Say hello to the Swiss Mini Gun that has been manufactured in Switzerland by SwissMiniGun Co. It has been acknowledged by the Guinness Book of World Records as the smallest operational revolver on Earth. It measures in at a length of 5.5cm and a height of 3.5cm with a width of 1cm. It weighs in at only 19.8grams, less than an ounce. It is a double-action revolver and features all the same functions that a full-size revolver does.
Since the first production batch that was manufactured in 2005, very limited number of guns have been manufactured. The ammunition used is 2.34mm rimfire – also created by SwissMiniGun and given the title for world’s smallest ammunition. Paul Erard, the manufacturer, says that every round only creates a joule of energy and travels at a speed of 400ft/sec and is capable of making an impact with 0.71 ft-lb of energy.
The revolver is mostly sold as collectors’ items. Almost 300 units have been manufactured so far and each unit comes with a big price tag. The standard steel C1ST model is sold for a price of $6,200 and the company creates only 100 units per year. Paul Erard, owner of SwissMiniGuns, said, “Since the product’s launch, the firm had sold around 300 of the guns, mainly to collectors in the Middle and Far East. We are producing in very small quantities – perhaps 25 gold guns and 100 steel guns a year, and there is a six-month waiting list to get one.”
The manufacturing of such a small revolver has only been possible thanks to the expertise and technologies that are used in the manufacturing of Swiss Watch and Jewelry industry. Even though the weapon is quite harmless, it is still a weapon nonetheless and is banned from import to the United States and the UK. In fact, it is so small that it isn’t even featured in the minimum size requirements for a sporting revolver that are set by the ATF.
The reason for its being banned in the US is because of the small size of the bullets. Upon firing a cartridge, the bullet is smashed and thus, this makes it quite impossible to trace the ballistics. The SwissMiniGun is so small that it can completely fit into a grown man’s hand and is highly concealable. US laws basically prohibit any firearm that cannot be detected at the airports.
