Arminius Titan Tiger .38 Special

[Brubz]

I came into possession of a Titan Tiger .38 2" bbl.
This gun belonged to a relative and I'm sure he bought it used in the 1970's. It is a cheaply made pistol. How reliable are these? The frame is a bit marred up but the bbl and cylinder seem to be in good shape. There is just the slightest bit of play in the cylinder when the hammer is at rest

 

[Speedo66]

Perhaps the frame is marred up because it’s a softer metal, i.e., Zamac, rather than steel like the cylinder and barrel.

 

[tubeshooter]

I think I've run into a couple of examples of these before.

I would say, if not damaged or worn, certainly functional.
But no more than I really know about them, I am hesitant to even say that...


Safe to say it's enough gun to be dangerous.
Just wanted to provide some kind of response, since frankly you are not likely to get much.

 

[wcwhitey]

Functional is a good word for them. I have handled and shot a few of them. They were inexpensive glove box or tackle box guns and popular for that in the 80’s. The frame is Die Cast (not sure the specific metal) but like a Hi-Point beefy. Maybe that’s the best comparison. It’s the Hi-Point of revolvers. Everyone I handled shot. I know specifically that they are not +P rated so Standard Velocity rounds. If it checks out (read the checklist pinned to this section) it should be fine.

 

[Buckeye63]

Good to use target 148 LWC or 158gr LRN
Actually both rounds will do in a pinch for SD
Lower recoiling.. accurate.. really good penetration

 

[Rule3]

Import from Germany

https://centerfiresystems.com/product/arminius-revolver-titan-tiger-.38-special-2-barrel-blue

 

[PzGren]

We have a lot of opinions here and it looks as if one poster has at least seen a HW revolver. Hermann Weihrauch is an old and established German manufacturer. After WWII they moved from Zella Mehlis to Mellrichstadt and continued firearms manufacturing. The HW revolver line was called Arminius, that is the Roman version of the name Hermann. Hermann, the Cheruski, was taken as a hostage and raised in Rome and later gave Varus the defeat at the Varus battle, destroying two Roman legions.
The HW Arminius revolver line in solid and the guns are good shooters, in the right hands. The HW9 is their competion model and shoots alongside with any S&W 17/K-22 that I have shot - and I have shot dozens of each.

I had just checked that HW9 offhand at 25 yards and, while I would not have been happy with the result 20 years ago, I think that isn't too shabby for an old man who still shoots without eyeglasses.

 

[Brubz]

I came into possession of a Titan Tiger .38 2" bbl.
This gun belonged to a relative and I'm sure he bought it used in the 1970's. It is a cheaply made pistol. How reliable are these? The frame is a bit marred up but the bbl and cylinder seem to be in good shape. There is just the slightest bit of play in the cylinder when the hammer is at rest

Thanks for all the help on this. I don't think I would carry it for self-defense I have other options for that but should be fun to take to the range.
I prefer outdoor ranges to indoor so may be awhile here in SW Ohio.

 

[wcwhitey]

Thanks for all the help on this. I don't think I would carry it for self-defense I have other options for that but should be fun to take to the range.
I prefer outdoor ranges to indoor so may be awhile here in SW Ohio.

And that pretty much is it! If it’s healthy you got a fun shooter. Enjoy and let us know!

 

[PzGren]

Import from Germany

https://centerfiresystems.com/product/arminius-revolver-titan-tiger-.38-special-2-barrel-blue

To cock the hammer with the shooting hand is very bad form and a disqualifier.

 

[someguy2800]

I have an arnimus HW7 22lr which is just like the HW9 posted above but with a fixed rear sight. I bought it at a pawn shop and it couldn't hit a barn from the inside. I discovered the barrel was loose in the frame. I drove out the pin that was retaining it and pulled the barrel out, then degreased it thoroughly, coated the barrel and the inside of the frame with Loctite sleeve retainer to take up the clearance, and reassembled it. It shoots wonderful now and the sights are even correctly regulated.

If that is any indication of the materials and workmanship, then I would say I wouldn't want to shoot it extensively, but probably a decent gun to hide somewhere in the house.

 

[PzGren]

The HW 7 is a different gun than the HW9. The HW9 is a six shot target revolver while the 8-shot HW7 is more or less a plinker. That does not mean that the HW7 is not capable of good accuracy.
I shot a couple of HW7s a few years ago for a friend whose club owned two HW7s and members complained about the revolvers being so inaccurate that they could not hit the target at 25 meters. The trigger of the HW7 isn't as good as the HW9's trigger and it has no overtravel stop but the guns had served as club owned guns for many years and I just fired a few rounds through each, getting a feeling for them.

Good enough for entry level to intermediate shooters, not good enough for the top competitors but once you are among the top competitors you have spent more on .22 l.r. ammo alone than a Korth will cost you, not including range fees.

