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Pocket rocket.
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Read about the PAR1: https://heizerdefense.com/category/products/guns/par1-guns/
Read about the PAK1: https://heizerdefense.com/category/products/guns/pak1-2/Buy one on GunsAmerica: https://www.gunsamerica.com/Search.aspx?T=heizer
If you have clicked into this review, I bet you’re thinking one of two things–either you think the idea of a mouse gun firing a .223 round is bad ass, or you’re thinking it is a bad idea. Well we’ve been hammering our hands for two weeks now and are here to settle the score. Is the rocket-in-your-pocket a good idea, or just a gimmick?
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Heizer’s Hand Cannon.
Some guns are so iconic that they need no contextualization. The 1911, for example, is what it is. I can write a review of one without explaining its taxonomy in graphic detail. But not the Heizer. This one deserves some ink on its origins.
Single-shot, break action pistols are nothing new. As long as guns have had break actions, there have been single shot break action pistols. Yet almost all of them are antiquated designs. Not the Heizer. The fundamentals of this gun are different.
This is not a derringer, exactly—though it fits in that idiom. It is a super-flat (.7”) gun that is designed to provide a last-ditch option for those in need of self-defense. The frame is steel, and the gun itself weighs just a bit more than your typical .380 pocket pistol. That’s to be expected from a gun designed to handle the energy of a .223 or a 7.62×39.
The thin design is accomplished by forming the frame in two distinct halves that are then bolted together. The frame can accommodate .45 Colt, .410, 7.62×39 and .223 barrels. Changing barrels is easy–just push out the pin and swap barrels. The additional barrels sell for $159 (for the .410 and .223) and $199 for the 7.62×39 (which only comes in ported) and the ported .223.
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7.62×39
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.223
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PAK1
Chambered: 7.62×39
Weight: 23 oz
Height: 3 7/8 inches
Width: .7 inches
Length: 6 3/8 inches
Finish: Black or Silver
MSRP: $449.00 (with porting)
Velocity: 1,200 FPS
USA Aerospace Stainless Steel Frame and Barrel
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PAR1
Chambered: .223
Weight: 23 oz
Height: 3 7/8 inches
Width: .7 inches
Length: 6 3/8 inches
Finish: Black or Silver
MSRP: $399.00 (without porting)
Velocity: 1,400 FPS
USA Aerospace Stainless Steel Frame and Barrel
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When the rounds were loaded, the gun fired. There was only one type of round that wouldn’t fire, and it was a steel-cased 7.62×39 round that had a hard primer. The indention on the strike was fine, it simply wouldn’t pop. None of that batch would. I’d grabbed a few AK mags from my stash without considering what might be in them, and one particular make wouldn’t fire. No matter how many times the pin struck the primers, they all failed. Every other round worked flawlessly.
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Can anyone identify the make of these 7.62x39s? They’ve got some hard-ass primers. Check out the dent in the one on top. They’ll pop from an an AK, but not from a PAK1.
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Shooting
Shooting the .223 is a breeze. It is as easy, or maybe even softer on the hand than your typical .380. I’d put it right up there with the recoil from a Kel-Tec P3AtT, and below that of the Beretta Pico, which kicks like my first wife.
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Easy to aim.
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Hardly any muzzle rise.
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The 7.62×39, though, isn’t fun. I did my part for science and pulled the trigger on 30 or more of these. And I hated every pull. I’m going to say that’s it akin to shooting a steel framed .44 Magnum. It pops and stings. The recoil hit the web of my hand and lingered in that swell of muscle below my thumb. Sam, who also helped out with this review, felt it in the bones in his palm. About four days after we’d done most of the shooting, he sent me a text asking if I could still feel it. I couldn’t–but he was still sore.
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Driving the gun to the target. Like ripping off a band-aid.
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The recoil drives straight back.
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So it isn’t fun. So what?! This isn’t a rimfire. It isn’t a gun you’d used to teach someone how to shoot. It is meant to serve one purpose. And when your adrenaline is pumping, as it would be when you would use a PAK1 for self-defense, I doubt you’ll even notice the kick.
Accuracy
So how well did we do with these monsters? As the section above might imply, shooting the .223 was easier than shooting the 7.62×39. When you are flinching like a mad man becasue all you can focus on is the hand-shock that’s about to come, your shot placement suffers. But the PAK1 is still easy to aim and hits were consistent.
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7.62×39 in the black. Mostly.
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Don’t shoot the gun like this if you don’t have to. The porting directs gasses up and out.
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Shooting about 5 feet from the target.
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I found myself pulling from the pocket and punching the gun out. At the end of this extension, I’d squeeze the whole gun in my fist. At contact distances, that would be devastating. From 5 feet, and 10 feet, and even 15 feet I could get effective placement on a torso sized target. And, as I’m about to show, precise placement is possible–if you can get over the anticipation of recoil.
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One dead-on shot from 15 yards.
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From 10 feet.
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Sam’s shot from 10 feet with the PAR1, aimed at the #2.
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The PAR1, which was easy to shoot, grouped incredibly well fro such a small gun. Check out these images.
After I’d done all of the realistic testing, I backed out to 15 yards and took a coupe of shots. I was most pleased. I’d expected erratic shot placement at best, but the PAR1 is spot-on. I wish all of the pocket guns I shoot were this easy to make pin-point hits with.
For those of you who really want to geek out…
Let’s talk numbers. The barrels on these two measure in at 3.75”. That’s measured in the typical manner of closing the barrel, running a post to the breech face, and measuring how far in it extends.
3.75” barrel…. That’s measuring how you would measure an automatic, or a rifle or shotgun. A good bit of that distance is taken up by the rounds themselves. A typical .223 comes in at 2.26”. The baseline for 7.62×39 is 2.2” So you can do the math as well as I can—maybe better. Assuming the rifling starts somewhere around where the bullet lines up with the barrel, this gives you about 1.49” of good rifling with the .223, and 1.55 with the 7.62×39.
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The rifling on the PAK1.
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The PAR1’s rifling is a bit deeper.
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These barrels aren’t that short, of course—the official 3.75 measurement still holds—but you don’t have much rifling to stabilize the round. What this means is that you’ll see a decrease in accuracy at distance (which completely misses the point of these guns). It also means that the rounds may tumble. We saw some wicked keyholes from the 55 grain .223s. Those bullets were punching paper sideways. That’s good news for terminal ballistics, as it will leave a more jagged wound and dump more energy in the intended target.
The PAR1 clocked in close to 1,100 FPS.
And while we’re on the subject… let’s talk velocity. The .223 is effective—or most effective, rather—when traveling fast. Fast, in this case, is a relative term. The 7.62×39 is also a fast round, though it sacrifices some serious speed for its extra mass.
From an 16” .223 barrel, you can expect speeds near the 3,000 FPS mark. Heavier rounds will be slower, and lighter rounds more zippy. The Heizer spits out 55 grain .223 bullets at close to 1,100 FPS. That’s a serious decline, but the result could still be effective.
Let’s do a bit of comparison.
- A 55 gr .223 traveling 3,000 FPS has 1,099 foot-pounds of energy.
- A 55 gr .223 traveling at 1,100 FPS has 148 foot-pounds.
- From a 16” AK, the 123 grain 7.62×39 should hit somewhere near 2,300 FPS. That’s 1,445 foot-pounds.
- From the PAK1, that same 123 grain projectile was traveling closer to 900 FPS. 221 foot-pounds.
- A 40 gr Eley Match .22 LR fired from a 5” Smith & Wesson clocks near 950 FPS. That’s 80 foot-pounds.
- A 115 grain 9mm fired from a 3” barrel (1075 FPS) has 295 foot-pounds of energy.
- A 185 grain .45 ACP fired from a 3” barrel (900 FPS) has 333 foot-pounds of energy.
