Pen guns are stereotypically an NFA item. They are considered AOW (Any Other Weapon) because of their concealed nature. Pete has an integrally suppressed AOW pen gun. However there is another option, the Braverman Stinger is a non-NFA pen pistol.

Almost three years ago Patrick R. made a video about a Braverman Stinger pen pistol. Thanks to his video I went on the hunt for a Braverman Stinger. It was actually a commenter that helped me source my first Stinger pen pistol.

There is a website www.pengun.com that was created by a fan of the Stinger pen pistol and he documents all the variants and versions of the pen pistol. Here is the history of the “pen pistol” that he documented on his website.

A company named R. J. Braverman created by Bob Braverman designed the gun around 1990.

They were originally marketed by American Derringer Co. as a Model 2 “Pen” Pistol from 1993 to 1994.

American Derringer Corp.
127 N. Lacy Drive
Waco, TX  76705
(817)799-9111

They were later marketed by  R. J. Braverman as the Stinger starting in 1995.   I believe they went out of business in 1997.

 R. J. Braverman Corp.
88 Parade Road
Meredith, NH  03253
1-800-PEN-GUNS

 They were actually made by Remcon North Corp. who is still around:

Remcon/North Corp.
7 Enterprise Court
P.O. Box 957
Meredith, NH 03253(603)279-7091
1-800-818-6779 (orders only)
FAX:  (603)279-3175
http://www.remcon-north.com

Then in 2002 a new company called Stinger Manufacturing Corp. revived the gun and went back into production (initially with the help of Bob Braverman):

        STINGER MFG. CORP.
        562E SPRUCE ST
        PO BOX 37
        SAULT SAINTE MARIE MI 49783-0037
        (800) 456-9880
       StingerPengun.com

Here is a story about their new plant. 

Then around 2/2004 Stinger Mfg. Co. seems to have gone out of business — at least the website is dead and the phones are disconnected.  They were cited by the FCC for Fax Spam — don’t know if this had anything to do with it.  Still checking my sources.

Model 2 vs Stinger Pen Pistol

The pen pistol that I ended up buying from the commenter in Patrick R’s post was actually in the same state as I was at the time. He had one of the original Model 2 Pen Pistols from American Derringer Corp.

My second pen pistol is a newer version by R.J. Braverman and it is marked Meredith, NH.

The FIRE/SAFE markings are different.

The breech plate has grooves in it. When you rotate the safety collar the breech plate shifts upward to lock the barrel in place. By shifting upwards the grooved ring (two semi circles since the circle is interrupted) are shifted out of alignment so the barrel cannot be unscrewed. This eliminates any out of battery issues. The only way the barrel is locked in place is when it is fully seated against the action.

The breech plate also acts as a firing pin block. When set to SAFE, you can still pull the trigger to release the striker but the firing pin can only move so far forward with the breech plate blocking its path.

Below is a screencap from Patrick R’s video. You can see the .22LR breech plate and how it is different from the centerfire .25 ACP breech plate.

The safety is a collar design. You rotate it to the right to select FIRE.

You will notice the collar has an angled cut to it. This mates up with the handle of the pen pistol. So when you close the handgun, the handle pushes the safety collar and automatically rotates it back to SAFE.

Here is a video I made explaining the operation of the pen pistol.

Pen Pistol Modification

The first modification I had performed to my Model 2 was to thread the barrel so I could suppress it. My friend Keith threaded the barrel for me. He later helped me thread my Lifecard.

 

The second modification was to make the pen pistol into a pen. This was a simple DIY hack to a Bic Pen.

Just cut the ink tube and whittle the blue part to fit into the barrel. I leave a fired case in the barrel just in case any ink leaks out the back of the ink tube.

The final modification was to make a pen cap for my pen pistol. I opted for something that resembles a Doctor Who Sonic Screwdriver. Again Keith helped me with this project. We used a blue marble for the top of the pen cap.

Here is the Sonic Pen Pistol displayed on my friend’s Doctor Who replica display.

Final thoughts On The Pen Pistol

The Braverman designed pen pistol is a neat concept. It is not practical and more of a range toy. Sure some people let their imaginations run wild that it could be a clandestine type weapon but it is not as fast as a true NFA AOW pen gun and even those are dubious to their efficacy at delivering a lethal shot. Yes I know the common “Well I wouldn’t want to be shot with one” and a firearm is not a toy but this is pretty much a range toy like the Lifecard. Don’t get me wrong, I love the pen pistol. That is why I have two. And I am still on the look out for a .22LR version but they are getting harder to find because of their novelty. Add to that the insane price people are asking for them. My friend’s gun store was asking $2,000 for a .22LR version. I told him I could settle for spending $1,000 but that is still a lot for a single shot .22LR. It ended up being sold for $1,200 and not to me. Oh well, it is fine. I still have my twin .25 ACP pen pistols. Threading them and suppressing them is the best and I highly recommend threading yours if you have one and can have suppressors.