 

[Jim Watson]

Confused me, first thing I thought of was the INA Tiger revolvers from Brazil.

I didn't know Arminus used the name.

 

[Monac]

These guns were made by a company in Germany (still "West Germany" then) named Weihrauch. Strangely, despite their long history of making automatic pistols, the Germans made quite a business out of producing inexpensive revolvers for export back then. They all used cast zinc alloy frames, which was a new technology for making pistols at the time. They left most of the inexpensive automatic pistol trade to the Italians and Spanish, maybe because those countries could make low-priced pistols with machined steel or aluminum alloy frames due to lower labor costs.

The Weihrauchs were about the best of lot, IMO. Weirauch sold most of them under their "Arminius" trademark, but they supplied some to other companies, and that is what these Titan Tigers are.

During the late 70's and early 80's (IIRC) the German unit of currency at the time, the mark, soared in value compared to the US dollar, and they could not compete on price any more. Most of the makers of these revolvers dropped out, but I think Weirauchs are still made now. But I haven't seen any for a long time, so I could be wrong. The tradename of their later, improved guns was "Windicator", I think.

I have a 7-shot 32 S&W Long 4-inch barrel Arminius revolver with adjustable sights made in the early days, and it's a decent gun. It's not pretty, but its accuracy is OK. The fact that 32 Long is very low powered probably helps.

PS - Here's a test firing video of a 2 inch 38 Special Titan Tiger:

The maker does not pronounce "Arminius" the way I do, but I have no idea if I am right.

 

[Brubz]

These guns were made by a company in Germany (still "West Germany" then) named Weihrauch. Strangely, despite their long history of making automatic pistols, the Germans made quite a business out of producing inexpensive revolvers for export back then. They all used cast zinc alloy frames, which was a new technology for making pistols at the time. They left most of the inexpensive automatic pistol trade to the Italians and Spanish, maybe because those countries could make low-priced pistols with steel or aluminum alloy frames due to lower labor costs.

The Weihrauchs were about the best of lot, IMO. Weirauch sold most of them under their "Arminius" trademark, but they supplied some to other companies, and that is what these Titan Tigers are. During the late 70's and early 80's (IIRC) the German unit of currency at the time, the mark, soared in value compared to the US dollar, and they could not compete on price any more. Most the German makers of these revolvers dropped out, but I think Weirauchs are still made now. But I haven't seen any for a long time, so I could be wrong. The tradename of their later, improved guns was "Windicator", I think.

I have a 7-shot 32 S&W Long 4-inch barrel Arminius revolver with adjustable sights made in the early days, and it's a decent gun. It's not pretty, but its accuracy is OK. The fact that 32 Long is very low powered probably helps.

PS - Here's a test firing video of a 2 inch 38 Special Titan Tiger":

The maker does not pronounce "Arminius" the way I do, but I have no idea if I am right.

Interesting video that's the same gun I have I hope mine shoots as well as his

 

[PzGren]

Titan was the name that an importer chose. Arminius is the name the Romans gave Hermann, the cheruski. Hermann is the Christian name of Mr. Weihrauch, the founder. Weihrauch made falling block rifles already long before WWII in Zella Mehlis and made the HW52, a very high quality falling block rifle in Mellrichstadt. The HW60M is also a premium match rifle and shares the 6705 match rear sight with Anschutz rifles, made by the same manufacturer but not being marked Anschutz. I cherish my Weihrauch rifles!

 

[WestKentucky]

I have the 22lr version of that gun. It’s no j frame, but I like the gun well enough. Having been inside of mine a couple times I would say that the 38spl is absolutely as much cartridge as the gun would take. Rule out +p.

 

[.455_Hunter]

An Arminius .32 S&W Long revolver was featured in a firearms history book I nearly wore-out reading cover to cover so many times as a tween. Probably one of the reason I like the .32...

 

[Mizar]

There is a reason why a reputable company like Weihrauch used a different brand name for their line of inexpensive Zamak-framed revolvers... In general, they are a step above Rohm (RG) abominations, but that's about it - just a single step, nothing more exciting.

 

[PzGren]

There is a reason why a reputable company like Weihrauch used a different brand name for their line of inexpensive Zamak-framed revolvers... In general, they are a step above Rohm (RG) abominations, but that's about it - just a single step, nothing more exciting.

????
They used their own name for the guns. The importers in America used a name more palatable for the American public.

I have seen a few of your postings in the past and I think you have no clue what you are talking about or are you just working on your post count? Have you even seen an Arminius revolver in person?

 

[Mizar]

They used their own name for the guns. The importers in America used a name more palatable for the American public.

Nope, the Arminius brand of revolvers is sold worldwide - you can easily check that, even by entering their official site: www.hermann-weihrauch-revolver.de

I have seen a few of your postings in the past and I think you have no clue what you are talking about or are just working on your post count.

