The Swiss Mini Gun, produced in Switzerland by SwissMiniGun, is recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the smallest functional revolver on the planet. The revolver measures merely 5.5 cm long, 3.5 cm tall and 1 cm wide, weighing only 19.8g – less than an ounce. This is a double-action revolver and has all the same features as are found on a real size gun.
Only a very small number of the guns have been produced since they were first manufactured in 2005. Ammunition is 2.34mm rimfire, also produced by SwissMiniGun, which also hold the record for world’s smallest ammunition. According to the manufacturer, Paul Erard, each round produces less than a joule of energy, travels at a pokey 400 feet per second and impacts with .71 foot pounds of energy.
They’re largely collectors’ items. About 300 have been made — this tiny gun carries a big price tag. The standard steel C1ST model goes for around $6,200, and the company has been creating only 100 of them per year.
“Since the product’s launch, the firm had sold around 300 of the guns, mainly to collectors in the Middle and Far East,” says Paul Erard, owner of SwissMiniGuns. “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 manufacture of this unique miniature revolver has only been possible by exploiting the incomparable expertise and latest technologies of the Swiss Watch and Jewellery Industry, upon which its worldwide reputation is built. For as harmless as this weapon is, it’s still a weapon and one that is banned from import to the United States and the UK. It is so small that it doesn’t meet the minimum size requirements for a sporting revolver set by the ATF.
One reason the guns are outlawed in the U.S. is due to the small size of their bullets. Firing a cartridge essentially smashes the bullet, making it impossible to trace using ballistics investigation. The SwissMiniGun is also small enough that it fits completely in the palm of the average adult’s hand, rendering it highly concealable – its holster even has a key chain ring on the end. This makes some federal agencies nervous: U.S. laws prohibit any firearm that can’t be detected at airports.
The SwissMiniGun is similar to, although about 23 percent of the size of, the .357 Magnum Colt Python. Most of the dimensions scale properly with size:
Revolver ………………Colt Python ……………SwissMiniGun
Caliber …………………357 Magnum ………….09 rimfire
Length …………………9.25 in (23.5 cm) …….2.16 in (5.5 cm)
Weight …………………2.65 lb (1.2 kg) ……….0.0044 lb (0.0198 kg)
Barrel …………………..3 in (7.6 cm) …………..0.7 in (1.8 cm)
Cartridge length …….1.58 in (4.0 cm) ………0.36 in (0.91 cm)
Bullet weight …………130 gr (8.4 g) ………….2 gr (0.13 g)
Muzzle velocity ……..1400 fps (427 mps) ….400 fps (122 mps)
Energy …………………580 ft-lbs (785 J) ……..0.72 ft-lbs (0.97 J)
Photos: swissminigun