A slang term for an inexpensive, small-caliber revolver. Dave Kopel, Research Director at the Independence Institute, explains:
The “Saturday night special” is in part a linguistic descendant of the racist phrase "Niggertown Saturday Night." The obvious implication of the phrase "Saturday night special" is that it is a gun used by "niggers" to shoot each other with during their wild Saturday nights. No one denies that the people disarmed by a "Saturday night special" ban would be predominantly poor and non-white.
A liberal expression meaning an inexpensive handgun. (Of course, the REAL definition of an inexpensive handgun is CHEAP INSURANCE.)
Liberal politicians tell yuppie and soccer mom constituents that they will ban Saturday Night Specials, which makes the yuppies and soccer moms feel all warm and fuzzy.
Of course, banning inexpensive handguns deprives poor people of their most effective defense against Pachuco boys and other criminals.
When you sit in the front child seat area of a shopping cart and a wobo (woman hobo) proceeds to blow you while she is pushing the cart through the hood and collecting cans.