a revolver frame having a front muzzle end and a rear frame end;

a grip extending downward from the rear frame end of the frame and adapted to be held in a hand of a shooter;

a barrel projecting forwardly from the front muzzle end and having a bore centered on a barrel axis extending rearward through the grip;

a trigger projecting downward from the frame forward of the grip and engageable by a finger of the hand of the shooter holding the grip;

a cartridge cylinder received in said frame rearward of the barrel, having a plurality of chambers each adapted to hold a respective cartridge, and pivotal about a cylinder axis generally parallel to the barrel axis, the barrel axis lying between the cylinder axis and the grip, whereby in any of a plurality of positions of the cylinder one of the chambers of the cylinder lies below the cylinder axis;

a hammer pivotal on the frame about a hammer axis below the barrel axis and having an upper end engageable with the cartridge in the one chamber aligned with the barrel axis; and

a firing mechanism on said frame connected between the trigger and the hammer for striking the hammer against the cartridge in the one chamber aligned with the barrel axis and thereby firing the cartridge therein, said firing mechanism being configured to substantially raise a resting point of a middle finger of the hand holding the grip.