S333 Thunderstruck Double Barreled 22 Magnum Revolver – Review

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Post by NHGF [Feed] » Fri Aug 14, 2020 9:55 pm

ImageS333 ThunderstruckU.S.A.-(AmmoLand.com)- The S333 Thunderstruck by Standard Manufacturing is an 8-shot revolver chambered in 22 Magnum with two barrels that fires two rounds with each pull of the trigger. The design seemed unconventional at first, but intriguing. We reached out to the company for a sample to review. When it comes to firearms, I have always loved the unique ones. In particular, I love multiple barreled guns whether it is a Drillings, Derringer, or even a side by side shotgun. One of my grail pieces that I will probably never find is a triple-barreled revolver made in the early 19th century that fired three volleys of three black powder loads with each pull of the trigger. ImageFlayderman's Guide, check out the bottom revolver.It made the cover of a Flayderman's Guide to Antique American Firearms published about 25 years ago. Sadly, only a dozen or so of those revolvers were ever made. Yet there is hope if you are into that sort of thing and it is as viable a self-defense piece now as it was about 200 years ago. Who is Standard Manufacturing? Originally, I might have confused them with High Standard, but I would have been completely wrong. Standard Manufacturing is a subsidiary of Connecticut Shotgun and if you don't wade in the pool of $15-$100 k shotguns, more than likely you haven't heard of them. Standard Manufacturing came about in 2012 and they make beautiful renditions of the Colt Single Action Army, 1911 and Woodsman type pistols. They are also known for the DP-12 double barrel pump shotgun and like everyone else who makes firearms these days: A line of ARs. The S333 Thunderstruck is one of their latest designs and we think it is a winner of a self-defense handgun. It looks like a typical modern double-action revolver from 10 feet away. Then you notice there is not much of a trigger guard and that it has two barrels. The trigger is particularly long and resembles a Glock or Iver Johnson type trigger with an inset safety and an extension below the shoe. This extension is for your middle finger in order to acquire enough leverage to fire the gun. The grip is rubber and as you could imagine the trigger is double action only. It's chambered in 22 Magnum and as we mentioned earlier, it has two barrels and fires two rounds simultaneously. The eight-round cylinder gives you four volleys of two shots each. How is that legal? We were curious about that ourselves actually and it goes back to that triple-barreled revolver we mentioned. The concept is known as a Volley Gun. These differ from machine guns in that they lack automatic loading and automatic fire and are limited by the number of barrels. The S333 Thunderstruck fires two rounds at a time and four pulls of the trigger put eight shots on target in three seconds or under. ImageS333 ThunderstruckThat was how this revolver got its name. It is based on the old anecdote that most gunfights are 3 shots in 3 seconds at 3 feet. How does it shoot? Touching off 2 rounds of 22 Magnum at once is not that big of a deal and no “22 Mag + 22 Mag does not equal a 44 Mag”. Truth be told, the mass of the 2 bullets and their velocity is more like a single round of 380 ACP or 9mm. You are creating two wound channels with every shot and the sound alone is intimidating enough. ImageAmmo .22 Winchester Magnum Hornady Critical Defense, 45 Grain FTX Bullet 50 Round BoxThe short barrels make this only effective at close range. If your assailant is more than 30 feet away, this is not what you want in your hand. Yet, if an assailant is that far away without a firearm, in today’s litigious society, will you be able to make that life-threatening argument in a court of law? Make no mistake, this is not a match grade target or hunting revolver. If you load it up with 22 Mag snake shot it might be a good snake or rat gun for walks in the country, but the S333 was designed with personal defense in mind. ImageS333 ThunderstruckWe fired a number of different loads through it including Hornady Critical Defense, CCI Shot loads, and CCI Maxi Mags. It’s probably not what you want if you’re a SWAT Officer in need of an entry gun or a backup gun fir hunting. However, if you or someone you know has a disability where you can’t manipulate the slide of a semiautomatic pistol or handle the recoil of anything harsher than a 380 ACP this might be what you’re looking for. We found recoil to be inconsequential. The trigger on the other hand takes a lot of getting used to. Double action is heavy, and it requires two fingers to move it properly. The length of the trigger iis such that it will not give you a proper two-hand hold on the pistol, so think of this as a revolver intended to be fired with one hand only. As we said, it is not for everyone. The bottom line on the Thunderstruck S333 is that we recommend it wholeheartedly for people with a physical condition that prevents them from being able to use a more traditional handgun for self-defense. If you are into guns that are a little outside the mainstream, you’ll like it a lot, too. Because it is just damn fun to shoot! Specifications:
  • Caliber: 22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire
  • Capacity: 8 Rounds
  • Barrel Length: 1 ¼”
  • Action type: Double-action revolver
  • Cylinder Material: 4140 Steel
  • Frame Material: 7075 Aircraft Grade Aluminum with Anodized Finish
  • Barrel Material: 4140 Steel
  • Grip: Polymer
  • Weight: 18 oz
  • Url: https://stdgun.com/s333-thunderstruck/
  • MSRP: $429
About Mike SearsonImage Mike Searson's career as a shooter began as a Marine Rifleman at age 17. He has worked in the firearms industry his entire adult life as a Gunsmith, Ballistician, Consultant, Salesman, Author, and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1989. Mike has written over 2000 articles for several magazines, websites, and newsletters, including Blade, RECOIL, OFF-GRID, Tactical Officer, SWAT, Tactical World, Gun Digest, Examiner.com and the US Concealed Carry Association as well as AmmoLand Shooting Sports News.