The MIL, Inc. Thunder 5 is a double-action revolver chambered to fire both the .410-bore shotshell cartridge and the .45 Colt revolver cartridge.

Description

The Thunder 5 is a large revolver, nine inches in overall length weighing 48 ounces, despite having only a two inch snubnose barrel. The Thunder 5 is chambered for 3-inch-long (76 mm)

.410 The .410 bore is one of the smallest caliber of shotgun shell commonly available (along with the 9mm Flobert rimfire cartridge, and the less common .22 rimfire shot shell). A .410 bore shotgun loaded with shot shells is well suited for small ...

shotgun shells and

.45 Colt The .45 Colt (11.43×33mmR), is a rimmed, straight-walled, handgun cartridge dating to 1872. It was originally a black-powder revolver round developed for the Colt Single Action Army revolver. This cartridge was adopted by the U.S. Army in 1 ...

cartridges. As the barrel is rifled, the Thunder 5 is not considered a

short-barrelled shotgun A sawed-off shotgun (also called a sawn-off shotgun, short-barreled shotgun, shorty or a boom stick) is a type of shotgun with a shorter gun barrel—typically under —and often a shortened or absent stock. Despite the colloquial term, ...

under United States

federal law Federal law is the body of law created by the federal government of a country. A federal government is formed when a group of political units, such as states or provinces join in a federation, delegating their individual sovereignty and many po ...

, but is restricted under California statutes. In 1994 a variant was produced in .45/70 Government that is legal in California. It was fitted with Pachmayr decelerator grips and was available in either matte or bright stainless steel finish with fixed sights. Unusual for a double-action revolver, the Thunder 5 features a manual safety lever. Sub-caliber sleeve inserts in 9mm Parabellum,

.38 Special The .38 Special, also commonly known as .38 S&W Special (not to be confused with .38 S&W), .38 Smith & Wesson Special, .38 Spl, .38 Spc, (pronounced "thirty-eight special"), or 9x29mmR is a rimmed, centerfire cartridge designed by Smith & ...

.357 Magnum The .357 Smith & Wesson Magnum, .357 S&W Magnum, .357 Magnum, or 9×33mmR as it is known in unofficial metric designation, is a smokeless powder cartridge with a bullet diameter. It was created by Elmer Keith, Phillip B. Sharpe, and Douglas B. ...

and

.38 Super The .38 Super, also known as .38 Super +P, .38 Super Auto, .38 Super Automatic, .38 Super Automatic +P, or 9×23mmSR, is a pistol cartridge that fires a bullet. It was introduced in the late 1920s as a higher pressure loading of the .38 ACP, a ...

were produced and available until 1998. It did appear in a few contemporary movies such as ''RoboCop 3'' (1993), ''Black Dog'' (1998), and ''Three Kings'' (1999); but otherwise generated little interest and was discontinued in 1999. After it was discontinued, the Thunder 5 became a collector's item.{{cite book, last = Fjestad, first = S.P., title = Blue Book of Gun Values 2009, publisher = Blue Book Publications, year = 2009, isbn =1-886768-87-0 , page =1536 In recent years the concept of the .410/.45 hybrid revolver has been revived by

Taurus Taurus is Latin for 'bull' and may refer to: * Taurus (astrology), the astrological sign * Taurus (constellation), one of the constellations of the zodiac * Taurus (mythology), one of two Greek mythological characters named Taurus * '' Bos tauru ...

and

Smith & Wesson Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. (S&W) is an American firearm manufacturer headquartered in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States. Smith & Wesson was founded by Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson as the "Smith & Wesson Revolver Company" in 1856 ...

References

External links

Thunder 5 Manual
Revolvers of the United States .45 Colt firearms

Description

See also

References

External links