Swiss Minigun, The World’s Smallest Revolver

For the extremely recoil sensitive shooter, help is at hand. Meet the Swiss Minigun, a two-inch long 6-shot revolver that fires 2.34 mm rimfire ammo. In addition to its mild kick, the gun is extremely concealable.

On the downside, knockdown power isn’t this gun’s forte. The diminutive 1.97-grain bullets are launched from the barrel at mere 399 fps, which is unlikely to throw a scare (or even a laceration) into the most timid mouse. Muzzle energy is a whopping 0.71 foot-pounds.

As the name suggests, the double-action revolver is Swiss-made, but don’t expect to find one on your dealer’s shelves any time soon. Because the barrel is less than two inches long, it cannot be imported into the U.S.

The company says it has produced about 300 of these wheel-guns, most of which have gone to collectors in the Middle East and Far East.

The British media, gun-phobic to the core, has its own unique take on the Minigun, focusing on the revolver’s alleged lethality. The Daily Mail quotes a “firearms expert” who gushes:

“If you shoved something 3mm across into someone’s chest you could kill them. It’s the same with these bullets, they could penetrate the heart.

“It is capable of killing someone. Under section 5 of the Firearms Act it would be a prohibited weapon. It would be on the same scale as a machine gun.”_

But, assuming you could purchase one legally, prepare to write a big check. Prices start around $6,290 US for the basic version. Fancier versions made of gold and covered with jewels (perfect for the world’s smallest pimp, perhaps?) can cost up to $59,000. The ammo ain’t cheap either, running about $10 a pop.

Nonetheless, I think it has to be one of the coolest—albeit impractical—guns in existence.

—John Snow