Freedom Arms’ belt buckle gun
By MARJ LAW
I see my old friend “Hobart” in a local store.
“Hi!” he says. “I like to read your articles.”
Of course, that’s nice to hear.
“You might want to write about belt buckles which hold .22 revolvers.”
“Really? Someone makes belt buckles with revolvers in them?”
“Yes, really. Originally, a kind of buckle gun was made by the Nazis in World War II. The gun was built into the buckle. It could be made with 1-4 barrels: kind of like a derringer.
“Later, Freedom Arms made a belt buckle .22 5-shot revolver, and they were single action only. These mini revolvers were called the “Patriot” model.
“North American Arms took over this belt buckle design and still makes them today.
“My dad did many things: one of which was owning his own gun shop, so I’ve shot many guns in the past.”
“You, Hobart?” He’s one of the last people I’d think would ever own or shoot a gun. He grins and nods.
Well, a revolver in a belt buckle? I have to look this up. And ask Joe, of course. You never know what he has read.
First, I look up this buckle on Wikipedia.
“Freedom Arms’ mini revolvers were the first to use the “belt buckle” holster. If this rings a bell, it is because after Freedom Arms ceased production of their mini revolver, North American Arms bought the design and continues to produce such firearms.”
Of these were:
The “Patriot” 5-shot revolver which was Chambered in .22LR. It could have a 1 inch, 1.75 inch or 3 inch barrel, but the belt buckle came with only the 1 inch barrel.
Another version was the “Ironsides” 4-shot revolver. It came in a .22WMR (magnum), also with 1 inch, 1.75 inch, or 3 inch barrel. Again, the belt buckle version was only in the 1 inch barrel.
I ask Joe: “OK, this is pretty cool. And I see the photo of the buckle. The gun looks real! But is there some sort of swing mechanism that holds the gun behind the metal impression of the gun?”
“No,” says Joe. “What you are seeing Is the actual gun. The buckle acts as a holster. Initially made by Freedom Arms in Freedom, Wyoming, the design was licensed to North American Arms in 1990.
“Since these revolvers are single action only, you have to cock the hammer each time you shoot. And, I think you’d have some recoil, even though it’s a .22LR. The gun is very light, so there is hardly any mass to absorb recoil, and the grip is so tiny that the revolver will be difficult to manage.”
Jeremy S, on The Truth About Guns, has fired one of these tiny .22s.
“They may only be .22s, but due to the tiny size and light weight they’re pretty lively. Mine kicks and snaps a little and often rotates slightly in my grip. There’s noise, blast, and usually some fireball from the muzzle.”
He continues: “While the gun (based on other tests I’ve seen) is actually mechanically accurate to a higher degree than you’d likely expect, in practice it’s really hard to line it up consistently for each shot. Obviously the lack of a rear sight is a contributing factor, but so are the extremely short sight radius and the teeny grip.”
Like Hobart had told me, these little revolvers are not distance guns: they are more for when someone was right next to you.
The Truth About Guns (TTAG) Dan Zimmerman agrees and adds: “If you want to quick-draw and point-shoot this little revolver, you’re going to need to be really close to the target which, considering the nature of this revolver, is probably one of the best ways to employ it. This is primarily an emergency/backup/’get off me’ gun.”
How does Dan sum it up?
“I like it a lot. I do keep in mind what it is, what it’s made for, and I don’t try to make it out to be something better than it really is. I think it’s a marvel of craftsmanship, I think it’s a tremendous collector’s item, I think it’s a great conversation starter, and I think it’s the ultimate extreme-deep-concealment backup gun. I wouldn’t advise it as a primary defensive weapon, but even if you did have to employ it in that capacity, it’s nice to know that (with the right ammo) it may actually be able to deliver the lead necessary.
“I’d like to give it five stars, but the ergonomics knocked one off. Within the context of what this is designed to be (a tiny, ultra-concealable gun), I think it hits a home run.”
“The belt holster gun sounds really cool,” I tell Hobart, “but what about the ability to wear this revolver in Florida? Not being able to show it off sort of misses the point, doesn’t it?”
“Sure,” Hobart agrees. “You can carry it without a concealed carry permit, but it does have to be concealed.”
True. In Florida, you can use the gun and belt as a backup weapon if need be, and you can hold up your pants, but you have to hide the buckle and gun behind a sweatshirt or other piece of clothing so the gun doesn’t imprint.
I’d like to see and shoot one of these tiny revolvers despite recoil and noise. I’d like to see one in the belt buckle holster too. In fact, you can find the belt buckle holsters on eBay! I saw one Freedom Arms holster (without revolver) in solid brass for $325, and one from North American Arms for $99.
I saw the whole assembly on Guns.com for $341.99.
“The North American Arms Mini Revolver offers good performance in a reliable, durable, and small revolver design. It comes chambered in .22LR with a 1.125-inch barrel. Features include wood grips, a belt buckle and a 5-round capacity.”
So really. What good is the holster without the revolver?
Marj Law is the former director of Keep Wakulla County Beautiful who has become an avid shooter in retirement.