Plan B

The Model 95 is a Paternian revolver manufactured by Carlton Firearms Company since 1963. It is one of several approved backup or secondary sidearms for the Paternian National Gendarmerie. Designed as a lighter, slimmer, and more concealable handgun, it uses the same computer-machined solid frame and trigger pack design characteristic of Carlton revolvers.

Carlton offered the Model 95 with the same options in sights, materials, finish, grips, and calibers available to the Model 82, but up to a 4” long barrel, a rounded butt, and less ammunition capacity in any of the available calibers. However, it was substantially shorter, slimmer, and lighter on account of the smaller grip, shorter frame and narrower cylinder. While it was always considered a backup option when a larger sidearm is undesirable or unusable, its popularity with private citizens and police forces endured when those of larger revolvers faded.

Unlike the medium and large frame revolvers which lost considerable market share to semi-automatics, the Model 95 was still competitive as a pocket pistol. Here, semi-automatics are smaller, lighter, and slimmer, but may be unreliable under imperfect conditions, and most situations where concealed pistols were needed could be resolved within 5 shots. It was so popular that a successor, the M95X, was developed. This weighed less than 13 ounces due to the alloy-reinforced polymer frame and titanium cylinder, and came with a laser sight.

The Model 95 is far from anyone’s ideal plan for one’s personal security and protection. But when things don’t go to plan and you are in a jam, you need something that won’t.

This particular pistol is a Gendarmerie revolver in .38 Special with a 2” barrel, nickel finish, and wood substitute boot grips.