- A 90 grain .380 fired from a 3” barrel (1,000 FPS) has 200 foot-pounds of energy.
Foot-Pounds of energy are just one measurement we can look at. They serve to help show how the variables (in this case bullet weight and muzzle velocity) combine to determine the efficacy of a given caliber in a given design. How the bullet performs once it hits the target is also crucial. There are numerous bullet designs for both the .223 and the 7.62×39, so choose wisely. We’ll be running some gel tests soon and will bring back the results.
Criticisms
Did I mention the hand bite? This thing will—if you aren’t prepared—leave you wondering about your life choices. It can hurt. The 7.62 x 39, even with the ported barrel, was not easy to shoot. After more than 100 rounds (mixed .223 and 7.62×39) through the gun, I’m ready to do a few rimfire reviews.
I’d like to note, though, that I would trade some pain in my hand for the protection this gun can provide in a pinch. No questions asked.
The other criticism has more to do with how the gun runs. All of the 7.62×39 ejected fine. When you pulled the latch back, the barrel popped open. At times, I did have to reach in to tug the round from the chamber—but most of the empties were pushed out far enough for me to pull them out. This is a single shot. There’s no easy way to do speed reloads, though that’s hardly the point.
And the .223? Not as easy. The pressure pooched out some primers and the gun would lock up, momentarily. This could be a lubrication issue, as we ran it hard and didn’t bother greasing it up as we went.
Is that a deal breaker? Hardly. This isn’t an automatic. It isn’t a revolver. The round leaving the gun is what’s important. I can’t imagine a scenario that would require a speed-reload (at least not one that would be filled by this gun to begin with).
The porting helps tame recoil.
Think of it like this
As I researched this article, I kept finding people on the internet willing to dismiss this design outright. The Pocket AR and Pocket AK are, they said, novelties. That’s it. There’s never a practical purpose for a gun like this.
Bogus.
Is it s a novelty? Yes. I know this because I picked it up at my FFL, an old fashioned gun store, where several people took turns holding it and fiddling with the controls. At the range, the Heizer received the same attention. People like to play with it. The idea of running a rifle round through a pistol makes some folks curious.
But I see something more. This is a great backup. I typically carry a compact 9mm, one with an ample supply of ammunition in its magazine (and the spare I also carry). There is no way that this would replace that. But there are times that I can’t carry a double-stack 9mm. I typically rely on a single-stack .380. This gun would fit nicely in the same pockets that one does. It would also be a great truck gun. This would fit easily in the console of any car. So when you sit down on your holstered carry gun, you still have something within reach.
The Liberator.
And I think the Heizer is the modern equivalent of The Liberator. The iconic pressed metal guns were dropped behind the lines for the French Resistance and anyone else who needed a gun. The idea was you use the cheap gun in an improvisational fashion to get another gun. One well equipped Kraut could fall to a Liberator, and his guns could be used to stay in the fight.
Having one of these in .223 and 7.62×39 (the two most common military calibers in the world we live in) could be a solid option for the survival minded, too. The Heizer isn’t really meant to be used to to get another gun, but it offer a fighting chance in a made-for-television scenario.
However you look at it, the gun makes an impression. The Heizer is loud. It also has a tendency to spit fire. Between the assault on the senses provided by the deafening crack, and the potentially blinding flash of powder, and the impact of the round itself hitting home–the gun is much more than a novelty.
Prices start just north of $400. I’d highly suggest one frame and all of the barrels. We’ll get to ballistic testing soon, and I hope to get the .410 barrel in there, too, to see what it can do.
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That front sight is just a nubbin.
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The sight radius is pushed to the limit.
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The frame of the Heizer accepts barrels in multiple calibers.
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Break action.
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The pocket pistol has mass. 23 ounces, empty.
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Heizer.
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The trigger pull is heavy, as it should be for a pocket gun–topping the scale at 10 pounds.
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Big round. Little gun. Practical and fun.
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I think this is a silly idea. A solution looking for a problem.
For half the price you could buy a mag-fed semi-auto 380acp that’s half the weight and holds 6+1.
For instance a kahr cw380 or even a 9mm kahr that’s a similar size (slightly bigger.)
Biden is giving them to the Secret Service for his protection. Those mulit-round pistols are too dangerous!
45 ACP or 357 would be just as good. But can’t be any worse than a sawed off shot gun 12 or 20ga. Been there done it. Dirty loaded 44mag is also a little fun spits fire and cuts an armadillo In half.
I considered this as a novelty for a total of about 5 minutes until reading the article. I’ll stick with my Bond Arms Snakeslayer 410/45LC as a backup. The 000 buck 410 bore followed by a 255 grain 45LC for good measure will suffice. It may be a little heavier to carry, but I don’t worry about ejecting any shells and the 410 round going off alone is scary! Want something that really makes a bang? Pick up a Ruger Blackhawk 45LC and put some double tap 360 grain ammo through it. The kick will leave a lasting impression on your hand long after you clean the darn thing.
I’d just assume to buy 500 $ worth of .45 for my 1911.
This entire article is an idiotic justification for the most idiotic handgun ever produced. Very disappointment in GunsAmerica for posting such tripe.
Agreed, there is no practical justification for the excessive muzzle blast, excessive flash, excessive weight of the pistol, ammo cost, low capacity, and excessive recoil – all to achieve performance between the .22LR and .380 ACP. The only way these guns could be called practical is as a practical joke. Carrying a pocket .380 with one round chambered and an empty magazine would make more sense, as it has same power with lower recoil and blast. Most useless guns ever produced. Also very inappropriate comparison to the Liberator pistol. Bad article.
No. Stupid idea. A 357 or 38 or 45 or 44 derringer serves the same purpose and carries twice as many rounds.
I agree. I have been watching these idiots turning out their overpriced dangerous garbage for a few months now. This is a situation that screams at the ATF&E to throw these bums under the jail. I always vote the straight Republican ticket and am aa firm supporter of the 2nd Amendment. Having said that we should march on Washington and demand these jackasses be forced to turn in their man cards. I know the smirky little jokes told about the FBI from certain LE agencies about “Full Blown Idiots”. That certainly isn’t fair because the FBI has turned a whole generation of young people chomping at the bit to be CSI techs.. These young people could have easily went the other way selling crack or illegal weapons… The point is….these people turning out this swill are FULL BLOWN IDIOTS. Their well moneyed buds are lightly throwing support their way. ENOUGH,ENOUGH,ENOUGH.
Go ahead and buy one. This pistol will be on forgotten weapons 20 years. Might be worth a lot of money to someone making a “worst guns ever made” collection.
Lets call this what it is best used for. This would make a very good drop gun and run. In an urban environment if two or maybe three guys were going to attack you or your family it would be easy enough to talk a bunch of shit or beg them not to kill you while you get in position to kill at least 2 of them by lining them up to shoot through at least 2 attackers with one aK round
I’m not a ballistic expert but if the bullet starts tumbling in the first guy there will be a hell of a hole in them and then the second person’s innards are dragged out the backside of their body cavity.
If your wife also carries one probably she could get her shot off while the nearest bad guy shits his pants because they are wearing a bunch of bone or brain matter all over them.
Just make sure the serial number is ground down, leave the scene as fast as possible.
Regarding the serial number when it is stamped and the metal is depressed even if it is ground down it can be traced by a metallurgical lab.
You can get around this by placing it on a milling machine and going a few thousands below the depth of the original serial numbers.
Additional devastating trauma can be had if your attacker is close enough to just shove the muzzle of the barrel directly against the skin and pulling the trigger from a near vertical approach of the barrel in the stomach area aimed at a path towards the spine to the lower part of the skull.
When escaping the scene take the pistol and field strip it down and while driving down the road throw out 1 piece at a time preferably in the water or put the parts in the back of a pickup or construction type vehicle / service truck.
