Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Tiny Guns: The Swiss .09 Caliber Minigun



I like miniatures, and miniature guns, like my North American Arms mini revolver. That's a pretty small gun. But this gun from Switzerland makes the NAA mini revolver look like a giant. It's a fully functional double action revolver in .09 caliber- that's around half the diameter of a .17 HMR round, and a lot less powerful. The .09 caliber non-reloadable rimfire rounds cost $10 each, which is not surprising, as each is hand made:


Muzzle velocity is a blistering 400fps, or about what an older Daisy BB gun produces. The 2 grain bullet leaves the muzzle with a thundering 0.72 foot-pounds of energy, less than half that of a BB. According to a story in the Daily Mail, UK lawmakers are up in arms about this dangerous threat to public safety, since it could potentially penetrate the skin. (Someone should point out to them that a ballpoint pen in the hands of a ten year old could do a lot more damage.)

If you really wanted to carry it, there's a holster available:



How much is all this precision and craftsmanship? $6,750 if you could buy it in the US, which you can't, as the small size makes it ineligible for import under the 1968 Gun Control Act's points system. Canada, interestingly enough, recognizes it as a "non gun" owing to its extremely low muzzle energy. Regardless, the price alone should be enough to keep it out of the hands of potential miscreants.




What's it good for? From a practical standpoint, nothing. But it's a marvel of craftsmanship.  You can read more about it, and the makers, here.