RG Revolvers?

[gvass]

"I have heard they made/make high quality tools! Didnt they make a derringer too?"

Yes, Rohm manufactures a Derringer, but this time only in 9 mm K tear gas/blank caliber.

This is sold under the name: Noris Twinny
(In the past it was also made in .38 Spec, .22 LR, .22 WMR, 4 mm RZ Lang, 9 mm Fb. Gr.)

 

[KrankyKraut]

My first gun was a RG in .38 special. It had a 4'' barrel and from far away looked to my eyes like a Colt Python. I thought the price was right at $80, so I bought it. Of course it was a POS, having been saddled with all the problems people have enumerated here. It now rests in hell.

 

[Steve 48]

RG= POS Steve48

 

[Kurt S.]

One of my first handguns was an RG in .22 caliber, don't recall the model. I believe it was about $50.00 NIB (ca. 1971). It fired every time I pulled the trigger except the last time, when pieces of some spring came flying out of it from somewhere. It was accurate up to about 4 or 5 yards, I once managed to put 5 holes in the bottom of a friend's aluminum jon boat and one in the the head of a big cottonmouth that had dropped into the boat.

I kept the broken gun for about 10 years after that, taking it apart & putting it back together every now & then and losing even more parts along the way. I ended up doing to the gun something like what young Vito Corleone did in Godfather 2 after he shot "Don Fanucci" except that I didn't put the pieces down people's chimneys. I took it all apart and smashed on the pieces with my trusty estwing rock hammer, which was not exactly a 9 lb sledge but really did a number on that piece of pot metal. I just threw the pieces in the garbage.

 

[MCgunner]

Only revolver I ever threw in the trash and not long after I paid 16.50 for it at Gibson's discount. We used to joke that RG stood for "real good".

 

[22-rimfire]

They are Real Good paper weights.

 

[joplinsks]

I see the RG snub nose pistols quite a bit in gun shops for around $100 used. They sell quick. Some folks think all cheap priced guns are smoking deals

 

[Picknlittle]

I have a RG model 23, .22 cal that was my father in laws. I'd never heard of RG and I have taken it to the range a few times. It's goes bang with every trigger pull and at 7yds I hold 3" groups with it. Only real complaint I have is that the grip is really small and hard to hold comfortably.

Sounds like they aren't very well regarded by most. As of now, it's the only handgun in the house. That will change soon.

 

[SiknisIsInMe]

OK, so my dad has always had me interested in guns. Ever since the first time I got a little cap gun as a boy, I've always wanted to own, and carry, firearms. Now, years later, as a father myself, I've gotten my CFP, and my main carry gun is my XD 9mm ported. Well, as a father son activity, we still go out and shoot. Shotguns, rifles, and apparently now hand guns. My dad gave me this little revolver he's had for 30+ years now. I actually received it yesterday. I got burned on a purchase of a Hi-Point .380 a while back, so I learned from that to always research your purchase first. Its a good habit...that carries over to me getting them as a gift as well. I read everything on here and other site's regarding the RG's last night. Afterwards, my better judgement told me not to go out and shoot that little RG snubbie .38 special. I had to shoot it at least once. WHAT IS EVERYONE TALKING ABOUT??? I loved that little gun. Once I learned how to aim it, which was maybe four shots, I hit my target every time. Spot on accurate. And out of the 100 rounds I shot I had 0 misfires. Every round fired, the first time. Am I just super lucky with this brand? Or are some of you talking about something you don't know about? I'm sure you aren't all conspiring against RG, but how can I be the only one to have a sure firing revolver from a company that so many seem to dislike?

 

[mec]

I took apart a RG 38 one time. Parts were robust appearing and the gun worked very well. I don't know if it would hold up for extensive shooting or not but there was nothing obviously wrong with it.

 

[jimmy]

Okay, this may not sound credible, but the owner of the local gun shop says it's true. He says one of his longtime customers collects RGs and has dozens of them. He knows what they are, but enjoys collecting them. Sounds kinda funny, but hey, collecting is often an end in itself ....

 

[BakerFox]

RG Ind. .38 Spec.

I just became a member today, and just wanted to say that my RG 38, which I bought for $50 w/holster, has served me very well since 95. I fire it often at "the range", and it has never misfired. It is a bit on the heavy side,and took me a few days to compensate for that. From what I have read on this forum, my "38 Sp." just may be an "abboration" to the RG line. I don't use "reloads" in it any more though, there a bitch to get out of the chamber!!

 

[theotherwaldo]

The secret of getting good service out of an RG is to remember that they are built to be disposable, especially in the larger calibers. Their lockwork is properly made and dimensioned, but made of the cheapest possible materials. The guns are intended to be emergency tools, good for a few hundred rounds before disposal.

If you treat them like quality firearms you insure their failure. Don't take them apart or oil their mechanism! Oil is their enemy! Clean the bore and cylinder, wipe them down, and that's all!

I've learned how to clean these clunkers, mainly from curiosity, stubbornness, and because I was deluged in the suckers for a while. I can usually make them work, some of them are surprisingly accurate, and I've had a lot of fun with them as well.

