Watch: Firing a Small Rossi 12 Gauge Pistol

Why do people laugh so much after they fire a gun that hurts them? Is it masochism? Stupidity? A cover-up for tears? Things that make you go, ‘Hmmmm.’

Anyhow, this video begins with a guy firing a ridiculously-short-barreled single-shot pistol in 12 gauge! You heard me. And then he laughs a lot and shakes his right hand, as if the pain can be removed by air-drying.

It’s a little Rossi, about which he tells an odd story.

After a bit of talk–and distracting hand-shaking–he gets back into action.

“My hand is still killing me,” he says. “I’m gonna fire another one.”

More laughter; more hand-shaking. And I believe those dark glasses may be concealing a tear or two.

This seems like a fine gun for Aguila’s itty-bitty 12 gauge Minishells, which work better than you might expect. At the 2017 SHOT Show, I busted some clay pigeons with the stumpy little shells.

At any rate, shooting heavy loads in a cheaply-made single-shot scattergun is never a great plan, especially when it’s a pistol.

Russ Chastain

Editor & Contributing Writer Russ Chastain is a lifelong hunter and shooter who has spent his life learning about hunting, shooting, guns, ammunition, gunsmithing, reloading, and bullet casting. He started toting his own gun in the woods at age nine and he's pursued deer with rifles since 1982, so his hunting knowledge has been growing for more than three and a half decades. His desire and ability to share this knowledge with others has also grown, and Russ has been professionally writing and editing original hunting & shooting content since 1998. Russ Chastain has a passion for sharing accurate, honest, interesting hunting & shooting knowledge and stories with people of all skill levels.