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The Röhm RG-14: The Saturday Night Special That Changed The World

By James Burgett

On March 30, 1981, President Ronald Reagan was shot outside the Washington Hilton Hotel by John Hinckley Jr. The gun used was a Röhm RG-14, a six-shot .22 Long Rifle handgun that Hinckley bought for about $47. The RG-14 was a standard "Saturday Night Special" handgun; a term that was used for an inexpensive, compact gun that was widely available in the U.S. during the 1960s-70s and early 1980s.

The RG-14 was a German manufacturing product called the Röhm, which was founded in 1909. Röhm started making inexpensive guns in the 1950s, and later produced a series of revolvers for the budget market. After the passage of the Gun Control Act of 1968, which limited the import of many low-cost handguns, the company created RG Industries in Miami, Fla. By assembling firearms domestically using imported components, RG Industries could continue supplying the American market.

There was only one goal for the RG-14: low cost. Unlike most revolvers, the RG-14 featured a relatively inexpensive cast-alloy frame, with steel used for the barrel and cylinder; this is a concept that is now used on modern revolvers such as the Taurus Poly Protector and Ruger LCR. These revolvers use a polymer frame and steel cylinder and barrel inserts. They had a simple double-action/single-action trigger, of which the double action can be described as "horrendously heavy," and basic sights and finish, which were indicative of their low-cost origins. There were a number of different designs of revolver, some of which had shorter barrels that were designed to be easily concealed.

One of the most obvious ways of saving money was on the cylinder assembly. Rather than incorporating the more elaborate extraction systems found on most revolvers, such as a swing-out cylinder, the RG-14 employed a simplified arrangement with a removable cylinder pin that could be used to push spent cases from the chambers. This eliminated some of the additional components and machining required by more sophisticated designs. It was not particularly convenient, but convenience was secondary to manufacturing a revolver that could be sold at an extremely low price.

Despite the criticism of the materials and workmanship of the inexpensive handguns such as the RG-14, these guns occupied a significant market niche. Even some people buying handguns didn't want to pay for a top quality revolver, and companies like RG Industries offered a cheaper option. However, their low prices and compact dimensions also made them frequent targets of political criticism, particularly when discussions turned to criminal misuse and handgun regulation.

John Hinckley Jr. bought two RG-14 revolvers from Rocky's Pawn Shop in Dallas, TX on October 13, 1980. Within six months, he fired six shots at President Reagan with one of them. Four people were injured: Reagan, Secret Service Agent Timothy McCarthy, White House Press Secretary James Brady, and police officer Thomas Delahanty. The .22 caliber bullet hit Reagan's car and bounced, penetrating his chest and getting stuck in his left lung. He was saved by emergency surgery.

The shooting brought considerable attention to the RG-14 and inexpensive handguns generally. It also helped to spur the political discussion that led to the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1993. In 1986, RG Industries shut down and ended its production of American handguns.

In modern times, RG-14 revolvers are still relatively cheap twentieth-century firearms. They demonstrate the compromises that manufacturers made to make guns functional at the minimum cost from a gunsmithing point of view. They are made of cast-alloy, have simple mechanisms and were finished simply, compared to the more elegant revolvers of the same era.

The RG-14 was a mediocre gun. It was crafted cheaply, sold cheaply and made for the lowest end of the handgun market. Its relation with the attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan, however, has ensured its status as a part of American history. It's as if it's a reminder that even the most mundane guns can become historical if they are related to historic events.

References 

Knupp, Jeremiah. "I Have This Old Gun: Röhm RG 14." American Rifleman, March 3, 2026.

Marshall, Tom. "The RG-14 Revolver: The Gun That Got the Gipper." RECOIL, February 3, 2022.

RG Industries. Advertisement. American Handgunner, September/October 1980.

Earley, Pete. "The Gun: A Saturday Night Special From Miami." The Washington Post, March 31, 1981.

Delahanty v. Hinckley, 564 A.2d 758 (D.C. 1989).