This shipped April 1904. Has been re finished a LONG time ago.

Bicycle gun, yes.
S&W, no.
But made by a bicycle company.

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Thad, nice little Iver.

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Mike 2796
SoFo Bunch member

My project Bicycle revolver should be done in a week or so. I had my gun guru buddy shorten the barrel, he finally found a proper cutter for the front sight and after all was said and done decided it needed a bath in the blueing salts with a couple of long rifles he had been preparing for hot blue. I'm excited to see how well it turns out, he usually does beautiful work. It won't be a real Bicycle piece but as close as I could get with what I had. Now I need to find a neat pair of stocks, giraffe bone, ivory, etc.

Thank you.
If a company made bicycles, I guess it would make sense to produce guns to go with them!

I wish S & W had been making Bicycles in the 1890s, early 1900s, it'd be so fun to have and ride one now..!

If .38 S&W chambering counts as a Bicycle Gun, here's mine -

Hosted on Fotki

And this one too - "I. J." in .38 S & W -

Hosted on Fotki

This is a former one. I sold this off in an auction about a year ago. Some lucky other person now has it, hopefully a Forum member.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

Never heard the term before, I had a Forehand Wadsworth years ago, nickle 38, were they classified as such?

As I understand, they were popular around the time, in the late 19th century, when bicycles were. The idea was to defend oneself from big dogs chasing the rider. They were typically hammerless for easy deployment from a jacket pocket.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

Letters as factory 1.5" .32 S&W.
Shipped to W. Virginia in 1937.

WB

This is my one and only. It was shipped 5/9/32. It has no original finish left but I really like the look. It came with a fitted case that appears to be marked Pelson, Cerritos CA. I bought it off GB years ago just for the cool factor. It sits proudly in an old cabinet with some other goodies.

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This one looks like it came from the factory last week...absolutely looks like jewelry.

4th edition of the S&W catalog (pages 91-92) has a couple of paragraphs on the "bicycle gun".

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	S&W New Departure .32 Safety Hammerless 3rd Model blue 238201 073.jpg (151.9 KB, 164 views)

This one was shipped to a dealer in San Francisco in 1923.


Books

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Almost all period references to "Bicycle Guns" relate best to a very short barreled hammerless revolver in a small caliber made by several companies. Normally, 2" or less barrel. Originally, I believe the term referred to the small caliber in S&W Bicycle Guns, referencing only 32s, but many also call 38 S&Ws a Bicycle Gun.

Only the small caliber comes up on advertisements of the period that I have seen, plus the primary intended use was to shoot at attacking dogs. I would guess that the 38 was more of a "Burglar Gun" than a Bicycle Gun as designed, but probably not a good term to use with advertisement. I have a 1900 S&W catalog and an image below that shows both calibers and only names the 32 as a Bicycle Gun.



Rock Island Arsenal offered this description of the Bicycle Gun.

The term “velocipede” may be foreign to most today, but it was familiar in 19th century Europe, where it was another way of referring to a bicycle. At the time, these unusual, human-propelled devices opened up a whole new world of possibility in terms of transportation. No longer did you need a horse (and all of the assorted expenses that come along with it) in order to travel faster than you could walk. This new mode of transport did, however, come with some drawbacks, mainly those of the four-legged variety: dogs.

Just as dogs today chase cars because they’re unusual and scary, they also chased bicycles in the 19th century. Outrunning an angry dog in a car is easy, but if you’re travelling by velocipede, you can only escape as fast as you can pedal. For some, this was slower than a dog could run and the end result was injury to the rider. Apparently, this happened frequently enough to spawn a new type of firearm with a new name that is familiar with gun collectors even today: the velo-dog revolver.

As the name suggests, a velo-dog revolver was designed to protect velocipedists against dogs when out for a ride. This kind of gun was made by a variety of different manufacturers over the years, but most have two main components in common: a concealed hammer and a short barrel. These pocket pistols were designed to be carried and drawn with ease, which was facilitated by the short barrel and lack of a hammer spur to get caught on one’s clothes.

Smith & Wesson’s Safety Hammerless revolvers were introduced in 1887. They were an instant hit with consumers looking for a quality, concealable handgun that could be carried with ease. Looking to the success of the velo-dog in Europe, Smith & Wesson decided to offer something similar in the States. While “velocipede” was a common term in Europe, “bicycle” was much more prevalent in the United States. As such, Smith & Wesson chose “Bicycle Gun” as the name for these new Safety Hammerless revolvers with short barrels.

