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. Following a 1968 US division, RG Industries was established in Miami and lasted until 1986. In 2010, the RG brand was acquired by Umarex GmbH & Co. KG.
History
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, and perhaps due to, the limitations on the importation of small pistols imposed 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 small calibres such as .22 LR, .25 ACP, .32 S&W, and .38 Special.[1] The Miami factory ceased operations in 1986.[2]
In 2010, the management of Röhm GmbH decided to sell the branch of manufacturing firearms to the Umarex of Arnsberg and to refocus on its core market of chucking tools.
Models
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- Little Joe: cal. 6mm Flobert blank miniature revolver
- Röhm Mini: cal. 6mm Flob. blank. Plastic version of RG-3
- Röhm Mini 1: Larger version of the Mini with an integrated 15mm/9mm flare adapter inside the barrel
- RG-2s: 6 shot 6mm Flob. blank. double action only starter pistol (blocked barrel, top firing)
- RG-3s: Front firing version of the RG-2s. 6mm Flob. blank-, gas-, flare-pistol. Able to shoot CN cartridges (tear gas), 9mm flares. 15mm pyro ammunition can be used with an external adapter
- RG-3: Successor to RG-3s and replacement for RG-2s, 4s and 5s. Still in production by Umarex
- RG-3 S: RG-3 for the US market. Unable to shoot tear gas and flares (barrel is blocked to projectiles)
- RG-4s: Improved version of the RG-2s. Top firing but a 15mm/9mm flare adapter can be installed
- RG-5s: Like the RG-3s but a slightly different shape
- RG-6: cal. 6mm Flobert blank revolver
- RG-7 Senorita: .25 ACP pocket revolver. Cylinder is removable & loads by a swing-out bullet gate
- RG-8: blank firing 8mm K. pistol
- RG-9: 8mm K. blank pistol
- RG-10: .22 Short calibre DA revolver
- RG-10s: .22 LR. DA revolver
- RG-12: .22LR DA revolver
- RG-14: .22 LR. calibre DA revolver
- RG-14s: .22 LR. calibre DA revolver silver
- RG-15: double barrel .22 derringer
- RG-16: double barrel .22 derringer
- RG-17: double barrel .38 SPL derringer
- RG-18: double barrel .38 SPL derringer
- RG-20: .22 Short calibre DA revolver (short barrel)
- RG-23: .22 LR. calibre SA/DA revolver with swing-out cylinder
- RG-24: .22 LR. calibre DA revolver
- RG-25: .25 calibre semi-auto pistol
- RG-26: .25 calibre semi-auto pistol
- RG-30: .22 LR, .32 SW long or .32 SW Magnum revolver or .22 magnum
- RG-31: .38 calibre 5-shot revolver with screw-in cylinder[3]
- RG-34S: .22 Lr. Caliber 8-shot Revolver with swing-out Cylinder, Fixed Sights
- RG-34T: .22 LR calibre 8-shot revolver with swing-out cylinder, with adjustable sights
- RG-38: .38 calibre 6-shot revolver with swing-out cylinder[3]
- RG-38S: .38 Special 6 Shot revolver with swing out Cylinder
- RG-39: .38 Special or .32SW long 6-shot revolver with swing-out cylinder (similar in appearance to RG 69/89)
- RG-40: .38 SPL DA revolver w/swing-out cylinder
- RG-42: .25 calibre semi-auto pistol[4]
- RG-46: 6mm Flob. blank 7-shot revolver. No barrel. Flare adapter directly attached to the frame
- RG 56 Le Petite: 6mm Flob. 7-shot blank-firing revolver
- RG-57: .357 or .44 Magnum 6-shot revolver
- RG-59: 9mm R. /.380 R. 5-shot blank gun[5]
- RG-61: .22 LR. Single Shot Revolver Style Pistol]]
- RG-63: .22,.32s&w long,or .38 calibre DA revolver resembling a Colt Single Action Army
- RG-66: .22 calibre SA revolver resembling a Colt Model 1873
- RG-66T: .22 calibre SA revolver resembling a Colt Model 1873 with adjustable Rear Sight and Fixed Ramp Front Sight
- RG-70: .315 K. blank pistol
- RG-74: 38 Special calibre DA revolver with swing-out cylinder
- RG-77 : Double action 6 shot blank revolver .22 cal
- RG-86: .22 calibre SA revolver resembling a Colt Model 1873 The Receiver or Cylinder Housing on this model is constructed of steel.
- RG Model High Noon: .22 Caliber Single Action 6-shot Revolver. Cylinders were provided in either .22 Lr. and .22 Mag. Calibers. This Revolver is very similar to the RG Model 66 series, however it has numerous safety enhancements were absent on the RG Model 66. To date 6" and 9" Barrels have been encountered.
- RG-88: 9mm P.A.K. compact semi-automatic blank pistol. Similar in appearance to a Walther PPK.
- RG 69& RG 89 & RG 99: 6-shot 9mm R. / .380 R. blank revolver [5]
- RG-90: .315 K. blank pistol.
- RG-96: 9mm P.A.K. replica blank pistol of the P8 (H&K USP) used by the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr)
- Röhm Vektor CP1: 9mm P.A.K. version of the Vektor CP1
Litigation in the US
Police Officer Thomas Delahanty was shot by John Hinckley, Jr. with a Röhm revolver during his failed assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan in 1981. Delahanty later sued Röhm with the argument that small, cheap guns have 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.[6]
In 1985, Kelley vs. RG Industries was filed over a 1982 shooting in which Kelley, a grocery clerk, was shot in the chest with an RG firearm.[7]
References
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b Rohm 38 specials mods 31 and 38s on YouTube
- ^ Rohm RG 42 .25 cal pistol review https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9L-b4o29SWg
- ^ a b ROHM RG 89 & RG 99 Blank Revolver Update Video on YouTube
- ^ 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.
- Röhm at Muzzle.de