Another device that works well is using a “bangstik” commonly used when diving in some areas. they range in caliber from 9 mm to 45 Cal to 12 guage shot gun.. No bullets but they fire blanks. Google it to get the picture. But this is a very compact device that could be installed in a small mag light or military grade flashlight.
Oh well off to bed now, enough James Bond stuff for tonight.
Gecko45, good to see you old friend.
The object should be maximum energy from this short barrel out of which I’d bet the 357 SIG would win .
The 45GAP might be no 2 and 45 ACP third.
Looks surprising like the Double Tap…but at least the double tap has two shots and carries two more in the grip….not that you could count on getting those two rounds out and chambered in enough time to make a difference though.
Lol…. Makes for a good backup gun
Okay
First off: This gun is WAY overpriced for a single shot pistol. An airweight snubby in .38spl in a pocket holster is far more practical and effective. It’s only a novelty. The only practical use for this gun would be in a slaughter house.
IT IS A SINGLE SHOT! ENOUGH SAID. I WOULD NEVER BUY ONE AND LOOSE ALL RESPECT FOR ANYONE WHO CARRIED IT.
BTW this is the pistol ATF was referring to during the attempted M855 ban. It’s a stupid gun.
Fun article, and a very interesting, if impractical gun to discuss.
But, I have to agree with most of the posts here that this is little more than a novelty. I would never carry this as an EDC or BUG. If you miss with that one shot you have under the pressure of a life and death situation, you are basically screwed.
Nor is it a target range plinking gun that anyone would shoot for fun. Where’s the fun in pain?
I own a Cobray 5 shot pepper pot .410/45 Long Colt gun. It is heavy and has the grip of a derringer, but it is actually very practical for backpacking in snake country. It’s weight means it doesn’t really hurt to shoot at all, but it is only accurate out to about 3 feet . . . and I would carry it before I would carry this.
C’mon. Get serious. I’m an enthusiast and minor collector, so I don’t have decades of experience and wisdom, but I do have a lick of common sense. It is a novelty and nothing more. NOBODY is going to make this their carry piece or back-up. I am more comfortable with my pocket knife as a back-up. The accuracy is no more than one expects from a .380. The velocity is little more than a pistol round and lest we forget: IT ONLY HAS ONE SHOT! Nobody who is serious about CCW will carry this gun. I’m not saying it’s a bad gun, inaccurate or stupid. But let’s call it like it is. I’m a little disappointed in a serious firearms website that would depict this as anything other than a novelty. Color me dubious. It’s like taking my Harrington and Richardson Model 088 single shot 20ga to a skeet range. It’s not a bad gun or a stupid gun. But I think we’ll all agree, it’s just wrong. Please don’t pander to the manufacturer. It’s a cool gun, but it serves little purpose. I think that’s the definition of novelty. Isn’t it?
Kind of like carrying a Thompson Contender for back-up.
I thought that everyone already understands that size does matter when discussing barrel length and high powered ammo. In other words…All one gets is more recoil with little gained in ballistics. I’m pretty sure that even when comparing a 22LR and a 22 WMR fired from a 1-1/8″ barrel of the North American Arms mini revolvers….There is only about a 15% gain in fps for a 22 mag over the 22 LR.
Here is an excerpt from the article link here- http://www.theboxotruth.com/educational-zone-122-product-evaluation-the-north-american-arms-mini-revolvers/
First, let’s look at barrel length and velocity for these two rounds. Looking at some tests done by NNA I extrapolated some velocities.
For the 1 1/8 barrels, the .22 LR (CCI MiniMags) gets about 700 fps and the .22 WMR gets 790 fps.
With the longer 1 5/8 barrel, the .22 LR gets around 740 fps, and the .22 WMR gets about 875 fps.
In other words…There is no point in shooting high powered ammo from a short barrel. The same applies to 38 spl and .357 mag fired out of a snub nose. When one considers the trade off of lost controllability…you’re just better off with the 38spl.
I agree with you, Tim. For the purposes cited in the article of ‘practical and fun’, which in over 50 years of shooting almost everything that ever fired a round, in every form of competition and combat, i never found anything ‘practical or fun’ about a single shot ‘painful’ to shoot pocket pistol– why would anyone with half a magazine short of a high capacity brain choose something like this over say…a Kel-Tec .380 loaded with R.I.P. ammo, for less money if you want ‘novelty’ and ‘fun’ with at least a ‘smidgen’ of pragmatic carry potential, in the right highly trained hands?
Several comments: 1) The frame is so narrow it can’t help but hurt to shoot. 2) If that gun was mine the first thing I would do is make a set of wrap-around grips to widen the backstrap of the frame and gripping area. This could be accomplished by making a set of wood grips, or find a Pachmayr grip that could be modified or remolded on the inside for attachment to the frame. 3) overall the gun looks to be well made, but that much horsepower in such a small gun is asking for pain – lots of nerve pain. In the end – I’ll pass.
If that gun was mine the first thing I’d do is sell it.
Last ditch weapon?
I would rather carry my cobray-leinad derringer that I built that is .410/.45 colt.
I shoot 000 buck out of I giving me three projectiles in one shot.
Novelty gun? You bet. Fun to shoot? Yes. Although I still can’t get my 9 y.o. Son to try it. 🙂
The best part it is that it only cost me around $70 to buy the kit and build it.
If I were spending $400 on a last ditch gun it would have more rounds than just one in a pistol caliber.
However to each their own. What one man does with their own money is their own business.
How about the Heizer in 50 beowulf? then you can have a pocket, back-up Bison pistol. Just a thought. Already thought of the 50 BMG but so much for the pocket pistol!!
Well, then why not just say the hell with it and chamber one for a .50 BMG API with only 3/8 inch of rifling? Just pointing it a perp would make him actually see the bullet peering out at him with a merciless look in its face making him really FEAR the crazy maniac who would have the balls to shoot it and he’d immediately bug out! Therefore giving new meaning to the statistic that most personal attacks/crimes are thwarted just by displaying your weapon in self defense?
That ammo you asked for someone to identify looks to be a brand called Wolf which I had for my AK 15+ years ago.
The ammo is actually a brand called Golden Tiger. It is the only brand that uses a purple seal around the projectile and the primer for longer storage capabilities.
No thanks. No interest here.
I’ll take my 1911 45ACP any day for my vehicle or open range carry. My every day is .380. Not sure why I would want this single shot rifle load pistol in my truck when the Judge revolver will deliver 6 destructive 410 bucks or slugs for the same price.
It’s a solution for a problem that doesn’t exist. Like the grip safeties on the 1911 or the SA XD’s.
One could get a .380, 9mm, or a .40 S&W, (preferred by LE across America), that would suffice in most
serious social situations.
I shot a 1911A1 in .45ACP and .38 super way back in the ’80’s. But now I prefer the .40S&W. Yes, it’s a bit snappy, but it’s a flat shooter. Reminds me somewhat of my .41 magnums. When I was shooting wheel guns.
If you’re interested in a Competent Self Defense hand gun, go to the local gun show, and feel, in your hand what feels most
comfortable .
Take notes. Is this to be on your bedstead, in your car. or pocket. or purse.
Since I live in the “Democratic Peoples Republic of Kalifornistan”, I am not afforded many rights which are supposed to be our inalienable rights. That is the Right to Keep and bear arms.
Effective arms. “Regulated, in the vernacular of the times meant: Organized, equipped with the best defensive fire arms of the day
arms.
by
Gee this is just what we need another handgun that fires rifle ammo. Just so the ATF has yet another reason to ban 7.62×39 and .223 cause it would be a armor piercing handgun. This already happened to 5.45×39 7n6 ammo thanks to some genus that thought a ak-74 pistol was a good idea. Wake up stop making this crap it is not practical and it will help those gun grabbing goons take away OUR 2nd amendment rights.
Look at that ballistics chart again and this time compare the .223 and 7.62×30 performance to the .380.
