Joe Demko
Member
The reason no such revolve is made is that none of the makers see a sufficient market to turn a profit. When we live in an era where pocket autos can sell for close to a grand, I think they may be mistaken.
Anyone else wish they made a smaller Revolver??
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Joe Demko
Member
They got as far as a prototype of a SA .32. Just as well they gave up on it, as it was a real clunker.
MCgunner
Member
Yup, my NAA pretty much trumps any auto I've ever owned or ever will own for small. 
If I'm not mistaken, the .32NAA is a necked down .380 case with a .32cal bullet in it. So the back of the chambers would have to have enough room for a .380 anyway, which means the cylinder would be just as wide as a 9mm, .38spl etc....
I did have another idea. (very dangerous)
Ok, so it seems making the cylinders narrower won't work.
What about making them shorter? I mean, a 9mm revolver still has a cylinder as long as the ones made for .38spl. Why the heck can't they make a revolver with a much shorter cylinder to accommodate todays shorter and more efficient ammunition.
The .39spl is 39mm long. A 9mm is 19mm long. You could shave 20mm off the end of that .38spl cylinder, chamber it for 9X19, tighten up the cylinder window of the frame accordingly, and save 3/4" off the overall length of the wheelgun. 3/4" may not sound like much if it's on a belt holster, but in a pocket, that's a huge difference. You'd also be reducing 3/4" of the thickest and bulkiest part of the revolver making it easier to conceal, and reducing weight.
I'd bet the frame would be inherently stronger because the window would be smaller as well.
Any reason they could not do this (Aside from manufacturing costs of tooling up for a new frame)?
Ok, so it seems making the cylinders narrower won't work.
What about making them shorter? I mean, a 9mm revolver still has a cylinder as long as the ones made for .38spl. Why the heck can't they make a revolver with a much shorter cylinder to accommodate todays shorter and more efficient ammunition.
The .39spl is 39mm long. A 9mm is 19mm long. You could shave 20mm off the end of that .38spl cylinder, chamber it for 9X19, tighten up the cylinder window of the frame accordingly, and save 3/4" off the overall length of the wheelgun. 3/4" may not sound like much if it's on a belt holster, but in a pocket, that's a huge difference. You'd also be reducing 3/4" of the thickest and bulkiest part of the revolver making it easier to conceal, and reducing weight.
I'd bet the frame would be inherently stronger because the window would be smaller as well.
Any reason they could not do this (Aside from manufacturing costs of tooling up for a new frame)?
woad_yurt
Member
A smaller diameter cylinder....
The cylinder in the gun below is 1 1/16" wide. It's a .32 short gun so the case has the same OD as .32 H&R Magnum or .327 Federal. I think that, today, they could make a similarly small yet sufficiently strong cylinder. The .32 Magnum would be easy. The .327 generates a lot more pressure, like double, so the metallurgy would have to be more involved. But, I think it do-able. I guess a modern one would be a solid frame job, though. I like this gun, btw, it's a great pocket gun. It's really small. Believe it or not, it's my ex's carry gun.*
* Please don't start. When I met her she had never touched a gun; now she's a permitted carrier. A good shot, too.
Here are two others with small cylinders, although the middle one is a .22. The .32 topbreak is the same size as the one above. They're small.
The cylinder in the gun below is 1 1/16" wide. It's a .32 short gun so the case has the same OD as .32 H&R Magnum or .327 Federal. I think that, today, they could make a similarly small yet sufficiently strong cylinder. The .32 Magnum would be easy. The .327 generates a lot more pressure, like double, so the metallurgy would have to be more involved. But, I think it do-able. I guess a modern one would be a solid frame job, though. I like this gun, btw, it's a great pocket gun. It's really small. Believe it or not, it's my ex's carry gun.*
* Please don't start. When I met her she had never touched a gun; now she's a permitted carrier. A good shot, too.
Here are two others with small cylinders, although the middle one is a .22. The .32 topbreak is the same size as the one above. They're small.
