PROS-
Inexpensive- I have owned 2 of these little pocket-pounders and I paid $50 for each of them. They are cheap last-resort weapons and I have seen them all over from $40-85. I have also seen some on the gee-oh-enn S&S boards for $150 or more and that is just ridiculous. These are the epitome of the Saturday Night Special.
Easy to conceal- Not much more to be said here, these guns are only slightly larger than a credit card.
Reliable- Surprisingly, I have never had an issue with either of mine. They eat up .25acp ammo all day long without any malfunctions. Ive never heard of anyone else having trouble with their Ravens either.
Easy to find- I dont think I have ever been to a gun show where there werent at least one or two of these laying around somewhere. You can also find them pretty easily at most pawn shops although many actual gun stores dont want anything to do with them. (Maybe some kind of liability for selling $50 handguns?)
CONS-
Lack of power- The .25acp round is not known for its awesome stopping power. It will serve its purpose and deter an attacker but don't expect to be kicking down doors and clearing rooms with it.
Bad reputation- Ravens are notorious for being used by crack dealers, prostitutes and all other kinds of criminals who are too poor to buy a real gun. There probably isnt an evidence locker in the country that doesnt have at least one of these with a case number on it.
Questionable safety- The safety on these little guns is a 1911 style thumb safety that at least on my two examples is easy to flip when its in your pocket. I would not feel comfortable carrying a Raven chambered.
CONCLUSION-
Its worth $50. They are fun to shoot (although with that tiny barrel they are LOUD!). If you want a backup just to keep in your glovebox or center console of your car its better than nothing. Just dont keep one as your primary defensive weapon unless you are worried about getting carjacked by a chipmunk.
Inexpensive- I have owned 2 of these little pocket-pounders and I paid $50 for each of them. They are cheap last-resort weapons and I have seen them all over from $40-85. I have also seen some on the gee-oh-enn S&S boards for $150 or more and that is just ridiculous. These are the epitome of the Saturday Night Special.
Easy to conceal- Not much more to be said here, these guns are only slightly larger than a credit card.
Reliable- Surprisingly, I have never had an issue with either of mine. They eat up .25acp ammo all day long without any malfunctions. Ive never heard of anyone else having trouble with their Ravens either.
Easy to find- I dont think I have ever been to a gun show where there werent at least one or two of these laying around somewhere. You can also find them pretty easily at most pawn shops although many actual gun stores dont want anything to do with them. (Maybe some kind of liability for selling $50 handguns?)
CONS-
Lack of power- The .25acp round is not known for its awesome stopping power. It will serve its purpose and deter an attacker but don't expect to be kicking down doors and clearing rooms with it.
Bad reputation- Ravens are notorious for being used by crack dealers, prostitutes and all other kinds of criminals who are too poor to buy a real gun. There probably isnt an evidence locker in the country that doesnt have at least one of these with a case number on it.
Questionable safety- The safety on these little guns is a 1911 style thumb safety that at least on my two examples is easy to flip when its in your pocket. I would not feel comfortable carrying a Raven chambered.
CONCLUSION-
Its worth $50. They are fun to shoot (although with that tiny barrel they are LOUD!). If you want a backup just to keep in your glovebox or center console of your car its better than nothing. Just dont keep one as your primary defensive weapon unless you are worried about getting carjacked by a chipmunk.