This design manages to keep the .223 performance BELOW that of a .380.
Sorry Kevin, but it’s actually people like YOU who are aiding and abetting the Totalitarians.
When you so pusillanimously and fearfully succumb to their illegal anti-Constitutional surrogate laws, especially the Fascist so-called administrative executive mandates to eventually make ALL able bodied potential armed citizenry exercising their inalienable and ‘Shall Not Be Infringed’ rights against enemies of the Country in the form of a Despotic government regime into persons too criminally disposed or emotionally disturbed to have a firearm due to the subjectively constructed agenda analysis of a Tyrannical government.
Instead of worrying about this regime further abusing your rights, you should be spending that time using the governing power of the people, by the people, and for the people, in counter attacking this government’s criminal initiatory force against our rights and duties to have whatever firearms we need or want. Period!
The only final solution to stop this agenda based Tyranny is to repeal, rescind, jury nullify, abolish or make ‘illegal’ by counter-legislation ALL previously enacted gun control laws which have been proven in numerous in-depth examinations to be virtually worthless against the obsessive compulsive Marxist fraud that prohibiting persons from owning guns does anything more than Nothing to prevent dangerous people from getting guns in the first place, except maybe helping to create an entire citizen class of permanently prohibited criminals forever stigmatized and job restricted which increases the likelihood of further crime which feeds the Police State mind control machine’s illogical and irrational false flag justification to ‘permanently keep guns out of the hands of dangerous criminals, then just potentially dangerous people, then…
…just about EVERYBODY they suspect might interfere physically in their Totalitarian agenda,
You know, just like they did with the Jews in Germany. It’s not really even a stretch to do a similar mind trick on an American populate replete with ‘unfit gun owners’ thus being a danger to public safety in the form of ‘potential domestic terrorists’?
They’re already officially reconstructing the national board Psychiatric and psychological criteria for mental illness diagnosis’ (too potentially dangerous to own a gun) just coincidentally appearing to be ‘timed’ with certain ‘Pause For Safety’ and Kalifuckya or Bloomberg Staci State ‘Safe-Act’ type Federal laws setting the 2nd/A gallows stage.
And of course that was the below radar Fascist door prize with Obama Care. besides violating Hippa since they control health care on a government computer level, you will be ‘required’ to have an ongoing evaluation concerning your safety ‘disposition’ (maybe something similar to the way they do it with Commerical Drivers licenses) as to whether or not your gun ownership will be detrimental to ‘public safety’, as part of the health care system!
So what are we, all stupid, then, on top of being skeeered to pants shitting every time the BATF starts tap dancing with their Jack Boots? Yeah, Maybe. But it’s more of a combination of far too much bad thinking.
So try thinking like this: If legislation can be changed back to the way it was a hundred hears ago where if you did bad things and hurt innocent people you were promptly punished and removed from society. One way or another, depending upon how serious the crime. After you paid your dues, you promised to be a good girl or boy and the jailer handed you back your gun and on your way you went, hopefully rehabilitated? If upon completion of your punishment you are allowed back into society as a reformed law abiding citizen again then ALL your punishment should be OVER. And your life’s opportunities should be re-established as they were before you made your mistake! If you make mistakes again, then you’ll be punished again, only more severely, and if you simply can’t integrate into society despite fair opportunity and produce some value, And you get caught doing bad again, well, then you go away for a longer time or even permanently. Everybody in a civilized egalitarian system should have the right to start again with a clean slate. Otherwise you jump the social system off a cliff onto a well greased slippery slope that just goes faster and faster downhill to hell. You’ll never achieve social enlightenment and safety if you intentionally maintain a permanently criminal element of the population outside prison walls.
Just think how impossible it would be for Them to eventually make most of the serious gun owners criminals subject to permanent bans, if They couldn’t use the ‘ex criminals in possession of a gun prohibition’ law anymore to continue the greatest enslavement control fraud ever perpetrated on Free Americans?
Because what good would it do to make useless agenda based anti-gun laws, if they couldn’t take your guns away permanently after you violated them? Which was their whole dirty little Totalitarian plan in the first place?!
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Have you ever noticed how some people simply cannot stay on topic and diecuss the technical aspects of the gun in the article? Silly me, and I thought this article was about a gun, not an excuse to launch off topic to attack people over their outlooks.
ATF already banned the cheap steel core surplus 7.62×39 any back in the early 90s when Olympic Arms released some AR pistols in the caliber.
223 Remington pistols have been around for ages.
Why? At that weight and size I can hide a compact 1911 in .45 or at 14 ozs a .380 with 7 rounds and really shoot someone.
This is a piece of work yes and you tried your best to write it up, but really are you going to carry it? The price, size and negative points tell me this is a curio like the rocket pistol of the 1970s. You did not discuss the safety or what happens if you drop it. Sorry but I don’t want to even look at one.
Two barrels would be far better and a choice of 2″”, 2-1/2″, 3″ 3-1/2″ or even 4″.
Be a greatsurvival gun with multiple barrels; my choice’s would be 30×39, .410 +.22mag ~!
If it were under a hundred bucks, it might be an interesting toy.
Would much prefer a compact 1911 style in .45 ACP or Glock in the same caliber if left in a sticky situation.
Actually, my first thought was “WHO THE HECK IS THE IDIOT IN THIS PICTURE?!?!??” This guy deserves to shoot himself in the leg. why does he ignore a very basic rule of gun safety – keep your finger off the trigger until it is pointed at the target. or at least away from your own leg. DUH!
Aside from that, this is a terrible idea for a legitimate self defense weapon, even as a backup. A single shot anything is a toy, not a defensive weapon. And a low mass projectile is only functional if it has sufficient velocity to overcome its lack of mass. Both of these rounds do, but this barrel is too short to achieve even a fraction of its potential velocity which really renders this almost useless. May as well just use a .22 mag. might be a neat toy.
The AK rounds that would not fire look like golden tiger.
Those 7.62x39s look to be manufactured and made by Wolf or as they are also known as WPA Military Classics.
Wolf Military Classic 7.62×39 Hollow Point Ammo, 124 grains. They stopped fabricating and creating the iconic red seal around the primer and jacket due to an issue regarding feeding in SKS’s and AK’s.
“When the rounds were loaded, the gun fired.”
That seems like an incredibly dangerous feature, unless of course it was only poor grammar on the author’s behalf.
Keyholes on target would make an impressive defense hit.
Hmm, .22 Magnums actually manage to get similar speeds out of similar length barrels, though they’re generally around 40gr. The little NAA Black Widow with a 2″ barrel (not including the cylinder, of course) gets around 1,000 fps with 40gr & 1,300 fps with 30gr and their longer 4″ models are said to get better ballistics.
If the .223 recoil is as soft as they say, a 6″ or 8″ revolver in it may be interesting, however, and probably would even break 2000 fps.
When I saw the title of this article I thought that someone had developed a pistol that would penetrate a ballistic vest. Having read the article and the ballistic information I began to wonder why ANYONE would consider this ABOMINATION to be an appropriate back-up weapon.
First and foremost, a single shot pistol is not appropriate for a back-up, not even as a back-up to a back-up. If you’ve expended all of your ammunition of you other back-up and/or primary weapon, you either didn’t carry enough additional ammo for the job, can’t hit anything with your primary/back-up weapon or both. That being the case, why would you think that you could get this POS into action and accurately hit your target while under fire.
There was some mention of being in contact range as well as the testing at 5, 10 & 15 feet. If you are taking out this pistol to use at those ranges you’d be better off using a knife and the rule of 20. Within 20 ft you can be on someone with a knife faster than the average person can draw and fire a pistol.
This pistol is simply an unnecessary novelty that will get someone killed if they depend upon it to work properly and hit the target in a life-saving situation. Kind of like the Gyro-Jet and other Buck Rogers type of firearms.
