Mini/Small Revolvers?

[Mad Jack McMad]

Hello!

I am looking for revolvers that are bigger than the NAA Minis but smaller than the S&W Model 36 and it seems impossible to find any. So i thought that the tremendous knowledge that exists here on THR could help me find some interesting revolvers.

Matthias

 

[RevolvingGarbage]

Iver Johnson/S&W/H&R/Meridian top break revolvers in .38 S&W or .32 S&W are a good inbetween. Depending on age and condition, some can be carried and shot safely with modern ammunition.

An example for sale local to me.

http://floridaguntrader.com/index.php?a=2&b=89234

 

[MCgunner]

Not significantly smaller, but you can go alloy or titanium or scandium and get lighter.

 

[EMC45]

RG?.........

 

[Onward Allusion]

+1 on the older H&R top breaks in 32 S&W Long. Packs enough of a punch and small enough to be hidden one's palm. I would use wadcutters in 'em.

 

[Mad Jack McMad]

These top break revolvers you mention could be what i might be looking for, which models should i check up? Perhaps some websites with info?

Just to give perspective on things, look on the bottom two revolvers on the right side of the picture. I mean its quite a big step upwards from the NAA Mini.

 

[MCgunner]

The NAA magnum Black Widow falls between the extremes of the J frame and the mini. It's still an NAA mini, but it's quite accurate and shootable having Novak sights and a 2" barrel and the magnum frame is longer. It's getting close to the sight radius of my .38 Taurus 85UL and will group from a rest into around 3.5" at 25 yards which is pretty awesome as mini revolvers go and, in fact, good combat accuracy for a service sized gun. It's not much off my little 85 in that regard. I've fired ONE snub that could do as good as 2" groups, an SP101 which is large for a "snub". It's all about the sight radius for me. But, the little Black Widow, asside from the caliber which is about like .32ACP, is a serious little defensive pistol. At least it has serious accuracy. It's no .38/.357, but hey, it's tiny.

 

[mr_goodbomb]

RG is junk, or is it? Not to be rude, I'm just asking for clarification. If someone actually likes them, I might pick one up.

 

[RevolvingGarbage]

RG is junk, or is it? Not to be rude, I'm just asking for clarification. If someone actually likes them, I might pick one up.

I have an RG40 .38 special. It was my first handgun.

Mine has always worked well, and is as accurate as the person shooting it. Despite what some say, it stands up to +P ammo just fine.

These guns seem to function, but are not meant to be a shoot-every-day type of gun. You buy it, make sure it works, and run a cylinder or two through it every month to keep proficient, and when you need it, it will be there for you.

Ive handled several of the rimfire RG and other cheap german import revolvers. They don't hold up nearly as well as the centerfire versions, but if you find a working one, they usually at least spit most of the lead out of the front when you fire them. With that said, only the rimfire versions are any smaller than a J frame anyway.

As far as top break revolvers, for a defensive firearm you want something made in the 1900's (unless you hand load blackpowder rounds), preferably a Smith and Wesson or a Third Model Iver Johnson in .38 S&W, in good mechanical condition and preferring an intact nickle finish to resist rusting.

A good rule of thumb for whether or not you can fire smokeless loads in a particular top break, is if while the gun is not cocked, with the trigger forward, the cylinder spins freely in one direction. This is due to the older cylinder indexing cuts on most blackpowder era top break revolvers.

 

[MCgunner]

The RG I had was junk with a capital J, but that was before I learned how to check out a revolver before purchase. I was about 21 when I bought it, college kid, saw it at Gibson's discount and figured I could afford 16 bucks. I guess I'll stop short of calling all RGs junk 'cause I'm sure there are some out there like RevolvingGarbage's (I remember the source of your handle...) that might actually work. Just because mine didn't don't mean they all don't. Mine was a .22, not a .38. I think the model was "RG10" IIRC. I tossed it a long time ago. It's probably in the landfill in Bryan/College Station somewhere, or what remains of it.

 

[batjka]

I could not find any top breaks in .32 Long. All of the ones I saw were in .32 S&w.

How much smaller is the h&r 732 as compared to a j-frame?

Thanks in advance.

 

[batjka]

Just read that despite saying .32 S&W, all H&R revolvers manufactured after 1905 are chambered for .32 Long. If that's true, it opens up all kinds of interesting possibilities.

 

[Kiln]

In my experience with RG revolvers they're made for very limited use, shoot them a bit and then use it for shooting snakes/home intruders if you have nothing else...they're extremely small so they might make a decent BUG too but I'd recommend only standard velocity ammo for practice, then loading it with hi velocity stuff for varmints or protection.

Of the four I've had, the RG66 single action had an internal breakage after a few hundred rounds that I never fixed and sold the gun as parts and the RG10 which is considered to be the worst of the RG pistols actually had the front sight fall off of the gun...I sold it for parts too. The thing is they were both pretty worn out when I got them. Both of the RG23 pistols I've got work great though and are even pretty accurate, I don't shoot them much because I don't wanna wear them out but my cousin has one that has fired several thousand rounds and though its showing plenty of wear its still ticking.

