Show off your Bicycle Guns

[Modified]

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.

 

[lechat]

Mine in France

 

[Dosgatos]

Not a Bicycle Gun, but close.

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.

 

[opoefc]

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

 

[Club Gun Fan]

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.

 

[Oyeboteb]

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

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.

 

[Oyeboteb]

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

Hosted on Fotki

Hosted on Fotki

 

[BMur]

Iver Johnson variations

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

Murph

 

[dasnake]

For me.

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

Hosted on Fotki

Hosted on Fotki

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.

 

[BMur]

The Bulldog Bicycle gun

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