I truly hope that this novelty never really goes into production and that the existing pistols are bought and hung on a wall somewhere as a bad example of the old saying, “Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should do it.”
I Personally would not carry this gun however if your main weapon went down for whatever reason and you did have this gun in either caliber you could do alot worse like a 22lr naa 5 shot single action just my opinion but id rather have one rifle round than 5 22s
One of the first things to consider in any threat engagement scenario is shot placement. Regardless of the power of any individual round the ability of the shooter to place said round into a vital area is what most often determines the outcome. With that in mind a single shot of any round no matter how devastating from a physics point of view is useless without direction to a vital structure. Thus the notion that one rifle round is better than 5 .22s is subjective. However the counter argument that 5 .22’s provide more opportunity for vital shot placement at a given distance is logical assuming that any individual round could penetrate to vital tissue. Furthermore the difficulty inherent in shooting either of the rifle rounds from a handgun is significant considering the authors stated experience with the tested firearm.
Check the muzzle speeds. This pistol does not give you a rifle round … it takes any rifle round you load into it and converts it to a .380.
Miles, you are foolish to choose this over a 5-shot .22, this pistol in .223 gives the same performance as a single-shot .22 but with far more recoil and blast. Not to mention a larger heavier gun, higher ammo cost, decreased accuracy (which is the case in any overpowered cartridge fired from a too-short barrel). Makes no sense at all. Objectively, you could not do any worse than this pistol, in any category or measurable attribute. The Taurus Curve is a better gun.
I like both calibers.
I like that its a flat and small pocket rocket.
But thats a lot of money to dish out on a single shot.
I know this would be a last resort belly buster
But I think I’d arm myself with one that has more capacity for security.
Trouble comes in pairs sometimes,and I’d rather not be short of fire power.
I would much rather see modern versions of something I saw back in the 80s – a Philippine manufactured REVOLVER chambered in 5.56 / .223.
I can see the point of having a handgun in a rifle caliber, if the recoil isn’t terminal, survival wise.
However, recoil at this level can cause permanent damage, and some of us older folks have had it, or still have it.
Still, if you have a ton of .223, carrying this might be a backup to a real self-defense gun and caliber.
The flash from this gun must be insane, and maybe a better weapon then the bullet, at close range.
A flashbang, in a handgun.
I do wonder what the pressure is these rounds operate at is. Since the barrel is so short, it’s clear most of the powder doesn’t burn while the bullet is in the barrel. In fact, from the results, it looks like about a 65 to 80% of the powder is burned after the bullet exits the barrel.
If you used a heavier bullet, with a pistol speed powder, I wonder what kind of pressure you could generate and if the gun would blow up? Operating at 55,000 PSI, I would think it would.
Plus the recoil would be horrible.
My Dad was a WW2 B-24 pilot and was forced to land behind German lines because they the Germans, had shot his aircraft so badly that he had only one running engine left. After he landed, no fatalities of serious injuries, partisans led them back to American lines. They were armed with captured German weapons AND the kept their Liberator pistols and used them regularly shooting “targets”. Dad was amazed that they did not rupture or explode.
A version of the Liberator would be MUCH better using the .45 ACP cartridge, rifling in bbl. so you could hit at over 3 feet. It would still be flat, easy to carry, light and EFFECTIVE. I’d buy one, but this .223 of 7.62 x 39, not my thing…..
Gotta go with you on that, Peter. Just look at the list of muzzle energy and the .45 beats them all, hands down. To be fair, however, even the 9mm is no slacker. I’d only consider the .223 or 7.62 if the Heizer were my only option for a backup to an AR or AK.
Another review of a senseless POS gun that no one needs – although I ‘m sure some knuckleheads somewhere will be dying to get one for the “cool” factor. You guys have finally pushed me over the edge – I’m blocking your future e-mails as I just can’t take the idiocy any more.
Sam, while I do agree that it’s “a senseless…gun that no one needs,” the same might be said (depending upon your philosophy) about most firearms, both currently and historically. What you need to consider is that even though its appeal may only be among “knuckleheads [who] will be dying to get one for the “cool” factor,” production of the Heizer will create (or at least maintain) jobs and help keep our domestic gun industry alive.
Perhaps it’s just me, but I don’t get it. Aide from novelty, why would anyone want a one-shot handgun, regardless of caliber. Whether .22 LR or 7.62 x 39 MM; when handguns of similar size and weight are available in a semi-automatic format with removable magazine capacities of five or more; why would I want one with a — one chance to survive — built in.
For less money I bought a Taurus PT 845, giving me 24 rounds of .45 acp with the two magazines. Nice technical exercise, but tactically speaking this is a failure. This brings to mind an old saying ; just because you can do something, that does not mean you should do it. This seems a curio type of a gun, with little practical use.
I will take my PT 845 over these toys.
I’m sorry, but this is a solution in search of a problem. Why would anyone carry a single shot pistol when they could carry six 9mm rounds in a pistol the same size. If you can’t stop an attacker with six rounds of 9mm, you need more marksmanship training. If you think a compact 9mm is too heavy, buy a NAA .22 magnum. Mouse gun? Yes, but I guarantee five .22 magnum rounds to the face and neck will stop just about any PCP crazed mugger and you can carry it in your watch pocket.
I couldn’t agree more. Also, I don’t see how a reduction in delivered energy (short barrel length means most of your potential foot-pounds of energy just pollutes the air) is worth the trade off of going with a rifle round. Double shot derringers will deliver a roughly equivalent foot-pounds of energy and add an additional shot in most cases. Concealment being the main purpose of a derringer, would seem to put the two on a par in that category. One may argue that accuracy is sacrificed, but I would argue that single/double shot solutions are designed for the “up-close and personal relationship” anyway.
Judging by mnay of the asinine comments made here it really worries me that these same folks are carrying firearms!
The author clearly and painstakingly explained the reason for this review and the PRACTICAL and NON-PRACTICAL applications for this weapon as a BACKUP to your BACKUP GUN, yet imbeciles with the reading comprehension of a chimpanzee get on here and demonstrate just how IGNORANT they really are and yammer on about their so called badass handgun that they probably couldn’t hit squat with if they had to do so!
It STUPID comments like those made here that give the anti-gunners the ammunition to propose MORE gun regulations based on gun owners IGNORANT RHETORIC!
SHALOM!
Well said and my thoughts exactly.
might do a spell check before calling anyone a ignorant , i mean i’ve never seen many spelled as mnay, just saying
Amen. You hit this right on the head.
I assure you sir, at 25 yards I can empty the magazine into a 3 inch circle all day long and every day of the week. I’ve also been active in shooting for fifty years. Before you demean others from your lofty throne, perhaps you should consider the actual content of another man’s writing. Being an arrogant and insulting jerk does not reflect well upon your own character. It takes all kinds to make a world, and this site is an exercise of freedom of speech.
If its bad as a “backup” then how is it better as a “backup to a backup”? Size, weight, capacity and reliability are always things to consider and at no time in the self defense equation does less rounds, more recoil and marginal if any ballistic improvement equal better. If you can get a similar weapon with a purpose built handgun round in a similar weight/dimension package why wouldn’t you? As other commenters have pointed out, for less weight at similar ranges a good knife is a perfectly acceptable double down backup weapon. Plus a sharp knife in close quarters after you’ve expended all your other ammo never go’s click. So if were going to go down the road of “belly gun secondary backup” why not have something with more than one round in reserve or a blade that never runs dry?
“Backup to a backup” … sheesh, Tommy, that’s code for “mostly / entirely useless”.
This thing weighs 23 ounces empty. If you really ARE getting loaded to the teeth to go to the supermarket, why not carry two of the original backup, loaded?
Alternately, if you really DO feel like you need to carry three guns to the supermarket, I’d like to suggest that you skip the frozen pizza section and head over to the nearest bus station and buy a ticket going anywhere instead?
