Röhm Gesellschaft
 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Arms industry |
| Founded | 1950s |
| Products | Firearms, weapons |
| Owner | Umarex |
Röhm Gesellschaft, often referred to as RG, is a German brand of firearms and related shooting equipment. RG developed as a diversification of Röhm GmbH in the 1950s. After 1968, RG Industries was established as a US division in Miami and operated until 1986. In 2010, the RG brand was acquired by Umarex GmbH & Co. KG. Röhm's RG-14 handgun, used in an assassination attempt on then US President Ronald Reagan, was referred to in 1981 as a Saturday night special, a cheaply manufactured firearm of perceived low quality, believed at the time to be favored by criminals.[1]
History[edit]
In the early 1950s, Röhm GmbH of Sontheim/Brenz, which was traditionally focused on the production of chucking tools, diversified its product line and began to produce gas alarm guns, flare guns, starting pistols and handguns. Röhm's product line of firearms was primarily established under the brand name RG. Following importation limits imposed on handguns by the 1968 Gun Control Act, RG established a factory in Miami in the 1970s under the name RG Industries. The Miami factory produced revolvers, automatic pistols, and derringers in .22 LR, .25 ACP, .32 S&W, and .38 Special.[3] The Miami factory ceased operations in 1986.[4]
In 2010, Röhm GmbH sold their firearms manufacturing business to Umarex of Arnsberg.
Litigation in the United States[edit]
Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia police officer Thomas Delahanty was shot by John Hinckley Jr. with a Röhm revolver during his failed assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan in 1981. Delahanty later sued Röhm, arguing that small, inexpensive guns serve no purpose except for crime, and thus that the company should be held responsible. The suit was subsequently rejected by the District of Columbia Court of Appeals in a suit that has served as case law for other similar product liability cases.[5]
In 1985, Kelley vs. RG Industries was filed over a 1982 shooting in which Olen J. Kelley, a grocery clerk, was shot in the chest with an RG firearm.[6]
Firearms made by Röhm[edit]
Starting pistols[edit]
Starter pistols firing 6 mm Flobert blanks
- RG-2s
- RG-3s
Derringers[edit]
- RG-15
- RG-16
- RG-17
Revolvers[edit]
- RG-7
- RG-10
- RG-14
- RG-23
- RG-30
- RG-31
- RG-35
- RG-38
- RG-39
- RG-40
- RG-57
- RG-63
- RG-66
Semi-automatic pistols[edit]
- RG-25
- RG-26
- RG-42
See also[edit]
Other German revolver brands:
References[edit]
- ^ Early, Pete (31 March 1981). "The Gun: A Saturday Night Special From Miami". Washington Post. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
- ^ "The Secret Washington Museum That Tourists Can't Visit". Voice of America. 2022-12-10. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
- ^ Robert E. Walker (26 November 2012). Cartridges and Firearm Identification. CRC Press. pp. 268–. ISBN 978-1-4665-0206-2. Retrieved 3 August 2013.
- ^ Dan Shideler (14 April 2010). The Official Gun Digest Book of Guns & Prices 2010: Rifles, Pistols & Shotguns. Gun Digest Books. pp. 715–. ISBN 978-1-4402-1454-7. Retrieved 3 August 2013.
- ^ Delahanty v. Hinckley, 564 A.2d 758 (D.C.App. 1989), judgment hosted by Carnegie Mellon University here. Also available here.
- ^ Carol Vinzant (12 November 2005). Lawyers, Guns, and Money: One Man's Battle with the Gun Industry. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 94–. ISBN 978-1-4039-6627-8. Retrieved 3 August 2013.
External links[edit]
- Röhm RG Sportwaffen
- Röhm at Muzzle.de
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