I'd never confuse them with a real gun, though.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

My brother has the RG .22 short revolver with 1 and 7/8 inch barrel that our dad bought in the '60s from the "peddler" for $5.00. It has never failed to fire,doesn't spit lead and it hits what you point it at. I carried it on my trapline for several years to dispatch my catch. Even made a one shot kill on a medium sized bobcat(it was NOT in a trap)that surprised me! I would not buy one but money can't buy that one.

 

[GRIZ22]

Have a Rohm Industries/RG-38 in .38 "Spezial" {actually saw it printed that way many years ago on a N.I.B. model}


Spezial is Special in German where your gun obviously was made. At least the German made RGs had to withstand the proof loads as all guns have to do in Germany. No such requirement in the US. They are cheap guns but from the ones I've seen the German guns are usually better quality.

 

[DPris]

In 1970 I bought a brand new RG10 in .22 Short for $15. Later that summer it was stolen from my car & I didn't even bother to report the theft.
It did fire, but it wouldn't hit anything bigger than an old washingmachine I tested it on.
Denis

 

[Phil DeGraves]

RG = Real Garbage

"The RG guns were the original "Saturday Night Special". "

I think the Clerke First revolver predates the RG. Believe it or not, a gun that is actually WORSE than an RG.

 

[theotherwaldo]

-That's like saying VW = Very Worst, just 'cause they aren't Porsches.

Ease up, folks.

 

[Confederate]

I had a single action RG-22 cowboy gun that I bought for $65 or so back in
college. It went bang every time and was fun to shoot, but I had to tighten
the plastic grips often.

It was nickel plated and I have fond memories of it, but it was junk. I've
since moved up to a stainless Ruger Single Six because I missed it so much.




My RG-22.



My Ruger.

 

[DMZ]

The only gun I purposely destroyed by taking it apart and rendering the parts unusable was a RG .38 Spl. It was given to me by my father-in-law. It took me about 12 shots to figure out that the bullets were turning end-over-end 15' out of the barrel. That is how many shots it took to hit the paper target.

 

[Confederate]

People used to say the best thing to do with an RG is to handload some very hot .38 Spc rounds, stuff them in the RG, then let it get stolen by drug dealers.

I guess that's one way to get rid of one.

 

[Redhawk1]

I have one, actually I bought 2 of them for $10.00 each. Best $20 I spent. My buddy liked one of them so much he wanted one, so I gave it to him.

Mine shoots all the time, but it is a cheaply made gun and I don't expect much out of it. I know a bunch of trappers use to carry them.

But they are not a gun I would depend my life on...lol

 

[Kurt S.]

I've had 2 of them. Circa early 1970's, I bought the tiny snubnosed one that fired .22 shorts and .22 tear gas rounds. I left it with my dad about 20years ago, he doesn't have it any more, doesn't recall what happened to it. The trigger was horrendous but it went bang with every pull.

Later in the decade I bought I bought what I think was a Model 23. It had some weird barrel length, something with an odd fraction between 3 and 4 inches. It also went bang with every 42 lb trigger pull. I carried it as a tackle box gun- by that time I had several nicer handguns. I used it to put 5 holes in the bottom of my buddy's bass boat and 1 hole in a cottonmouth that had decided to drop by. Around 1985 I was trying to clean it and took it apart and I lost some springs and other small parts from the insides. I took apart the rest of the way, and I tossed the parts into the garbage pail.

 

[and_frank]

---> RG model 39?

Hey fellas, I just got a RG 38 Spl revolver model 39 from a pawn shop for next to nothing- im talking change my friends. As I saw it from afar it looked like an old Taurus. As I got closer I noticed it was not. It was an RG. Hmm? I asked the guy to see it and it looked unremarkably new. No blemishes, pitting, scratches or wear on this pistol. The only thing I saw was about three small scratches on the bottom of the varnished wooden grips. The blueing was shining and seemed to be the original from the manufacture. The only thing this revolver seem to be missing was the box. I looked over it very well and asked the man behind the counter if I was able to do a couple of tests on it to check out the function. Guy said yes, so there I was for about 10-15min or so ruling out a bad buy. Nothing seemed to be wrong with the locking mech or the timing. Firing pin hits everytime when tested with my pencil. Barrel and cylinder matched up everytime. The barrel is clean and shiny. Looked at the spacing, checked with my Credit card and everything seemed to be sound. No loose ends or rattles. I asked the guy if he knew where this revolver came from and he told me that a local police officer brought it in as a down payment trade for another weapon. Said he used it as a back-up weapon and only fired it at the range. I can see this revolver was very well taken care. So I got it. Going to wipe it down and test fire it tomorrow and Ill let yall know how it goes.

Frank
San Antonio, TX

 

[Brian Dale]

A belated Welcome to The High Road, Frank.

Good luck with your new purchase. Like a couple of previous posters in this thread, I've fired a .22cal model RG 23. It went Bang every time I pulled the trigger and it was accurate. As a range pistol, it seemed fine at the time. I don't suggest that you give it heavy usage, but I hope you'll enjoy it.

Wear your shooting glasses.