As far as reading comprehension goes, apparently you either didn’t read or couldn’t grasp the brief ballistics tables presented in the article. This thing effectively neuters that .223 round, leaving it even more anemic than a .380.
I just read the manual to confirm what was left out of this “article”. It has no safety, not even a drop safety. And the author is attempting to pass this off as a self-defense weapon? Seriously?
Might as well use a 9mm that is made for the job. I can’t believe they’ve ported an effective 1.5″ barrel.
If you want a rifle cartridge in a pistol I suggest the FN Five-seveN (5.7×28) or a 22WMR (the AMT II or PMR-30).
Expand your effective kill zone out to 100+ yards with 20 round clips.
This is a defensive, last ditch weapon. Try to explain killing someone 100+ yards away with 20 rounds while ‘defending yourself’… we’ll wait.
It seems to me many, if not all of the rounds, tumbled into the targets. #keyholes
Nope.. Not interested. Very foolish test. Why risk permanent nerve damage for an answer to a non-existant problem. Also, I can only imagine how evil one would look to a jury after shooting someone with one of these. Better off with a 2 shot Derringer in a pistol caliber if you MUST carry a break open piece. Just as effective at contact distance and you won’t look like a crazy assasin to a jury._
That looks like Wolf Ammo, I got some in 7.62 and have had 3 out of several hundreds do the same thing with My Ruger Ranch.
Novelty!! Compared to a Liberator pistol??? Liberator pistols did not cost as much as a 1911 during WW2,they were designed to be inexpensive and dropped behind enemy lines. I looked at one of these in a store, until I saw the price. There are so many better options out there in that price range that can be used as a backup gun. And what poor ballistics…
SCIENCE in the form of the Chronograph has PROVEN this to be NOTHING MORE that a $450.00 DICK ENHANCER with which FOOLS will try to impress Naïve Women in order to BREED with them under FALSE PRETENSES. IE, they are MORE MANLY than they ACTUALLY are because they can shoot this STUPID abomination etc…..THIS type of BS been going on for CENTURIES and Women have been falling for it. ALSO, Lesbians will buy it to prove THEY are as good as ANY MAN because THEY CAN shoot it too. Having said all THAT, sales should be BRISK!
I won’t go into all the stuff others have said, simply put I carry a Taurus PT 22 for my pocket gun, not the best nor the worst, it’s cheap holds plenty of rounds and has as much FPS at the 223 round fired in the Heizer, So no thanks but it was an interesting article for a Monday morning with my second cup of coffee.
Tough crowd here. I don’t think this is an ideal gun for almost all situations. I’d rather have multiple rounds. But, the .410 would be a good round with variations available for a backpacker who didn’t want a lot of weight but wanted protection and even potentially hunting (I know that is a stretch) in a bad situation.
Actually, at 23 ozs., it’s too much weight for a single-shot even for a backpacker.
Other than a novelty item to talk about over coffee I see weapon as a total waste of time. I would NOT trust my life to such a ridicules weapon.
For my 49th Bday my wife gave me a Double Tap chambered in .45 ACP..it’s a over and under format, double barrel “Darrenger” like pocket pistol, much like the subject here. I shot 1 230 grain Hornady round and wondered if the gun had broken my hand…the web between thumb and index finger was surely spit open…well not quite, but it was an amazing amount of energy to absorb in your hand…I was fully prepared as a seasoned shooter. As for practicality, it’s the PERFECT last resort pistol, carried easily in your back pocket, loaded w 2 .45 ACP and a Speed loader holding 2 more concealed nicely in the grip. I call it my “get the F___ off me gun”..which in close quarters combat (assuming you’re mugged by a thug and don’t have access to another weapon) it’s absolutely perfect. I doubt the recoil would be as devastating under pressure as it was simply shooting at a target. I’m going to check out this model in .223……though with a single barrel I doubt I’ll purchase this one.
I stopped reading when this fool started bragging about the keyhole strikes on the targets. You’d be better served with a sling than with a gun whose rounds destabilize IN AIR, and I am absolutely FLOORED that this gun reviewer doesn’t grasp the implications of his own findings. “Good news for terminal ballistics” HA! Where do they find these people?
Well stated will. Sadly, this is typical of GA.
Dude, did you look at the amount of energy delivered on target? … with the .223, it’s less than a decent .380 would offer.
Since that 55 gn FMJ round isn’t going to expand, maybe the best bang for the buck here is that it DOES keyhole.
Over all, I think this is the sort of gun you leave laying out for the burglar to find. If he picks it up, you aren’t in much danger, but it’s easier to make your case of “self-defense” if his finger prints are on a weapon. If you reload, leave it loaded with a squib (primer only) load pushing a 90 gn bullet: you end up with a nasty bruise, he ends up with a long dirt nap. Win-win.
I wouldn’t carry such a device unless it was a last resort. It would probably start fires with unbelievable muzzle flash and burning powder flying out the bore along with unburned powder.
I would caution anyone thinking about loading AK rounds with fast burning pistol powders to compensate that they would increase the recoil beyond their ability to even hold this thing. I have seen guys try that with Contenders winding up in the emergency room.
Not to mention that you would run the risk of compromising the gun’s structural integrity. It’s designed to burn most of the powder OUTSIDE the barrel. Packing it up with fast burning powder might just create a fuseless grenade. I could see loading up a heavy slug with a light charge of pistol powder maybe, but discretion is the better part of valour, as they say.
Glad you mentioned this,hope no one tries it.
In case the French resistance is re-born?
I am not sure I would want the ballistics of a rifle round in a self-defense situation. The round would go through the assailant, the two walls behind him and half way through the car parked outside. LOL The primary cavity on the .223 is a little small to have much effect with one round. (Yeah, I know, the .223 slug gyrates, supposedly, in the body. I’ve seen a couple of .223 GSWs and the round went straight through.)
Maximum lead downrange as quickly and accurate as possible, with as large a primary cavity as possible, taking conceivability into account. That’s the ticket.
No round fired from this miscreant is going to do any of the things you have described.
No kidding. If 55 grain .223 yaws out of the barrel, this gun is better suited to creating flesh wounds and aggravated assailants.
I have yet to see any shootout, either with a group or singular that didn’t involve many shots. A single bullet gun that cost as much as a small automatic is useless if you are not very close or have complete control of a situation. If you are up against a criminal with a multi-shot weapon, you would have to be dead accurate and be willing to kill with only one bullet. This gun is not very practical when you can have a small automatic, the same size and cost, with much more fire power.
Some guns are just idiotic, the one above is a perfect example. Wouldn’t give a dime for it. Like most of the comments written, why???
I have to say; SHAME on the writers and reviewers of this gun. There are NO redeeming values for it. It is a novelty ONLY! How dare you compare it to the Liberator???!!! And to say it’s “intended use” is for a “last ditch effort”?? Really? Your last ditch effort choice gun would be your .380 or compact 9mm with 6 to 10 rounds. PULLEEZE!
You have insulted all the readers here with your less than honest or completely unrealistic (read; brain-dead) summation of this “firearm”.
A better design could be a chamber that could hold many different rounds with no barrel at all. Call it the Omni-Pop.
But this thing is for the birds. Not that you could use it on birds…. I am disappointed with this entire article. And the pain you felt in your hands may serve as a reminder to be smarter in the future. – I would have use a ruler on your hand, would have been more effective than that pos pistol.
This gun just has it all wrong. While the 7.62×39 is far superior to the 5.56 in a short barrel, this barrel is far too short to do anything with the bullet. The speed and energy calculations are dismal. Stick with pistol calibers that are made for extremely short barrles and you will fair better, or make a 8″ version that can get at least mediocre velocity from the 7.62. I will stick to my 10″ ak with muzzel velocity of 2,200 fps and detachable magazines. For carry i will stick to my subcompact xd 9mm with 13+1.
