I just had a family member pass away.  From his Estate, I received an RG Rhom 38 Special Revolver with what looks like a 4.5 inch barrel in blues steel.  It is stamped with 68 and Made in Germany.

I'm more of a Semi-Automatic pistol guy, so I don't know much about revolvers.  My local gunsmith looked at it and says its in great shape, hardly fired.  Can any of you folks give me more information about it?

They're essentially what got small .38 and .380 caliber stuff into a big importation fiasco due to the cheap materials used which lead to a ridiculously cheap street price.

Ever hear the term Saturday night special? these are exactly where that came from.

I wouldn't shoot it. It's pretty worthless other than an amusing talking piece to keep in the collection.

They were an inexpensive gun made for someone who wanted a gun but didn't want to spend money on a Smith and Wesson or Colt

Fine to shoot. Kind of like the Heritage Revolver made today or HiPoints.

I had several in 22 and they shot fine. Never that accurate but were reliable.

They are shit.

Rhom revolvers and the like were the geneses of the "Saturday Night Special" and the gun with which Hinckley shot Reagan (a Röhm RG-14 .22 LR blue steel revolver).



The Rhom I inherited (.22 short).



And yes. They are shit.

They are low end guns.

I have one in 22 that I bought about 8 years ago out of an estate sale. I gave 75 or 100 bucks for and it’s not worth that. It’s brand new in the box with the grease still on it. The paperwork and the receipt from when they bought it in the 60s were also in the box. I thought it was cool so I paid too much for it.

I have two, both in 22lr.

One is a snub nose that often won't fire in DA, but SA is fine. Accurate to about 30 feet. The other has a 4 or 5 inch barrel and functions reliably. Mine were both inherited and hardly fired. I like them for fun, cheap plinking.

Not high quality but are still cool in their own way.

On many RG revolvers, the barrel consisted of a shroud that was part of the frame and a separate barrel sleeve inside the slide and bonded to it somehow.
While instructing a shooter on the range, I was struck in the lip by a large chunk of metal that had been ejected through the cylinder gap. I examined the revolver and found that the barrel had crept forward in the barrel shroud. The barrel was sticking out beyond the shroud by a good quarter of an inch. Whatever they had used to bond the barrel to the shroud had ceased working - allowing the barrel to move backward and forward. It could be pushed back into position using just finger pressure.

You've heard the "Germans always make good stuff"?

Well, not "always"

This design started out in the 1950s as a toy gun then in the 60's it was turned into a gas gun (kinda like pepper spray) then some idiot thought the design could be further enhanced to shoot real bullets, which it will...once or twice

Seriously, if you have one that hasn't shot itself to pieces yet, it might have some collector value amongst the "Saturday Night Special" aficionados. Yes, their are serious collectors of the genre.

Regardless, I would NOT recommend shooting it, even just a a few rounds. These guns are JUNK!

ETA- A few years ago, I purchased sight unseen, for $200,  the contents of a shed owned by a deceased gunsmith's estate who had retired from the business in the 1970s. Among my new treasures was a box of RG Rhom revolvers in various states of disrepair. Seeing that they were made in West Germany, I thought I had a windfall. When I showed them to my gunsmith he showed me several Rhom revolvers in his own box of junk guns tat weren't worth even trying to fix.

Bil has one like that.  I begged him to not shoot it.
He said why?

I hate to give up a m10 from my collection so I am looking for one just to buy for him.

Look around local gun stores, gun shows and pawn shops for a gently used S&W or Ruger if he wants a revolver. SP100 on the used market can be had for pretty cheap and there are still S&W "police trade-ins" showing up from time to time.

If he just wants something to plink with, consider a Ruger Single-Six or Single-Ten.

I've got an uncle who collects cheap guns for some reason, no idea why since he never shoots them (he's got some nice S&Ws that he does shoot).  Even he has no RGs in his shoebox of shame.  As noted, there are folks who do collect them though; I'd find someone who collected them and sell it off- and I've still got a Davis derringer somewhere in my safe.  

I have a rohm .22 mag single action... with a .22lr cylinder.  I have always assumed thst the original owner switched it out at some point but who knows!?!  It actually shoots quite well and handles loke an SSA, but it has a trigger thst is near dangerously light.  Still, it isn't bad for a $20 evidence room trade in special.

Yea that's the plan.
Maybe a m10 with the hole can be found cheap enough.
I won't want a hole m10 for my collection.
I do have a plated pre m10 that has a bent trigger guard that may suffice for that purpose.
Still have trouble giving one of mine up even though they are only shooter grade.

My grandmother had one just like that. She carried it in her purse. My Dad said you point it up and it wont fire. Something about the shells slipping back. My brother has it. It shoots straight on though. Its a cheap ass gun built by a starter pistol company.

If it is the Mod 66 then it came new with two cylinders, one 22lr and one Mag. As bad a rep as these guns have the Model 66 is a very good gun. I have one that my dad bought me back around 1977. I learned to shoot pistols with this great little gun. It is also the first gun my wife and kids shot. My son who is 12 still loves it. FYI if you ever need spare parts Numrich has them for this gun.

That's great to know, thanks!  I actually have a soft spot for it, a 20 dollar revolver thst works is always ok in my book.

My last name is the Anglicized version of this manufacturer......

I want their .25 ACP auto if I can ever find one just to have it.

I have a Mod 66 with a cylinder marked ".22 LR." It won't shoot .22 reliably, maybe 2/6 rounds will fire. The rest have light strikes. On the other hand, the gun shoots 100% with .22 magnum. I've always wondered if the cylinder was mis-marked. .22 magnum shouldn't even chamber in a LR. Plus, the extra thickness of the rim on magnums would account for the better ignition.

Needless to say, I don't shoot it much.

They used to say RG stood for rotten gun.

I was given one many years ago by a family friend.  I keep it in my truck.  Its a decent little revolver for what it is.  It goes bang every time.

Here's a youtube review of one:



ETA:  Found an old thread on mine.  Rohm 38 S