RG 22 LR

pwillie

I recently bought a RG 22 LR revolver with a 1 1/2 inch barrel...looks as new...Anyone know the value?

nmyers

There are several different models. Without photos or the model number, no, we can't be much help.

But, a SWAG would be $50-150.

Neal

rufe-snow

They were made by the Rohm Company, in West Germany. Imported and sold into the U.S., prior to 1968. In that year the Gun Control Act of 1968, went into effect. Banning their import and sale.

They originally sold for less than $30, back in the 60's. Neal pretty much has their current value nailed. My Wag would be between $50 & $100. Not a great deal of collectors interest in them, at this point in time. Most saleable as a inexpensive personal protection firearm, to a individual with limited funds.


EDIT #1, This is as close as I could find on the net. It's a Model 23. I would imagine yours would be similar.

duckhunter

Decoy anchor.

burpfire

see them all the time for 50.00. to me that is 50.00 too much! if its all a person can afford, fine, but shoot it just enough to make sure it works. trust me, it wont take repeated firing.

pwillie

Thanks guys,I paid too much!...Mine looks exactly the one in the pic. But is does look new in the box.

yblockhead

I have a RG-20 in .22 short that was given to me years ago. A good friend of mine's uncle passed away and his wife wanted to have it destroyed. He gave it to me to put in the sanctuary. My kids loved/and still love shooting it! They dubbed it "Noisy-Cricket" (from Men In Black). Neat cheap little pistol.

beantownshootah

Rufe has it. Market value on these is about $50-$100 depending on condition and (mostly) your location.

With the current critical shortage of .22 ammo, I'd value these on the lower end of that scale right now.

As mentioned, build quality on these is poor, and these are the classic cheap disposable "Saturday night special" guns banned for importation in the 1960s.

The frames are made of zinc alloy ("ZAMAK") which isn't very durable, tolerances are poor, finish is lousy, and the parts are prone to failure. You're talking about something that has a similar build quality to a starter pistol or maybe a high-end toy cap gun.

That's OK, so long as your expectations/intended use are in line with the quality of the gun. These are fine for something like a tackle-box gun or "trunk" pistol that sits around a lot, maybe gets used occasionally for a non-critical purpose, and where theft/loss may be a concern. Reliability and accuracy won't be much, but these are still probably better than the proverbial pointed stick.

I know a case where a guy got the ultimate "one use" out of one of these in .22 short. . .he stuck it in his mouth.

You can read a pretty amusing account of one of these Rohm revolvers here, called "the worst gun I own":

http://www.nrvoutdoors.com/WORST GUN/THE WORST GUN I OWN.htm