This review was entertaining and well written but didn’t it come out before intended? April 1st would have been more appropriate.
“But I see something more. This is a great backup.”
No. It is not. Based on your own results, you have a single-shot, slow loading firearm that fires a single projectile with less power and significantly more blast than a standard duty caliber handgun. Now, if longer barrels are an option and the trigger pull is decent enough, I could see some potential utility.
From the figures provided in the article, the ballistics would be much more effective if it were firing 380 Auto, or even moreso 45 Auto.
With the rifle cartridges, the great majority of the energy, looks like about 90% or so, is going to blast not to ballistics.
There is absolutely no intelligence to this firing rifle rounds rather than pistol rounds. Why have less energy, more blast, and smaller bullets? Oh, so you can say you’re firing a rifle round? Fail.
I concur.
A .45, .44, or .40 handgun cartridge would have better aim (stabilized projectile) as well as better energy.
But isn’t a double-shot, pistol caliber derringer a better choice?
My 5.7 x 28 FN Pistol is a center fire gun that fires a 27grain projectile @ over 2,100 FPS. This is FN Ammo (green tips) SS195’s. 20 or 30 round clips and penetrates through Bullet Proof Glass along with the 454 Kasul. 500 SW no penetration but the ONLY 2 are noted above to go through 8″ inches of laminated glass. Dumb Ass Idea
Bill, the 5.7 round is a not a good self defense round in a Pistol…Ft. Hood shooter shot a bunch of people up to six times and they lived…I met a woman who worked for VA who he shot 3 times and she lived to tell the story….9mm is a better self defense round…
At Fort Hood 13 killed, 32 wounded. Most of the wounded were shot in the leg, arm, foot, shoulder or hip. His initial firing was simply spraying the room. This also counts some who were hit by bullet fragments. So killed to wounded ratio is better that 1 to 3 or a Lethality Rate of 29%. Obviously being shot on a major military base with military surgeons close by should give someone the best chance of survival. The Lethality Rate for Iraq has been a little better than 10% and for Vietnam about 13% See MILITARY MEDICINE, 175. 4:220.2010
Death and Injury Rates of U.S. Military Personnel in Iraq
Matthew S. Goldberg, PhD
http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA518921
Sorry, but this argues that the 5.7, which was designed as a superior replacement for the 9mm as a military round, fulfilled it goal. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FN_5.7%C3%9728mm Or ask the Secret Service or a variety of LEO departments around the world.
So this strongly argues that the 5.7 is an excellent personal defense round, which is exactly what it was designed for. See Wikipedia article above.
My 5.7 x 28 FN Pistol is a center fire gun that fires a 27grain projectile @ over 2,100 FBS. This is FN Ammo (green tips) SS195’s. 20 or 30 round clips and penetrates through Bullet Proof Glass along with the 454 Kasul. 500 SW no penetration but the ONLY 2 are noted above to go through 8″ inches of laminated glass. Dumb Ass Idea
100% silliness probably designed by Democrats to help fuel their cause! This kind of crap does nothing to help our cause!
Yeah, but where’s the .338 Lapua and the .50 BMG? 🙂
Say, for what ever reason you have a pak1 and you find your self hunkerd down behind cover and this is all you have would’nt 2 extra rounds stored in the handle, like the wwll liberator, be a good idea. It looks like the the mechanics are in front of the medalion on handle. Might soothe the naysayers a bit. It is kind of cool but I have to pay rent before cool
The primary principle of the Liberator was to be inexpensive. About $2.30 or so. And to be used not really as a defensive pistol bu to sneak up on an enemy, shoot him and take his firearm. This gun cost $400. In WW2, that would be like dropping 1911s over France for resistance fighters.
Pulling it out of your pocket with your finger on the trigger, as shown in the first few pictures, is s good way to blow your nuts off.
I agree. It’s a violation of Rule #3: ” Keep your finger out of the trigger guard and alongside the frame until your sights are on target AND you have decided to shoot.”
That takes us into the realm of motive and it is at least possible that he was considering a way to get his insurance company to pay for a vasectomy.
I’d rather spend the coin on a derringer. Bigger selection of (more effective) calibers, twice the capacity, and WAY prettier. 😉
I carried a hi-std 22 mag derringer in my hip pocket for snakes while I worked in the fields until I found the shot wouldn’t do much unless you got within its strike range. I did notice however that with slugs it threw a considerable flash of flame. Thus, I can see where the 223 un-ported would likely turn a tango’s insides to mush if you punched him with it as you fired. But to predicate just one guy within punching distance is so limiting as to be completely stupid to rely on when ther are so many alternatives – the taurus curve comes to mind.
I’d only use one in .410 as a single shot snake gun when walking in the desert. I’d think pistol ammo like the .45 would make it more useful than all that unburnt rifle powder. Judging from the pictures the AK rounds look like they all flew sideways.
Agree with Hector. Handguns that fire what is/was a predominantly rifle cartridge is giving the BATFE and gun control crowd reason to push more more ammo legislation and import bans. Remember, with those gun control groups they do not have an all or nothing strategy. Its incremental, increasingly prohibitive steps. Every little ban or restrictions is simply setting up the narrative for its not “if, its how much.” Gun manufacturers……remember that just because you can, does not mean you should. Don’t let the desire for a few dollars from a novelty ruin the industry.
Remember, the BATFE banned the import of 7n6 ammo because there was some unicorn pistol, that has never been put into production, was made that fired 5.45 ammo. This let the BATFE reclassify it and therefore ban it.
Unicorn Pistol : the Fabryka Bronie Radom, Model Onyks 89S, 5.45×39 caliber semi-automatic pistol, which was approved for importation into the United States in November 2011. (Never been produced, just approved…)
Want the BATFE to try to reclassify green tip m885 again? Here’s a surefire way.
lol,lol,lol… why?
if you’re gonna carry a gun for protection why in gods name would you carry a single shot, heavy thing like this? Id much rather have a good .45 in CC size, or a 9mm. at least I could get off more than 1 shot! Even as a back up, this thing looks heavy. but I think its worst feature is the fact that its a single shooter. Id rather carry my old LCP .380 with some of the newer Hollow Point rounds than something like this as a back up piece.
Why?
they should do a 12ga
A little tongue in cheek, but that can’t happen because it’s bigger than .5″ bore.
Completely idiotic idea. Who needs a 3000fps pocket pistol?
All it’ll do is give more state/federal Nazis grounds to ban certain types of ammo on the grounds they can be used in gangbanger pistols.
Abner T you should go back and read the article again, because it said from a 16″ .223 barrel, you can expect speeds near 3,000 FPS mark. The Heizers spits out 55 grain .223 bullets at close to 1,100 FPS.
Absolutely stupidity my wife has a sig.380 that makes more sense. I have a 44mag red hauk with 7 and half barrel Ruger makes the Alaska with 3′ barrel junk will not save you from a grizzly for the same reasons .
About the size and weight of the average .380 pocket pistol with the same or less muzzle energy and a $400 price tag…. So, a one-shot gun that weighs as much as a 6+1 semi-auto but doesn’t do anything better except inflict pain to the shooter’s hand? Umm, no. That’s just stupid.
this is what I call a novelty piece, It’s not very practical to have a single shot hand gun.
Thank you for publishing the velocity data, and the comparison to other popular self defense cartridges. Crazy that the 223 & 7.62 out of this barrel create less energy than a 380… Neat idea, and cool to be able to sit ammo from my AK or AR, but as far as practicality, I can get a 380 semi auto with 6 rounds that is lighter and about the same physical size…
Maybe a reloader could load some up with a light charge of very fast powder, but then you are way outside of provided data for 223
The key holing is obvious, thus reducing the lethality of either (rifle) round. This makes these two “gimmick guns” absolutely useless as personal defense weapons. I don’t pay for WOW.