It was also common to shorten the barrels of small caliber revolvers, including the hammer varieties, but hammer guns posed a safety problem if dropped on their hammer, so were not as much in favor as the hammerless models. I would love to see any ads found for the 38 from the period that show a 38 as a Bicycle Gun?

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Gary
SWCA 2515

This gun came from the estate of a retired Air Force colonel in 2017. It's is a .32 S&W Safety Hammerless 2nd Model with a 2" barrel, sometimes known as a Bicycle Gun. In this barrel length the SCSW describes them as "rare". Patent markings are on the left side of the barrel and there is no caliber marking.

"Bicycle Gun" has a very short Barrel, and would be chambered in .32 and tended to be a concealed Hammer.

Whether a chambering in .38 S & W also counts, I am not sure, but, it might.

The primary qualifying aspect is the very short Barrel Length, and concealed Hammer, for the Revolver to be carried in a Pocket. does not matter what Make it is.

I have an early 1900s 'H&R' Bicycle Gun in .32 S&W but no pictures handy and not sure where it is, lol...if I find it, I'll post some pictures.

Books,
You mean they were actually shooting wild dogs in San Francisco in 1923? Yes, they were! I was chased by a few on my old Schwinn bicycle by the Great Highway as a kid.... Packs of dogs roaming the streets were a common problem due to the "dumps" being what it was back then....Within the city limits. I remember it clearly. There are Malls built over the old "Dumps" site...We would always call the theater built in that Mall years later as "The Dump". It's still there but it's sinking.

Once they moved the Dump, the wild dog issue also went away....but I think that was the cause back in the day.... The Great Highway (by the beach) was also a location of a small city dump that was close to "Playland" by the beach. You didn't want to be out alone walking the beach at night in that area! NOT without your bicycle gun!

Murph

Do these count? Are they bicycle guns for people with longer legs? Both have factory 2 1/2" barrels.

The H&R does not have markings on the barrel rib, just the flat v section in front of the latch on the top.

The Smith shipped to Mr T. L. Lewis May 23rd of 1913 with a 2 1/2" barrel.

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Mark

I have posted these before. A .32 1.5", shipped 2/4/1928 to Hudson-Pillar Hardware Co., Ironton, OH, and a .38, 1.5" shipped 11/30/1928 to Logan Hardware Co., Logan, WV. Both of these are lettered, the .32 lettered with factory pearl grips, the .38 with checkered hard rubber grips.

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GARY
SWCA #2897, SWHF #436

I used to just carry a little kit of two Back Cat Firecrackers taped to a Kitchen Match, taped together, so when I struck the Match I had about two seconds before the "Bang! Bang!"...and this worked well to discourage the Dog Packs from worrying me as I rode my Bike.

I'd carry five or six of these in my Shirt Pocket.

This was in Tulsa, Oklahoma, 1964...

From there we soon moved to San Bruno California, and I became quite familiar with The Great Highway stretch, and mostly steered clear of Playland and the old Sutro Baths, that old Cave at Land's end, or whatever it was called...etc...Lol...

Late '60s, there were homeless people living inside of the fake Stucco "Rock Cliff" embankment there at the bend where Great Highway turned to become Geary Street...

Fun times! Lots of wacky stuff..!

There were still some old Horse drawn Street Cars in back Yards of the Sunset district then...no idea about now...

Moved the heck out of there in 1977...

Had I known about Bicycle Guns as a kid, I'd have sure wanted one!

The barrel would count, but the hammer would not. That is one of the criteria that separates the Bicycle Gun from just a short barrel pocket gun.

I have some short barreled examples, but the only one I call a Bicycle Gun is the 2" S&W 32 Safety Hammerless.

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Gary
SWCA 2515

From somewhere else I believe I have read that the 2" barrelled revolvers were also highly appreciated by railroad Dicks, often carried in the vest pocket. I have some of those older vintage wool vests that could easily accomidate a very short barrelled revolver. I would not be a bit suprised to learn via letters that more were probably sold to individuals in search of an easily hidden piece rather than velocipede operators. My granddad once told me that in the early days of driving Model T autos that large dogs would charge out from places of hiding and could come close to threatening you with a bite, their chosen remedy to "cure a cur" was to tie a heavy rag to the spokes of the rear wheel, the dog would attempt to grab the rag and get flipped end over end, high sport for teenage boys in the early years of driving.

