![]() The two-inch barreled “Bicycle Revolvers” were scarce, while 1½” barreled versions were rare, special order items. The most common barrel lengths were three inch and 3½”. 32 caliber Safety Hammerless Revolvers were produced in total. The third model was made from 1909 to 1937. 32 was made from 1888 to 1902 and is noteworthy for its push down barrel latch, as opposed to later models that required the latch to be pulled up. The revolvers were available with blue or nickel finish and with black hard rubber or pearl grips. They all had five-round cylinders and were hammerless with a grip safety. Smith & Wesson produced eight models of the Safety Hammerless revolver, three in. 32 S&W Bicycle Revolvers, both 2nd Models. I would guess I fired less than 25 rounds through it, though I did carry it for a time. Well, in college when I was broke I did have one of the Iver Johnson “Safety Automatic” models. ![]() That initial encounter with a “Bicycle Revolver” while leaning against a boxcar’s coupling has remained with me to the extent that whenever the opportunity has arisen to acquire a S&W “Bicycle” revolver I’ve bought-assuming I had the money! Other firms made their own versions of the Bicycle Revolver, most notably Iver Johnson and Harrington and Richardson, but I’ve remained true to Smith & Wesson. Less expensive bicycle-style revolvers were offered such as this one from Iver Johnson note the safety within the trigger, pre-Glock. 38 S&W Safety Hammerless revolvers, but they were bulkier. 32 SW version is it could fit in a vest pocket. I also realized that the revolver that had made the impression on me was probably a. When I began buying handguns some years later, I realized that the revolver I had seen come out of the vest pocket was a Safety Hammerless (aka Lemon Squeezer), but it took a while until I realized it was the scarce version with a two-inch barrel normally termed “Bicycle Revolver,” presumably because it could be tucked into a pocket while out peddling along. 32 caliber Bicycle Revolvers showing some of the options available: blue or nickel, plain pearl grips or pearl with S&W Escutcheon. That little gun made an impression on me that I retain well over a half-century later. I was also impressed with how short the barrel was. He showed me how he turned it upside down when dumping empties to make sure they ejected. I thought the way the shells were ejected when the revolver was “broken” open was fascinating. Instead, it was a DA-only with a grip safety. I was surprised that it didn’t have an exposed hammer, as did all of my toy guns. One day, he unloaded it and let me handle it. The one I really remember, though, was a small S&W top break revolver carried by one of the railroad cops in his vest pocket. In retrospect, they were probably Colt Official Police or S&W M&Ps, though I remember one had a shrouded ejector rod, so it may have been a S&W Heavy Duty. ![]() They also carried what at the time appeared to be immense revolvers. All of the ones I knew carried blackjacks or slappers in a back pocket. I didn’t obey and occasionally got to see their weapons. 38/32 was offered simultaneously in this ad. In later production, Safety Hammerless Revolvers, the 2" “Bicycle” length barrel, was offered as a standard length. railroad police), those minions of management. Our attitude was generally live and let live, but the railroad detectives often worked them over, though they didn’t throw them off the top of moving trains, a standard object lesson among the railroad dicks! My family was composed of staunch union members hence, while our house was marked with hobo signs indicative of the fact my grandmother would give an egg sandwich in turn for yard work, I was warned by my family to stay away from the “Pinkertons” (i.e. They cut us slack about hanging around in return for our keeping an eye out for anyone attempting to break into cars and writing down license plate numbers or getting descriptions. “Cinder Dicks” (railroad police or detectives, word comes the famous fictional comic strip character detective Dick Tracey) visited the siding periodically and we got to know and RESPECT them. Thompson saw his first Bicycle Revolver tucked into the vest pocket of a Railroad “Dick” (Railroad cop or detective, word comes the famous fictional comic strip character detective Dick Tracy) and has found them fascinating ever since. I wouldn’t classify us as brave as much as stupid! We also had a “hideout” under the bridge. We hopped freight trains, occasionally getting on top of them from a bridge above the tracks. About a block from my home was a large railroad siding, almost a mini-railroad yard. While watching them hanging off of trains it occurred to me that most of the guys with whom I had grown up would have been in that faction. When I saw the film Divergent, I was intrigued by those who chose Dauntless as their faction.
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