Robert J. Braverman
The inventor and his company.
Meet the inventorHistory
The Stinger, 1990 to today
A dated record of the design, its patents and the three companies that made it until 2004, followed by the re-engineered Stinger today, with the source for every entry.
Part one: production
The original Stinger, 1990–2004
The design
Robert J. Braverman designs a single-shot pistol shaped like a pen.
First patent application
The application for US 5,062,230, “Pen gun”, a straight design, is filed.
The folding design
The application for US 5,062,231, “Duel profile pen gun”, is filed: carried as a pen, fired only when folded.
Two patents issued
Both patents are issued to Robert J. Braverman of Marblehead and Isaak M. Shklyarov of Boston, and assigned to R. J. Braverman Corp. of Winthrop, Massachusetts.
Federal classification
Federal regulators treat the design as an ordinary handgun rather than an “Any Other Weapon”, because it cannot fire in its pen form. ABC News later dated the classification to June 1990; other accounts place it in 1991.
American Derringer’s Model 2
American Derringer Corp. of Waco, Texas, markets the design as the Model 2 “Pen” Pistol.
The Stinger
R. J. Braverman Corp. sells the design as the Stinger from Meredith, New Hampshire. Remcon North Corp. makes the guns, which are marked with the Meredith address.
In Soldier of Fortune
Soldier of Fortune puts the Stinger on its cover (“Pocket Stinger: The Pen Gun Is Back!”) and reviews the Stinger Pen Pistol from R. J. Braverman Corp. The 1995 feature
The first run ends
Production of the first Stinger ends. Wikipedia gives 1996; The Firearm Blog’s reviewer dates it to 1997.
The 2002 revival
Stinger Manufacturing Corp. of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, revives the design as the .22 “Pengun”, initially with the help of Bob Braverman. ABC News describes Marc Lefebvre as a major investor in the company.
An improved design
Robert Braverman applies for a patent on an improved “dual profile pen gun” (application 10/292,108). The 2004 published application
National attention
ABC News reports on the Pengun, and the Violence Policy Center asks regulators to reclassify it. An ATF spokesman tells ABC News that the folding design is classified as an ordinary handgun because it has to be reconfigured to fire.
Production stops
Stinger Manufacturing stops production. The Firearm Blog, reporting the founder’s view, attributes the closure to politics rather than sales.
The application is published
The 2002 application is published as US 2004/0088897 A1. It is later abandoned; no patent is issued on it. Its front page and drawing sheets
In print
Three eras, three makers
Part two: after production
Rediscovered
Rediscovered
Forgotten Weapons films a Braverman Stinger at Rock Island Auction Company (2015); The Firearm Blog tests and reviews it (2017, 2020). The coverage
Part three: today
The re-engineered Stinger
The Stinger is returning.
A working prototype
R. J. Braverman LLC has re-engineered the Stinger for a new generation and built a working prototype, which the company describes as ready for manufacture.
Development photographs
Recent photographs show Robert J. Braverman with the re-engineered Stinger and its development components. See the development photographs
Patent pending
A new United States patent application has been filed for the re-engineered design, which is patent pending. It is separate from the 1991 patents and the 2004 publication. The new application
An industry partner
The company intends to bring the re-engineered Stinger to market with an established industry partner. It is not in production or on sale, and no release date has been set. R. J. Braverman LLC welcomes inquiries from established industry partners interested in the future development and commercialization of the Stinger. Industry partnership inquiries
This chapter is R. J. Braverman LLC’s own account. No release date has been set.
Continue
More of the story
Patents and innovation
The 1991 patents, the 2004 published application and the new application, which is patent pending.
See the patentsPress and media
Articles, films and reports about the Stinger.
Read the coverage