Standard Manufacturing S333 Thunderstruck, Initial Thoughts

Every once in a while, a gun comes along that makes you scratch your head and wonder, “what the heck is going on here?”

Such is the case with the Standard Manufacturing S333 Thunderstruck. This curious little revolver fires two rounds of .22 WMR for every trigger pull. This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise given the company’s history of double-barreled firearms, namely the DP-12.

Here are my initial thoughts on how the gun felt and functioned.

The Trigger is Meant to Carry

Two barrels and two shots aren’t the only odd thing about this little revolver. At first glance, it appears that the gun is missing a key element. Unlike nearly every other gun manufactured, the Thunderstruck doesn’t have a trigger guard that wraps around the trigger. The reason behind this is the gun’s double-action-only trigger is so heavy and long that it makes it very hard to pull without any sort of intent.

Now I don’t have a trigger gauge yet, but I can tell you this is, by far, the heaviest and longest trigger I’ve ever fired. Think Smith & Wesson Bodyguard .380, but double. Yet another curiosity you’ll notice about the gun is the trigger looks as if it’s meant for two fingers, which indeed it is. While the trigger safety extends to only the first finger, you’ll find it very difficult to fire without the two-finger pull.

I was able to dry-fire the gun with a single finger, but you would be hard-pressed to hit your target should you try it with live ammo. Due to the two-fingered grip, you almost need a teacup grip to fire the gun– don’t expect the typical grip from your grandpap’s revolver to work here.

This adds up to a trigger that when pulled is done with lots of force, which is what fans of DAO revolvers are looking for anyway.

Living Up to Its Name

Two rounds of .22 WMR simultaneously going bang produces a bit of oomph. Revolvers are generally known for their stout recoil, and the Thunderstruck doesn’t disappoint. The rubber grips do their best to take away some of the damage, but it’s still going to pack a punch. The two shots at once also give quite a bit of muzzle rise to the gun when fired, which can make follow up shots harder to get on target.

A Need to Be Clean

While I’ve only put under 50 rounds through this gun, I’ve noticed that it becomes difficult for the ejection rod to function after 30 to 40 rounds. This is probably due to the very short 1.25-inch barrel mixed with the powerful yet dirty .22 WMR. While the more muscular rimfire out of a revolver surely yields better self-defense results that its smaller .22LR cousin, it also creates a dirty gun that needs more frequent cleaning.

If you’re going to run up the round count training with the Thunderstruck, it’s wise to bring a cleaning kit, or the very least a bore snake, with you to the range.

Conclusion

The Thunderstruck has been an interesting little gun to shoot so far. One thing is for certain — it puts some jagged holes on paper, dwarfing 9mm. I’m going to keep putting more rounds downrange, so stay tuned for a further review in the coming weeks.

SHOP THUNDERSTRUCK!

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