee loader to crimp six of these, and I shot them this morning. They seem to be holding together good. Now I guess I will order my dies to make this a hammer free process. I have enough Herco powder and 7 1/2 shot to make a couplea lifetimes of these. For about 2 boxes of .410 shells I can get the dies.

Here is my perfect snake load for the bonds derringer.

C. Davis

I'm confused?

Why do all that and not just use a .410 shell already loaded with 7 1/2 shot?

I think maybe the best answer to that question is that some of us who like to reload are weird.[&:]

Actually, I had most of this on hand before I bought the snakeslayer, and it is pretty easy to do. The .410 is really a little overkill for snakes. It is fun to shoot the .410 though. This is probably about half the recoil of a .410 shell, and it dispenses of the snakes with plenty of umph.

Plus, I just think its cool. I think loading it with black powder and shooting original black powder 45 colt loads out of it are cool too. Without the black powder, your smokeless loads leave a lot of room in the case to make this shot shell load.

C. Davis