The first models were very problematic (RG-10/RG-14) but some of the later models are actually decent guns...the centerfire ones are actually considered to be pretty good affordable guns. I've got two RG23 revolvers currently, I bought the short barreled version first and liked it well enough to buy the long barrel version afterwards. As long as you don't go out and shoot these $50-$100 guns like a $300 gun expecting them to hold up they'll do what you need them to do.

 

[snooperman]

I would like to see a 32 H&R magnum about 5.5" pocket revolver...

with a 1.5" barrel made of Titanium and about 10.5oz. It could easily be carried in a pocket , be the size of a small .380 pistol and yet the reliability of the revolver. I think it could be done and probably would sell. Just a thought.

 

[Stainz]

I always wanted a 'small' .32 S&WL... maybe a 2-3" barrel. But to me, J-frames have always been 'small'. My last two new revolver buys were a 60 Pro, a 3" 5-shot .357M, and a 63, a 3" 8-shot .22LR. A few years ago, when they were discontinued - and available for $339 locally, I wanted a 2" .32 H&RM Airweight hammerless, the 432PD, but I missed out. The 2" 632, SKU #178046, S&W announced a year back, looked promising, despite it's initial suggested $916 MSRP. It's currently $809 on their site. Little matter - it is still not in production!

Of course, a J-frame is not 'small' today by most standards... until you compare it to a K/L or N frame! I guess it's all in your perspective.

Stainz

 

[flyingtiger85]

I just bought a NNA 22lr revolver with the longer 1-5/8 barrel and added the longer boot grip handle so I can hold on to it better.I bring it every time I go shooting.I'm starting to improve my aim with it now,at first the accuracy was terrible.I found a little nylon holster with a belt clip that fits great.I would like a 22 9-shot 2-inch barrel like H&R,High Standard or ever a Taurus.

 

[mr_goodbomb]

Nope. I bought and sold one earlier this week and the buyer wanted to use it to chamber long cartridges. It wouldn't, he tried. He bought it anyway, but would have to buy more ammo.

 

[dewalt-2]

How about a Ruger Bearcat? It'll drop into your jeans or jacket pocket, and shoot minute of golfball at 25 yards. I love mine...

This little guy goes to the range on every trip, just to much fun to shoot.
And it's pretty too!

 

[joneb]

It would seem that RG fits the correct definition of a "Saturday night special"

 

[joneb]

How about a Ruger Bearcat?

I could see a five shot 32 HR mag. in a Bearcat sized package being a of use to me as a self defense handgun.

 

[flyingtiger85]

Hey Dewalt-2 nice bear-cat I thought about getting one but the new ones have a fake plastic looking shell extractor.For $500 dollars plus FFL fees, plus brady bill,plus shipping I don't want a plastic POS part on my new gun.The old ones look metal.

 

[MachIVshooter]

Iver Johnson/S&W/H&R/Meridian top break revolvers in .38 S&W or .32 S&W are a good inbetween. Depending on age and condition, some can be carried and shot safely with modern ammunition.

Agreed, though they are still heavier, buliker and less powerful than a P3AT or similar.

This is the little Iver .32 I picked up for $75. Reworked the action, cut the barrel from 4" to 2" and refinished it:



And compared with my P3 and S&W M37:

 

[MCgunner]

All this talk about .32 long. If I'm going to get wimpy, I'll go with a NAA Black Widow in .22 mag, just as effective, or at least has the potential to be just as effective, maybe more effective with the new Hornady .22 mag personal defense ammo designed for sub 2" barrels, if and when that stuff hits the market. My Black Widow is 3.5" at 25 yards accurate off the bench and shoots well off hand. Has a folding holster grip on it, Novak sights, and is tiny compared to my Taurus 85 or a J frame.

.22 mag from a 2" barrel puts up about 90-100 ft lbs. Best .32ACP from a small pocket gun puts up similar. .32 long really isn't loaded in great variety anymore with modern ammo, at least I don't think so. I wouldn't expect it to be as effective as .32ACP shooting modern .32 JHPs.

Hell, if I'm going to get THAT small, I'll take the .22 mag. I really do prefer my .38 or 9x19, though.

 

[mr_goodbomb]

Calling a firearm wimpy is just dumb to me. Sure, it's less powerful than __, whatever. It's deadly, and squabbling over it is like arguing over how hot you'd like to fire you burn to death in to be. They're small, cheap, simple guns. He paid $75 for that thing. Feel free to spend $299 on a NAA that you're only going to use as a last line of defense. Your money.

 

[Kendal Black]

Check out the smallness of the old style Ladysmith S&W (M frame) on this page: http://unblinkingeye.com/Guns/MiniR/minir.html

This is the kind of thinking I would like to see applied (re-applied) today. Nowadays when you buy Smith's littlest .22 revolver, it's a J frame--.38 sized.

A much smaller .22 Magnum DA revolver than those now made is obviously possible. With today's metallurgy a sub-miniature .327 Federal would be possible, too. (If they're cramming .357 into a J frame, I'm sure they could get the size of a .327 down a bit.)

I don't know why the manufacturers are not thinking in this direction. Maybe they think the J frame (and similar) are small enough and don't want to tool up for more sizes?