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Trying to find info on pre-WWII Rohm RG3 blank pistol for grandmother

deepdiver

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Apr 2, 2007
Messages
5,820
Location
Southeast, Missouri, USA
I'm trying to find some info but as it is a blank/tear gas gun it isn't in any of my pistol guides and much net searching finds info on later models and reproductions but almost nothing about pre-WWII versions. Here's the story - any help will be appreciated:

My wiife's grandfather died a few years ago. Her now 92 year old grandmother has been slowly cleaning out things in the house and came across this little pistol that grandpa had given her, she thinks in the '50s, to carry in her purse. She said she always thought it was a BB-gun or something like that, but knew it wasn't a real firearm. So she carried it in her purse for some 20+ years and finally put it in a tobacco pouch in a drawer and forgot about it.

She came across it and gave it to me as I am the closest thing to a gun expert in the family (which just ain't saying much) and asked me what it was, where it might have come from and what to do with it. It was pretty mucked up, surface rust on the inside and had obviously been shot and never cleaned but the exterior and plastic feeling grips are great condition under some grime. Some messing around got it kinda dry fire functioning again and we'vve agreed that I'm going to clean it up to the best of my ability and give it to my brother-in-law, maybe even make a little desk case for it or something nice as a family momento.

Anyway, here's the info on the pistol:

I know it is pre-WWII as it reads Rohm RG3 on one side of the slide and Made in Germany on the other (internet info indicates that post WWII had a hyphen between the RG and 3 and W. Germany). The frame and slide are black. The grips look to be probably plastic and have inserts that are a brass color with a black bulls eye pattern overlayed and the letters EIG.

The "EIG" lettering seems to have some significance as I have seen other pre-WWII models with different letters and I would like to know what it means.

Lastly, if anyone has any value info that would be great. I have seen everything from $25-100 online. It really doesn't matter but I'm just curious.

I want to use this info to provide a "fact sheet" when I give it to my brother-in-law. Info on this pistol, or suggestion of a reference book (in English - high school German was a long time ago) that I could find it in, etc would be greatly appreciated.
 

skidmark

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Jan 15, 2007
Messages
10,444
Location
Valhalla
Wasn't Rohm one of the manufacturers of potmetal Saturday Nigh Specials? Granny's gun may not be pre-war.

Your Google-fu must not have even been attempted, as I got these without even trying:

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_a_rohm_rg3_pistol

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_a_ROHM_RG3_kal_6mm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eh_TMSz-VKY

But yep, it's a Saturday Night Special. Best use is as a paperweight. Next best use is to give t to somebody who wants to shoot you - they are as likely to be hurt by t as you are.

stay safe.
 

deepdiver

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Apr 2, 2007
Messages
5,820
Location
Southeast, Missouri, USA
Wasn't Rohm one of the manufacturers of potmetal Saturday Nigh Specials? Granny's gun may not be pre-war.

Your Google-fu must not have even been attempted, as I got these without even trying:
LINKS SNIP
But yep, it's a Saturday Night Special. Best use is as a paperweight. Next best use is to give t to somebody who wants to shoot you - they are as likely to be hurt by t as you are.

Thanks for looking, Skidmark.

I've seen those links and video. Apparently post-WWII they did make some actual firearms that were cheaply made if spotty responses on the interwebs are correct. However, as I said in the title and as shown in the above video, this is a blank firing pistol which is from what I can find the only type of "firearm" they made pre-WWII. I have found two references noting identifiers that indicate this is indeed pre-WWII. These fired starter pistol type noise blanks (what is in the video), flare blanks and tear gas blanks, but I don't know if all models fired all types.

While Grandma's pistol is similar to the one in the video, there are several differences besides color - grips are marked differently, "Made in Germany" is stamped differently, and his mag has spring steel down the side whereas this one has a spring-loaded ball bearing on the side. I have no idea if any of that is a model difference or year of manufacture difference. Pictures of most I have seen have the "Made in Germany" marked as in the video. Again, I have no idea yet of the relevance.
 

