OLDSTER
Member
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 " ??
Show off your Bicycle Guns
- Thread starter RGNewell
- Start date
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.
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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And to think that is every day now in Chicago, New York, LA...
J. R. WEEMS
Member
BICUCLE OR NOT
Well it would sure work for me.
I would LOVE to have one of those in shootable shape. 
Very nice indeed.
Well it would sure work for me.
I would LOVE to have one of those in shootable shape. Very nice indeed.J. R. WEEMS
Member
PELSON CASES
Very nice!! I have a few of those cases. guns are gone but the cases are nice.
Very nice!!
I have a few of those cases. guns are gone but the cases are nice. CMudrock
Member
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.
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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Historically accurate?
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
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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Cartridge Bicycle gun timeline
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
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
back in the 50s. best
Modified
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.
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.
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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opoefc
US Veteran
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
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.
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dasnake
Member
For me.
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.
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.
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
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
