Rohm RG-14 .22 LR – Collectible German-American “Saturday Night Special” Revolver

Rohm RG-14 .22 LR – Collectible German-American “Saturday Night Special” Revolver

Rohm RG-14, .22 LR, 1.75″ Barrel – A Genuine Piece of Post-War Handgun History

The Rohm RG-14 occupies a distinctive and widely recognized place in American firearms history. This compact, double-action, six-shot revolver chambered in .22 LR was originally manufactured by Röhm Gesellschaft of Sontheim/Brenz, Germany, and later produced domestically by RG Industries in Miami, Florida, after the Gun Control Act of 1968 restricted the importation of certain foreign-made firearms. For collectors interested in genuinely historically significant firearms — as opposed to simply well-made ones — the RG-14 is a name virtually every serious collector recognizes.

An Honest Look at a Budget-Category Classic

Let’s be direct about what this revolver is: the RG-14 belongs to a category commonly known as the “Saturday night special” — inexpensive, mass-produced handguns built with cost-conscious materials, including a zinc alloy frame paired with a steel barrel, cylinder, hammer, and trigger. This was never a premium firearm, and it wasn’t built to be one. That said, the model has a genuine reputation for being surprisingly functional despite its budget construction, and this specific example features the shortest factory barrel length offered on the platform, at just 1.75 inches — genuinely compact even by pocket-revolver standards.

Simple, Old-World Mechanical Design

The RG-14 features a swing-out cylinder secured to the frame by a pin running through its length, rather than the more common latch-under-barrel design found on most double-action revolvers. To load the RG-14, the pin is unscrewed and removed, the cylinder swings open, a round is inserted into each of the six chambers, and the cylinder snaps shut with the pin screwed back into place. Notably, the RG-14 does not have an ejector — each spent casing or unfired round must be manually pushed out of the cylinder using the pin or a similar tool during unloading. This is genuinely old-school mechanical engineering, reflecting the era and price point this revolver was built for.

A Firearm Tied to a Defining Moment in American History

The RG-14 holds a permanent place in American historical memory as the model of revolver used by John Hinckley Jr. in the attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan on March 30, 1981. An example of the RG-14 is on permanent display at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, and the model has been documented in institutions including the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. This historical association is precisely why RG-14s continue to draw steady interest from collectors focused on 20th-century American historical artifacts, well beyond what the revolver’s modest original construction quality would otherwise command. Pair this piece with our selection of .22 LR ammunition if you’re interested in shooting this piece rather than simply displaying it.

Why Collectors Seek Out the Rohm RG-14

✔ 1.75″ barrel — the shortest, most compact factory configuration offered
✔ Six-round cylinder chambered in .22 LR
✔ Genuine historical significance tied to a defining moment in 20th-century American history
✔ Displayed in institutions including the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Smithsonian
✔ Distinctive pin-secured swing-out cylinder — old-world mechanical design
✔ A widely recognized name among firearms history collectors
✔ Genuinely surprising functionality despite its budget-category construction

Buy This for the History, Not the Craftsmanship

We want to be straightforward: the RG-14 was a budget firearm when new, and there are considerably better-built “budget” revolvers on the market today if reliable daily shooting performance is your goal. What makes the RG-14 worth owning is its documented place in American history — a genuinely notable, widely recognized artifact for collectors who focus on historically significant rather than premium firearms. Browse our full selection of vintage and collectible revolvers to see how the RG-14 fits alongside other historically notable pieces in your collection.

A Genuine Conversation Piece for Serious Collectors

Few inexpensive revolvers from this era carry the name recognition the RG-14 does, and that recognition alone continues to drive steady collector interest decades after its production ended. Whether you’re building a collection focused on notable American historical artifacts or simply want a genuinely conversation-worthy piece, this RG-14 delivers real history in a compact package.

Explore our full lineup of vintage and collectible firearms or check out our selection of .22 LR ammunition to complete your purchase. Well-documented examples of the RG-14 don’t surface often — add this notable piece of American history to your collection today.