And there was the "Velodog" also, in Europe and imported in to the US -

Oddly enough, "Velodog" was/is a family of 5.5 mm Cartridges, and any make Revolver taking them was thus a "Velodog" in it's own right.

http://www.velodogs.com/

Hopkins & Allen "Hammerless # 1 1/2 7 shot 22 long.


I carry it quite often just for something to go BANG!

The shortest barrel pocket revolver I ever owned was a 1" H&R Vest Pocket revolver. I shot it a few times and accuracy was awful. Sold it a couple years ago.

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Gary
SWCA 2515

Wow! might as well use a slingshot with fishing weights!


I like it!

Hello folks,

I got this pistol in one auction lot of five guns, a couple of years ago. It wasn't the one that I REALLY wanted, but I've come to love it.

By the way, one of the OTHER guns (a .38 Safety Hammerless) in the same lot lettered to Mr. Frank H. Wesson, Treasurer of Smith & Wesson in 1924. What a pleasant surprise.

Sometimes you get lucky!

Best wishes eveyone,

Roger AKA Mr. Wonderful

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	Smith & Wesson .32 Safety Hammerless 3rd Model - Left Side.jpg (69.4 KB, 103 views)
	Smith & Wesson .32 Safety Hammerless 3rd Model - Right Side.jpg (68.4 KB, 94 views)

My contribution to the thread. The stocks on the revolver were not numbered to the gun so I replaced them with medallion mother of pearl stocks.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Very interesting thread and great photos. Excuse my ignorance ( since I know nothing about those neat little revolvers ); why are these guns referred to a "Bicycle Revolvers " ??

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John

Study the advertisements on Post #16. My observations on the naming of the Bicycle Gun was simply that S&W came up with an ad campaign touting the advantages of a small hammerless revolver that was safe to use on a bicycle. The 32 Safety with a short barrel was very easy and safe to carry. while riding and it was made in the time of highway robbers, hobos, and ne'er-do-wells that made bike travel dangerous.

Remember as well that autos had not yet been invented and the bicycle was a very popular means of transportation. It was either pedaling down the road or horse and/or buggy back then.

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Gary
SWCA 2515

If you have any doubt that they were needed? Here are some newspaper clippings from that period that clearly show why the bicycle gun became very popular around the turn of the century.

Murph

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And to think that is every day now in Chicago, New York, LA...

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Guy
SWHF #474 SWCA LM#2629

Well it would sure work for me. I would LOVE to have one of those in shootable shape. Very nice indeed.

Very nice!! I have a few of those cases. guns are gone but the cases are nice.

As a young aspiring bicycle racer - I rode many miles training every day. I noticed that the only times I was chased by dogs was while struggling slowly up a hill. We all had 20" long tire pumps clipped to the bikes - for our presto valves. The DOGS were afraid of them. Now days - many riders carry the small aerosol air horns that also work well.
I would never shoot at a Dog - as they have been some of my best friends.
Thought some might be interested in seeing MY H&R TOP BREAK Pocket Revolvers. The 22LR holds 9 rounds, The other "Defender" 5 rounds of .38 s&w.
I threw in an off subject picture of my 1941 H&R model 999 Sportsman. My only strictly target pistol, holds 9 rounds of 22LR & is capable of putting them all in the same hole (on a good day).Even the 22 snub nose is quite accurate. I will probably never refuse to give a top break revolver a home.

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I think it's near impossible for most of us today to imagine what people were going through back in the day? I mean we are talking about 130 years ago when the Bicycle guns were very popular.

Nobody wants to shoot lassie? but what was it actually like 130 years ago out on a dirt road in the middle of nowhere being attacked by a dog? or perhaps a pack of dogs?

Lets try to put it into perspective? NO 911, NO ambulance, NO cell phone to call for help, medicine amounted to a shot of whiskey or perhaps pouring it on the gaping wound or wounds? No stitching? You would be perhaps miles away from town or any kind of help whatsoever?

You would not be the same person that you are today. Food was scarce, jobs were scarce, luxury did not exist for the most part. I could go on and on....So, I for one am not quick to judge what people were doing or carrying on them for personal protection 130 years ago out beyond the City limits.

I read about Annie Oakley's father dying on his way back home from a simple trip to town on a horse drawn buckboard because he got caught in a Winter rain Storm and died from exposure....Basically he froze from wind chill and caught pneumonia and died...