BLUESMAN

New member
Joined
Feb 21, 2012
Messages
1
Location
St. Louis
Same gun here

I'm trying to find some info but as it is a blank/tear gas gun it isn't in any of my pistol guides and much net searching finds info on later models and reproductions but almost nothing about pre-WWII versions. Here's the story - any help will be appreciated:

My wiife's grandfather died a few years ago. Her now 92 year old grandmother has been slowly cleaning out things in the house and came across this little pistol that grandpa had given her, she thinks in the '50s, to carry in her purse. She said she always thought it was a BB-gun or something like that, but knew it wasn't a real firearm. So she carried it in her purse for some 20+ years and finally put it in a tobacco pouch in a drawer and forgot about it.

She came across it and gave it to me as I am the closest thing to a gun expert in the family (which just ain't saying much) and asked me what it was, where it might have come from and what to do with it. It was pretty mucked up, surface rust on the inside and had obviously been shot and never cleaned but the exterior and plastic feeling grips are great condition under some grime. Some messing around got it kinda dry fire functioning again and we'vve agreed that I'm going to clean it up to the best of my ability and give it to my brother-in-law, maybe even make a little desk case for it or something nice as a family momento.

Anyway, here's the info on the pistol:

I know it is pre-WWII as it reads Rohm RG3 on one side of the slide and Made in Germany on the other (internet info indicates that post WWII had a hyphen between the RG and 3 and W. Germany). The frame and slide are black. The grips look to be probably plastic and have inserts that are a brass color with a black bulls eye pattern overlayed and the letters EIG.

The "EIG" lettering seems to have some significance as I have seen other pre-WWII models with different letters and I would like to know what it means.

Lastly, if anyone has any value info that would be great. I have seen everything from $25-100 online. It really doesn't matter but I'm just curious.

I want to use this info to provide a "fact sheet" when I give it to my brother-in-law. Info on this pistol, or suggestion of a reference book (in English - high school German was a long time ago) that I could find it in, etc would be greatly appreciated.



have you found anything out on your gut Deepdiver. My dad recently passed and he has the exact same gun you're describing. - White grips, gold target on grip with EIG, etc.

Just curious.

thanks
 

Gil223

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2012
Messages
1,392
Location
Weber County Utah
I have seen everything from $25-100 online. It really doesn't matter but I'm just curious.

$100 is about twice the value of a Rohm six-shot paperweight. Given Germany's reputation for superior engineering and machining, Rohm was a surpsingly poor import from Germany. As I recall, it was THE gun for which the term "Saturday Night Special" was coined, and it is reputed to have injured as many people holding it as it did those in front of it. It should work well as a "sinker" on your fishing line. Pax...
 

deepdiver

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Apr 2, 2007
Messages
5,820
Location
Southeast, Missouri, USA
have you found anything out on your gut Deepdiver. My dad recently passed and he has the exact same gun you're describing. - White grips, gold target on grip with EIG, etc.

Just curious.

thanks

No, I really haven't found any more info. I asked at a few other boards and got responses similar to what Gil223 and a few others posted, however, that confuses the way post-WWII primarily low-quaity (as I understsand) actual firearms (although they apparently made a few. 22s that weren't bad) they produced with the lesser quality just post-WWII "starter" pistols and the better quality pre-WWII starter/gas/flare pistols.

It is really just a curiousity regardless as it has no particular practical value unless you volunteer as a starter for your local high school track team or something - assuming they even allow real starter pistols anymore at such track meets. I would guess our public school hoplophobic attitudes have reduced such functions to someone just yelling "GO".

I'm just going to finish cleaning up this one and give it to my brother-in-law. Maybe even make a little stand for it or something for his desk.
 

nrev1952

Newbie
Joined
Jul 6, 2017
Messages
1
Location
Missouri
ROHM RG3

$100 is about twice the value of a Rohm six-shot paperweight. Given Germany's reputation for superior engineering and machining, Rohm was a surpsingly poor import from Germany. As I recall, it was THE gun for which the term "Saturday Night Special" was coined, and it is reputed to have injured as many people holding it as it did those in front of it. It should work well as a "sinker" on your fishing line. Pax...

Some of you aren't paying attention. It's a pre-war starter pistol that shoots blanks. (No projectile) I know as I also have one just like this.
 

Grapeshot

Legendary Warrior
Joined
May 21, 2006
Messages
35,317
Location
Valhalla
Some of you aren't paying attention. It's a pre-war starter pistol that shoots blanks. (No projectile) I know as I also have one just like this.
Responding to a 5+ year necro thread where even some of the posters have passed on is not really very productive. Jus' sayin'.
 

Grapeshot

Legendary Warrior
Joined
May 21, 2006
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