Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(US black) a pistol, a revolver.

2000		Wu-Tang Clan ‘Protect Ya Neck’ 🎵 You won’t catch me without the ratchet.
2008		Big Noyd ‘Heartless’ 🎵 Bring the bidness with the burners or the ratchet or the hammer.
2011		G. Hayward Corruption Officer [ebook] Ch. 16: These fools done fucked around and let a nigga purchase a firearm! It’s a gat, a ratchet, a biscuit, a burner to all my inner-city home boys and a ooohhwop to anybody over fifty.