That doesn't happen to us today...We hide in our warm cars or pull off the road into a nice dry warm coffee shop and wait for the storm to pass. Back in the day they died from it.

Getting bit by a dog 130 years ago could easily have killed you! That was the reason the guns were so popular as related to bicycle riding 130 years ago. It saved your life!

Murph

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I just completed some very interesting research on the Cartridge Bicycle Gun" timeline".... Trying to focus on only Cartridge guns and not the earliest cap & ball oddities that you can find on very early bicycles.

It turns out that the European "Velo-Dog" that has been often claimed to be the earliest bicycle gun was actually not. Invented by Galand from Paris and manufactured at his plant in Belgium starting in 1894.

There were several U.S. made bicycle guns that actually pre-date the Velo-Dog.

I was amazed to find out that Hopkins & Allen actually manufactured 75,000 bicycles begining in 1889 and also made one of the earliest bicycle guns. A hammerless 32 caliber. (See photo of early bicycle)

Iver Johnson also made over 700,000 bicycles and also produced a very early "Bicycle Gun" with their model 1 top-break 32 cf.

Forehand and Wadsworth also manufactured a very early Bicycle gun beginning just before Wadsworth retired in 1890. (See photo.)

Several listings in my early 1890 catalogs from Harrington & Richardson and Iver Johnson beginning in about 1894 but likely earlier with the safety hammer short barrel type bulldogs.

Also, according to Mr. Jinks, Smith & Wesson did not produce a 2" barrel for the 32 Hammerless until 1898 ( found on page 142 of his book "History of Smith & Wesson). So they were actually a late player regarding the "Bicycle Gun".

Murph

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Murph, thanks for post. Lot of memories from shows with Dad
back in the 50s. best

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Mike 2796
SoFo Bunch member

My only nickel gun. Lettered out entertaining:



Guy turned out to be quite the dandy down in Savannah Georgia. Among the clubs you can find him being a part of is a Bicycle club, so I assume that would be the reason he purchased this little thing.

Mine in France

This is a .38 Safety Hammerless 5th Model which was shipped Nov.18, 1925, to the Asheville NC Police Department as part of a shipment of 60 units with nickel finish and 4" barrels. Somewhere along the line the barrel on this gun was shortened to 2", perhaps by the department armorer for a detective. The numbered walnut grips show signs of having been carried a lot. A copy of the original order is attached.

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Peter #2091

For those that keep track of such things, the first two inch barreled .32 S&W Safety Hammerless , a special order, was shipped from the factory on Dec. 28, 1893 , Serial # 53232, to a Mr. D. Armstrong. It was a blue gun with hard rubber stocks and the barrel stamping extended over the top of the frame. Roy Jinks stated that it was unusual to find a shipment to and individual and the factory archives had no info on who Mr. Armstrong may have been. Ed

Here are two of my 2" guns. I've included a copy of the cover of my Railroad Police catalog. I'll include a picture of my .38 SH 1.5" revolver later.

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	32 & 38 2 inch.jpg (135.7 KB, 54 views)

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Don Mundell

In practice, merely firing the 'Bicycle Gun' aiming some feet away from the Dog, would work perfectly, with no need to actually shoot the Dog.

I used to just carry a few Kitchen Match with two Firecrackers taped to it in my shirt Pocket when I was a kid riding, so the fuse ends were right up to the Match head, and if being bothered by Packs of Dogs, or by a single large Dog who was overly aggressive, I'd just strike the Match on top of my Thigh, and count to two, and toss it a little ahead, and "Bam! Bam!" and the Dog or Dogs would desist and run off...and soon, they would learn to just not bother me, and I could ride on by and they stayed away from me.

My little 'Iver johnson' in .32 S & W -

Hosted on Fotki

Hosted on Fotki

Phil,
That's a nice late ( Post 1900) Iver Johnson Bicycle gun. Does it have the later coil main spring?

Murph

As I mentioned above I had the F&W nickle 38, I also had for a short time a 32 version also, sold it within a week, back in the 80s, I'm kicking my butt now for getting rid of them, but say la vee.

I hadn’t thought to look Pre-1880 but the “ Boneshaker “ bike reminded me of an early Bulldog I have. I suppose the Bulldogs likely were marketed for the earliest pedal Bicycles.
This one is A Webley, acid etched all over, in .450 caliber, and has 5 panels etched on the cylinder. No denying they are marketing use on the early “Boneshaker”!

Murph

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