Belly gun
Encyclopedia
A belly gun is a short-barreled revolver
, for concealed carry. It may have additional, distinctive features: shortened grip frame, absent front sight, de-spurred ("bobbed") hammer, absent front half of the trigger guard, and large (.44 or .45 inch) caliber.
The origin of the term is obscure, but the belly gun's modern formulation dates from the first half of the Twentieth Century, and can be attributed to a small group of men, most with military backgrounds: Colonel Rex Applegate
, Major Eric A. Sykes
, Lieutenant-Colonel William E. Fairbairn
, pistolsmith John H. Fitzgerald, and perhaps most prominently Colonel Charles Askins
. In 1939, Askins wrote, "The grandest defense gun I have ever had was a Colt .45 New Service with the barrel cut down to two inches. The hammer had been dehorned ... the trigger guard was cut entirely away in the front ... the grip was shortened ... it was a whiz for the purpose intended."
The term "belly gun" may have arisen from the practice of carrying of the weapon tucked into the waistband, close to the belly. However, others think the term instead comes from the envisioned mode of employ for these guns: firing from extremely close-range into the belly of an opponent.
Belly guns, as described above, would be most suited to use at close range, as a defensive weapon of last resort. The "Fitz Special," a revolver modified as described above, was the innovation of John H. Fitzgerald.
Revolver
A revolver is a repeating firearm that has a cylinder containing multiple chambers and at least one barrel for firing. The first revolver ever made was built by Elisha Collier in 1818. The percussion cap revolver was invented by Samuel Colt in 1836. This weapon became known as the Colt Paterson...
, for concealed carry. It may have additional, distinctive features: shortened grip frame, absent front sight, de-spurred ("bobbed") hammer, absent front half of the trigger guard, and large (.44 or .45 inch) caliber.
The origin of the term is obscure, but the belly gun's modern formulation dates from the first half of the Twentieth Century, and can be attributed to a small group of men, most with military backgrounds: Colonel Rex Applegate
Rex Applegate
Rex Applegate was an American military officer who worked for the Office of Strategic Services, where he trained Allied special forces personnel in close-quarters combat during World War II. He held the rank of colonel....
, Major Eric A. Sykes
Eric A. Sykes
Eric Anthony Sykes , born Eric Anthony Schwabe in Barton on Irwell, Manchester, England. He is most famous for his work with William E. Fairbairn in the development of the eponymous Fairbairn-Sykes Fighting Knife and modern British Close Quarters Battle martial arts during World War II...
, Lieutenant-Colonel William E. Fairbairn
William E. Fairbairn
William Ewart Fairbairn was a British soldier, police officer and exponent of hand-to-hand combat method, the close combat, for the Shanghai Police between the world wars, and allied special forces in World War II. He developed his own fighting system known as Defendu, as well as other weapons...
, pistolsmith John H. Fitzgerald, and perhaps most prominently Colonel Charles Askins
Charles Askins
Charles Askins, Jr. , also known as Col. Charles "Boots" Askins, was an American lawman, US Army officer, and writer. He served in law enforcement in the American Southwest prior to the Second World War...
. In 1939, Askins wrote, "The grandest defense gun I have ever had was a Colt .45 New Service with the barrel cut down to two inches. The hammer had been dehorned ... the trigger guard was cut entirely away in the front ... the grip was shortened ... it was a whiz for the purpose intended."
The term "belly gun" may have arisen from the practice of carrying of the weapon tucked into the waistband, close to the belly. However, others think the term instead comes from the envisioned mode of employ for these guns: firing from extremely close-range into the belly of an opponent.
Belly guns, as described above, would be most suited to use at close range, as a defensive weapon of last resort. The "Fitz Special," a revolver modified as described above, was the innovation of John H. Fitzgerald.