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Woad Yurt- Now that 32 is what I'm talking about. That is a 5-shot then? That size gun in 32 H&R Mag loaded with 100 grain ammo doing 900+ FPS would be awesome. Get some nice grips, and put a pinned front sight, and you've got a great reliable pocket gun!
RevolvingGarbage
Member
Id carry that top break in a heartbeat, though a .38S&W of the same design would be sweeter.
I've always wished Ruger would refine and produce the Charter Bulldog .44 Spl. I read that it was originally designed by a gentleman who worked for Ruger and left to start Charter. I believe Ruger could make it to a much higher standard. Just a little bigger than an SP 101.
OregonJohnny
Member
I've often wondered about this as well. Stop trying to stuff 6 rounds of .327 Federal into a 5-shot .38/.357 frame.
Why not make a 5-shot .327 Federal that could be a little narrower, shorter, lighter, and just overall smaller than a j-frame/LCR? I think it would be a good seller. In that big hole between the NAA Minis, and the j-frames, you don't have a lot of modern options. Are you listening, Ruger?
Why not make a 5-shot .327 Federal that could be a little narrower, shorter, lighter, and just overall smaller than a j-frame/LCR? I think it would be a good seller. In that big hole between the NAA Minis, and the j-frames, you don't have a lot of modern options. Are you listening, Ruger?
TexasBill
Member
If you do the math, you're not going to shave that much off the cylinder diameter switching from a .357-inch-diameter bullet to a .312-inch-diameter bullet. What's that; about 0.09 inches? Perhaps if you went to a rimless cartridge, like a .32 ACP or maybe something brand-new, like a ".32 Super."
IMHO, a more viable plan might be a scaled-down 6-shot revolver in .22 Magnum. Something like that could be a big hit with the backpack/camping/fishing crowd. Even the legendary Bill Jordan had good things to say about a .22 Magnum as a SD round.
IMHO, a more viable plan might be a scaled-down 6-shot revolver in .22 Magnum. Something like that could be a big hit with the backpack/camping/fishing crowd. Even the legendary Bill Jordan had good things to say about a .22 Magnum as a SD round.
w_houle
Member
http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/9363/rg14.jpg
I know it'll catch flack for what it is, but it's still in time and the metal it's made from hasn't rotted away. I can shoot it pretty decent. Now only if someone made one like this with an aluminum frame...
I know it'll catch flack for what it is, but it's still in time and the metal it's made from hasn't rotted away. I can shoot it pretty decent. Now only if someone made one like this with an aluminum frame...
Legionnaire
Contributing Member
I don't want a tiny revolver. What I want is a bigger cartridge in a mid-size revolver. Specifically, I want Ruger to come out with a five-shot, three-inch, fixed-sight GP100 in .41 mag!
woad_yurt
Member
I don't know. There's a bunch of big name makers that have been making pretty small 5 shot .38 revolvers and cylinder size is pretty minimal. How much more could one remove?
It's not the bullet but the widest part of the case, in this case the rim, that determines cylinder size; it's .44 inches for .38/.357. All of the rimmed .32 rounds mentioned above have a .375" rim, much smaller.
Set a .32 S&W New Departure (Lemon Squeezer) next to a J frame and you'll see that the .32 is indeed a fair amount skinnier across the cylinder. Even though the Lemon Squeezer has a 3 1/2" inch barrell, it easily disapears in a pocket vs. a J frame. Shorten that up to 2" or 2 1/2" with a solid frame, swing out cylinder and a able to chamber a .32 H&R Magnum, and you'd have a real winner IMO.
snooperman
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Texas Bill has a good idea...
that is easy to do. Make a very small 22 magnum 6 shot snubby, much smaller than a J frame. As Bill Jordan said, "it is a real wicked" cartridge. Winchester has one 50gr JHP that would be just right. Heck, with all the better metals today, I am surprised that a smaller double action revolver has not been made.
that is easy to do. Make a very small 22 magnum 6 shot snubby, much smaller than a J frame. As Bill Jordan said, "it is a real wicked" cartridge. Winchester has one 50gr JHP that would be just right. Heck, with all the better metals today, I am surprised that a smaller double action revolver has not been made.
woad_yurt
Member
.22 WMR guns will generally need a stiffer hammer spring because a rimfire is crankier than a centerfire. Thus, I'd love if someone made a solid frame revolver the same size as the hammerless topbreak above, for .32 H&R Magnum. They could make one as narrow. That old topbreak is just a perfect size. It's a perfect little pocket gun.
