My guess on the ending: Barlow tried and failed to kill Branch. He managed to reload his shotgun (or pull a concealed pistol), triggered the trap as a distraction, and turned to fire on Branch. Branch, knowing his father and being very wary of him, had stepped close enough to Barlow to interfere with the shot and perhaps strike him in the head with the butt of his shotgun. We heard Barlow’s shot fired, but he missed Branch. Branch then delivers his father up to Longmire (his alternate father figure). This is an attempt to do what’s right, and wash himself free of the family’s sins. It might also gain him an offer to return as a Deputy, though I wonder whether he’d take it. I also wonder whether Walt receives this news in time to prevent him from killing Joseph Nighthorse. My guess is yes. This would keep the main hero and the main villain in place to drive the story over the next season.

When the dad clicked the clay launcher Branch looked away. Hopefully he reacted fast enough, but then again they both had clayshot simiar to the Dick Cheney shooting so it’s very survivable.