Truly a novelty piece that would just be fun to play with, definitely not a good backup.
I think these firearms are a terrible concept. Does anyone remember the 7N6 cartridge? If memory serves me correctly, BATFE banned importation of 7N6 (5.45X39) because it is a rifle cartridge that could be fired from a pistol. This is giving BATFE all they need to ban the two most popular military cartridges from sale to the public. As supporters of the a Second Amendment, we need to be smart and vigilant, especially under the current Aministration. Take this dangerous product off the market.
I completely agree,… the one thing that immediately worries me about something like this is that the way the anti gun people and especially the ATF use the handgun platform (especially when its a small one) to ban ammunition that can “penetrate” 3A armor, and how long till they use this to try to rewrite laws. Id rather do without it if thats what would happen. Also, I would agree with many others on this regardless ,.. its a suckers gun…
I think a 5.7×28 would be a lot more viable for this platform. Stabilize better then the 5.56, and have the same if not more range/power past the muzzle.
I also think .50ae, .454 casul, 500s&w would be much more effective.
The powder in the 5.56 and 7.62×39 doesnt burn fast enough and im sure the twist rate isnt high enough for a 3″ barrel to be any use. 6″ maybe (on the russian anyway), but 3″ no way.
Just cheap Russian wolf steel cased ammo. Had the same problem. I bought a thousand rounds and a new AR-15 for plinking, would fire a round to save my life. But the old $200.00 Norinco AK said feed me Seymour….
Heck, why not chamber it in .50BMG instead. You could burn 4 times as much powder in the air outside the muzzle that way, and the noise of the muzzle blast combined with the weight of the projectile falling onto your opponents toes might distract them long enoughave for you to cold cock ’em with this otherwise useless, heavy idiot’s toy.
… and, the muzzle blast would set the perp on fire.
Targets show sever keyholing from unstablised bullets also rifle rounds in that short a barrel are useless as 90 % of the powder is in UN burned the guns only claim to fame. Is the wow factor and that’s usless in a gun fight
Chambered for 45 LC or 38 or 357 might be ok
Don’t know why…but I DO like it! Must be cuz I’m a sucker for big bores. .7″ width. Should be easy to pocket carry. Proly be in my collection one day.
I think that the .7″ width is maybe the – only – redeeming feature of this pistol … except that they achieved it by making this a bolt-together gun. I’ve worked around enough machinery to know that bolts – even bolts torqued down with a 3′ pipe – shake loose. Sometimes sooner, sometimes later … but it will always eventually occur.
I believe those rounds you had a problem with are Golden Tiger. Guess no one ever thought they would be fired from a pistol. They have always been reliable from my rifles.
WHERE CAN I BUY ONE OF THESE GUNS? HOW MUCH ARE THEY?
Chicago
This thing makes less muzzle energy than a 9mm, and if you’re counting the potential energy in every single round onboard, then it gets even more sad for this thing.
Whoever wrote the captions obviously is a half-wit: big round, little gun, practical and fun – how about ridiculously impractical and dumb as hell?!
There certainly is a sucker born every minute, all encouraged by the guy who writes these articles – different names, all the same one or two guys. Horrendous editing and spelling/grammar mistakes too; even for bloggers, these guys are amateurs who shouldn’t be taken seriously.
Is this weapon considered legal, the barrel is under 18″ and firing a rifle round?????
You have pointed out one of the many contradictions in our current gun laws. It is legal because it does not have a but stock. Without a but stock it is considered a pistol and as such has no barrel limitations like a rifle does. Stupid…..but the way the law was written.
Check out the BFR%s from Magnum Research. They are rifle caliber revolvers. 30-30, 45-70 etc. What would you consider the Thompson Center contender’s to be?
totally stupid, a suckers gun.
OWN A BOND ARMS 2 SHOT DERRINGER.. HAVE ABOUT 8 DIFFERENT BARRELS..JUST FOR THE BENEFIT OF EXPERIENCE. “TWO SHOTS”. NOT ONE. QUALITY MADE..AMMO OF CHOICE IS 45ACP. UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL! WILL STICK WITH THIS ONE FOR MY BACKUP. NEVER NEEDED A BANDAID. THANKS FOR YOUR REVIEWS. AS A RETIRED MILITARY..PRETTY DARN GOOD SHOOTER..I’LL STICK WITH WHAT I KNOW WORKS..EVERY..TIME!
IMO pocket canons are tools that require practice practice to deploy safely.
Every gun needs practice, practice to be deployed safely. Safety is not a 1 day course at the range…
IMHO- the firearm is interesting. Rifle caliber choices, all wrong. 45 Colt is fine. The Buffalo Bore flat nose 38 special (or similar) load, about right ?
Good review on an interesting, though questionable handgun. One thing that shouldn’t be in question however is the placement of your trigger finger while drawing from your pocket…
I though about making a gun like this years ago, but figured nobody would ever buy it. And certainly not for $400+. And then $160 for each barrel… I’m not buying one.
But, it’s a cool idea. Still.
10mm?
Would be one hell of an easy 80% project… That I could get behind…
Reminds me of that useless derringer in .45 ACP I once owned.
I think my North American Arms .22 WMR is a better choice.
The concept is a good one for a back-up in a extreme situation. I would think the AR platform 300 blackout would be a better choice for the person that loads there own. Bullet choice in the 30 cal is great and you can also do sub-sonic. I would probably buy one if offered in this caliber. Bond builds a great piece also and it has two shots.
So I take it that the effective range is about 10′-15′. With one shot, then a reload. Not a gun I would carry as a back up. As a truck gun, maybe, but I don’t much see the point.
Having a back-up pistol that can fire the same round as your service rifle is a great idea!
I agree.
I think the point that is being missed here, is that this would be more apt as a backup gun to your rifle rather than a primary backup gun to your concealed carry gun.
Though it is obviously being marketed as a concealed backup option, and this is where they are going wrong(IMO).
If the manufacturer were to design a version that would accept an AR15 or AK47 pistol grip and build a (collapsible style rifle) stock that would hold the barrel assembly inside it (like a tiny AR7 survival rifle), you could at least pretend like you had a backup gun in case your primary rifle stopped working during(the zombie apocalypse or whatever).
So that no one gets the wrong idea; I mean that the rifle butt stock would be a storage space for the handgun barrel, it is not meant to be used to shoulder the handgun NFA style.
The rifle pistol grip (in my imagination) would screw into the bottom of the handgun frame like you would screw it onto the rifles receiver.
This way it would be just another tacticool accessorization for your AR/AK, rather than an impractical backup carry gun.
Seems to me if you needed a small, thin pistol a Kel-Tec PF-9 (9mm) loaded with +P ammo would have more muzzle energy and hold more than one lousy round. However I would call the Heizer’s a stupid effin’ idea, because they aren’t even effin’ ideas… just stupid.
More muzzle energy???? Surely you jest.
No really. Did you see the ballistics numbers posted? Rifle cartridge from a 1.5″ barrel is going to waste better than 75% of its powder. To make it even worse they ported the barrel so you get even less push from the load. Give me a Keltec PF9 with 7+1 of 124 grain bullets any day of the week over this thing.
The 223 version is about as effective as a 22lr. Out of a short barrel the 22 would probably give better velocity. 223 works out of a rifle becaue of velocity. Out of this gun its got the same energy as a 223 at about 1000 yards.
To the writer and testers on this article, I find your contribution to offer a believable product test is well respected by this commenter. I have never bought this type of pocket pistol for fear of never getting past the first tests to determine a worthy carried piece. I now, reading your successful test on these two rifle calibers so common now and inexpensive less than the 22LR cartridge I will be convinced to purchase this make as a back-up run and gun. Muck thanks to you and yours.
I can’t tell from looking at the targets which target belongs to which gun, but judging from the holes, one of the calibers is tumbling, if not both.