Every year at SHOT Show there are the hype guns, the long awaited guns, and the just plain cool guns. But sometimes we’re also treated to guns which are a little unusual, unconventional or outright odd. Well The single shot pistol from Altor Corp is certainly unusual and unconventional. Chambered in either .380 or 9x19mm it looks unlike quite anything else out on the Show floor.

The Altor Corp single shot pistol (Matthew Moss/TFB)

Comprising of just 6 parts it is quite possibly the simplest gun at SHOT 2020. It sidesteps convention by having now trigger or trigger guard, rudimentary sights and a profile which is almost sci-fi in shape. Comprising of a molded polymer grip and receiver, a stainless steel 2in barrel (which has micro groove rifling) and a simple firing mechanism – which is not unlike those seen in some modern snap release crossbows. With inevitable comparisons to clandestine weapons like the famous WWII Liberator pistols and the later CIA Dear guns it would be interesting to see if Altor Corp’s pistol could be suppressed.

The Altor Corp single shot pistol with barrel removed (Matthew Moss/TFB)

It can reputedly be loaded and fired in 10 seconds with the barrel twisted clockwise and removed, a round is then slide into the guides in the breech face (built into the polymer grip assembly), the barrel is then locked back into position and the gun is ready to fire. To fire the user simply pulls the trigger back, with a force of 4lbs this isn’t difficult, and then release it – the trigger, which is attached to a firing pin assembly and a spring then slams forward and fired the round in the chamber. The gun has a cross-bolt, trigger blocking traditional safety and also a notched position for the barrel to be placed in – although to me this feels redundant and unsafe to rely on.

The breech face of the Altor Corp single shot pistol (Matthew Moss/TFB)

Altor Corp were keen to emphasis the guns non-threatening appearance (and they’re right it doesn’t look like a pistol, it looks like a ray gun from a 1950s pulp novel cover). They suggest it would suite self-defence use (especially against animals) and as a gun for around the farm (a euthanasia application was mentioned). Altor Corp claim the gun to be easy and comfortable to shoot with surprising accuracy, the gun does have a set of fixed sights on the polymer receiver assembly.

The pistols are available now with MSRP for the .380 model at $119, and the 9x19mm coming in at $129. Hrachya wrote about the pistol late last year, you can check out his article here.