I have a rather good clue with Arminius, as they were sold in my home country also - I have inspected, shot and disassembled my fair share of those revolvers. Like I said - not impressed. If you like to think that those revolvers, just because Weihrauch made them, are something more than a cheap plinker, then be my guest, but please do acknowledge that I usually give opinions for firearms that I have already handled personally.

 

[PzGren]

Nope, the Arminius brand of revolvers is sold worldwide - you can easily check that, even by entering their official site: www.hermann-weihrauch-revolver.de

We are talking Titan Tiger here. Don't try to fool anyone.

I have a rather good clue with Arminius, as they were sold in my home country also - I have inspected, shot and disassembled my fair share of those revolvers. Like I said - not impressed. If you like to think that those revolvers, just because Weihrauch made them, are something more than a cheap plinker, then be my guest, but please do acknowledge that I usually give opinions for firearms that I have already handled personally.

Proof? I do not want to be your guest, especially since none of your previous posts contained any proof. The internet is full of b.s.

 

[Mizar]

Proof? I do not want to be your guest, especially since none of your previous posts contained any proof. The internet is full of b.s.

Proof of what - that I have shot and disassembled somebody else's revolver? OK, next time I'll do that especially for you, because I really care what some random guy on the Internet thinks of me...

 

[Monac]

Look, I think wcwhitey summed it up perfectly in post #4 above: The Weihrauch Ariminius revolvers were very much like Hi-Points of today compared to the other revolvers of their time. They both were well engineered for the materials that were used to manufacture them, and they represented good value for the price. You just have to keep in mind that their prices were, or are, relatively low.

To explain further: There are people who disparage Hi-Points now. Given the praise I have also heard about Hi-Points, that disparagement seems to be based on comparing them to significantly more expensive guns. Is either a Hi-point now or a Weihrauch Arminius then a thing of beauty compared to an S&W, a Ruger, a Glock, or so on? Of course not. Are they junk? Also of course not. After all, they sold well without collecting a bad reputation (unlike, say, the Lorcin or the RG-14 series.) Are they much better than other inexpensive guns of their day? I would say yes. A Hi-Point is much better than a Cobray or a Jimenez. And an Arminius was much more comparable to an H&R (other than the 999) or a High Standard Sentinel than an RG or a Herbert Schmidt or a Clerke.

In short, neither the Arminius nor the Hi-Points were designed to inspire respect from gunsmiths. But their manufacturers set out to make a decent, useful product, and put more effort into doing so than they needed to in order to sell guns to the very bottom end of the market. They are OK if you know what to expect, and that is where a forum like this is so valuable. You can get general opinions about every kind of gun, and people who can tell you about their actual, first-hand experience with them, and if that experience was bad, they can describe how it was bad. That is a real service to those who want to know what they have got, which is exactly the case here.

One last thing: I do not think Weihrauch tried to hide their connection with these revolvers by using the Arminius name, as Mizar seems to suggest in post #19. At least not any more than GM tries to hide its connection to its least expensive cars by calling them Chevies. The Weihrauch name is on every gun, including the Titan Tigers. It is a common thing for companies to have different names for different lines of products. Then a customer would know immediately, for example, if a given Weihrauch product was a firearm or an airgun. Of course, now Weihrauch may be trying to break their connection with the Arminius name by calling their current revolvers Windicators, but that is because they needed to improve their image as well as their actual quality so they could charge a lot more for them. To me, that is not much different from GM calling its plusher high end cars Cadillacs, even though they often seem to be Chevies under the skin. (I am not much of a car guy.)

All the above is my opinion, naturally. I do not mean to sound like the voice of God passing judgement.

 

[PzGren]

"They used their own name for the guns. The importers in America used a name more palatable for the American public."

Nope, the Arminius brand of revolvers is sold worldwide - you can easily check that, even by entering their official site: www.hermann-weihrauch-revolver.de

You still have not explained why Weihrauch's Arminius line of revolvers is sold under a "different" name, while it is clearly marked H. Weihrauch, Mellrichstadt.

FWIW the Arminius line of revolvers is a direct copy of the High Standard Sentinel and as Monac had just explained, the gun is made to a price point, they work well and many .22 Arminius revolvers have survived decades of use in German gun clubs. The HW38 was called Titan Tiger by F.I.E., since their imported guns were branded Titan, as the Lollar Korths are imported, distributed, and serviced by Nighthawk or Savage Anschutz imported and distributed the Anschutz sporting rifles long ago with completely different model designations.

By the way, Ratzeburg Korths and Weihrauch guns use barrels from the same manufacturer and I have inspected a few barrels of HW9s with a Teslong bore scope and the rifling is crisp and smooth without tool marks.