MBA Gyro-Jet

Guns Magazine, Nov, 2006 by Jeff John

Q: I am trying to get info on something I saw many years ago end my friends think I'm crazy. I told them I saw a pistol called the "Robert Goddard" The bullets were for all practical purposes small rockets that started a powder burn upon firing, and constantly accelerated until it reached the target, giving smaller ammo the hitting power of a much larger caliber. I have been all over the 'net trying to research this myself, with no results. So I decided to ask the experts.

Robert Seaton

via e-mail

A: You're not crazy. You're thinking of the MBA Gyro-Jet pistol made for a brief span from 1966 to 1969. It was a stamped sheet metal gun resembling a cheap cap pistol more than a deadly firearm. Early versions fired a 13mm projectile, later reduced to 12mm in order to comply with 1968 Gun Control Act. The self-contained projectile, like a mini rocket ship, had either two or four nozzles to vent the gas and provide recoilless propulsion.

The hammer struck the face of the cartridge driving it against a fixed firing pin in the frame. I believe the hammer nose held the cartridge long enough to allow sufficient gas pressure to build. The round recocked the hammer as it passed over it. In reality, it still took several yards for the little projectile to build up enough speed to be lethal and became more lethal as it attained its peak ballistics. The round was supposed to reach 1,250 fps in .12 seconds.

The Gyro-Jets are becoming increasingly collectible. The cased 13mm version can sell for $1,750 in 98-percent condition, according to The 27th Edition of the Blue Book of Gun Values. An 18"-barreled carbine version was made as well.