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snooperman
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I agree , I like the size of that little topbreak too.
Heck, with all the great new metals available today, I would think it would be easy to make a smaller pocket revolver in a 32 mag. Perhaps with a little helpful suggestion and nudge from people like us we could get S&W or Ruger to make something like that . I would think that they would sell well because of the light weight and ease of carry.
Heck, with all the great new metals available today, I would think it would be easy to make a smaller pocket revolver in a 32 mag. Perhaps with a little helpful suggestion and nudge from people like us we could get S&W or Ruger to make something like that . I would think that they would sell well because of the light weight and ease of carry.
oneounceload
member
I have the H&R 733 - basically the same gun. Overlaying my Colt DS on top, it's really a wash with the grip design - although the H&R has a much more pleasant grip design.
I like another poster's idea about a 9mm with a shorter cylinder, or a 5-shot 32 H&R mag.
I like another poster's idea about a 9mm with a shorter cylinder, or a 5-shot 32 H&R mag.
Low Budget Shooter
Member
Dear THR Friends,
Just in case anyone at the firearms companies is listening, I'll chime in that I would gladly plunk down my dough for a DA .32 or .22 revolver sized in between a j frame and an NAA mini. Just don't make it ugly!
LBS
Just in case anyone at the firearms companies is listening, I'll chime in that I would gladly plunk down my dough for a DA .32 or .22 revolver sized in between a j frame and an NAA mini. Just don't make it ugly!
LBS
You guys have a bunch of great ideas. There seems to be a decent sized interest in a gun like this. I believe the Ruger LCR has the most narrow cylinder at 1.28 inches, but as stated in a previous post someone measured thier 5-shot 32 S&W long at 1 1/16. That comes out to 1.06 in width across, and a J-frame is about 1.34 inches I believe.
Now factor in a shorter cylinder, which will make the overall gun length less, especially if you keep the barrel at 2" or less. And with just using the steel/aluminum format (maybe even polymer nowadays), you should come out with a gun that would be 12 ozs at the most. So overall the width would be decreased, the weight, and the length. I would also imagine the height would be a hair smaller as well.
And chambered in 32 H&R mag with a 100 grain bullet hitting 900 FPS you would have a very good SD round. More energy than a .380 auto round, and would probably beat out most standard pressure .38 rounds as well. And for the range or those who couldn't handle the recoil, you could fire 32 Long, which would still be effective for SD with a 100 grain wadcutter round.
Now factor in a shorter cylinder, which will make the overall gun length less, especially if you keep the barrel at 2" or less. And with just using the steel/aluminum format (maybe even polymer nowadays), you should come out with a gun that would be 12 ozs at the most. So overall the width would be decreased, the weight, and the length. I would also imagine the height would be a hair smaller as well.
And chambered in 32 H&R mag with a 100 grain bullet hitting 900 FPS you would have a very good SD round. More energy than a .380 auto round, and would probably beat out most standard pressure .38 rounds as well. And for the range or those who couldn't handle the recoil, you could fire 32 Long, which would still be effective for SD with a 100 grain wadcutter round.
I like this thread. I'd like a smaller double action revolver too. The smallest functional double action revolver currently being sold that I know of is the S&W 317 2", but it's only a 22. .22 LR. Eight shots. 10.5 oz.
http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/...selected=tech&isFirearm=Y&parent_category_rn=
http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/...selected=tech&isFirearm=Y&parent_category_rn=
woad_yurt
Member
I'll bet I have a smaller one. These are tiny. Here's the pretty one. The scuffed one is above:
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