Suicide Special revolver club

[JohnnyCremains]

Here are the rules: NO double action revolvers. ONLY spur triggers. Preferably from the golden age of the Suicide Special from 1870 to the late 1800s.

Here's a good guideline from Ed Buffaloe's article on the unblinking eye website

The term “suicide special” was coined by Duncan McConnell in an article in the American Rifleman of February 1948. In 1958 Donald Blake Webster wrote a book entitled Suicide Specials, now long out of print. The name was given to a class of small, cheap revolvers that were made in profusion between about 1870 and 1890. The classification is rather loosely defined, often in negative terms. Donald Webster has enumerated the following criteria for suicide specials:

1. Single action revolver
2. Solid frame
3. Sheath or spur trigger
4. Most are rimfire only, in one of five calibers: .22, .30, .32, .38, and .41 (.30 is rare)
5. Electroplated with nickel (95%)
6. No break-open frames or swing-out cylinders
7. No extractors or ejectors
8. No hinged loading gates
9. No safety features
10. No serial numbers (or serial number hidden under grips)
11. Most carried a trade name, not the actual manufacturer’s name

Also here is a good website with a list of trade names and manufacturers

http://gun-data.com/suicide_specials.htm

 

[JohnnyCremains]

Hopkins and Allen "Ranger No. 2" .32 rimfire

 

[JohnnyCremains]

Hopkins and Allen "XL No. 3" .32 Centerfire (Suicide Specials are very rare in centerfire calibers, this one is the only one I've ever run into)

 

[JohnnyCremains]

Hopkins and Allen "XL No. 4" .38 rimfire

 

[JohnnyCremains]

Hopkins and Allen "Blue Jacket No. 2" .32 rimfire

 

[JohnnyCremains]

Forehand and Wadsworth "Terror" .32 rimfire

 

[JohnnyCremains]

Forehand and Wadsworth "Bull-Dog" .38 rimfire

 

[JohnnyCremains]

Iver Johnson "Smoker" .38 rimfire

 

[JohnnyCremains]

This is funny. Right after posting this I looked through a small stack of old American Rifleman magazines my Dad gave me from various dates in the past and actually found the Feb 1948 copy with the original Suicide Special article which gave these revolvers their name

 

[Panzerschwein]

Very cool guns. A permanent solution to a temporary problem for sure.

 

[rodwha]

Very nice collection!

I've never even heard of the .30 cal you mentioned.

 

[Berkley]

Great collection!
Interestingly, Colt tried to compete in the suicide special market, although their pricing was obviously higher due to manufacturing costs. The Colt New Line was pretty much a classic Suicide Special, although it deviates from Webster’s criteria in one regard - the later centerfire models in fact had a loading gate. This one is shown with .38 Short Colt CF ammunition and loading gate open.

 

[Tacoma]

Still don't think I would fire one but an excellent and informitive set of posts!
Thanks for sharing.

 

[Cocked & Locked]

Nice collection...Go Johnny Go!

 

[bikerdoc]

Kudos to you John for a great, informative thread.

 

[JohnnyCremains]

Here's a group shot

 

[rodwha]

Which one is your favorite and why Johnny?

 

[Acorn Mush]

Interesting information.

I was just wondering why a "suicide special" would be a revolver instead of a single-shot... ?

 

[Cocked & Locked]

In case of a misfire...maybe?

 

[PapaG]

Brought back memories. Many years ago our county coroner came to dad's shop with a box of old handguns. "Cleaning out the file cabinet. Here. Some of em only been shot once or twice." Everything from Standard Ruger autos to American Bulldogs." Wish I had them all today.

 

[JohnnyCremains]

Which one is your favorite and why Johnny?

Probably the "Terror" followed by its bigger brother the "Bull Dog". There's just something so unique about them with the forward cylinder stops and how far back the hammer comes when at full cock. And also the outstanding workmanship. At some point I need to get the last in that trilogy the "Swamp Angel" in .41 caliber which is the bigger brother to both of them.
Those are getting sort of expensive and hard to find.

 

[Stormson]

Interesting information.

I was just wondering why a "suicide special" would be a revolver instead of a single-shot... ?

Cos some people are just plain hard headed???

 

[kBob]

Actually at a suicide one should search for "Chicken Outs" "Chicken Shots" or "Flinchers" Not that uncommon for someone to pull a gun away at the last possible second and miss themselves entirely if using the classic muzzle to temple. I have heard of rooms that had four bullet holes in the wall and one where it was intended. Also suicides with perifferal GSWs made before the terminal one.

I look at these guns as the common man "beats not having a gun" answer to Home or personal defense. I never liked the term Suicide Special as I never thought that was all they were good for or what 99.9+ percent were bought for.

I suspect the percentage of armed, at least with these things, folks in the past is as a result higher than some would have us believe today.

-kBob

 

[DDees]

Beautiful collection! I have always had a soft spot for these, often wondering why no one has made .22 reproductions of them or the percussion predecessors of them.

 

[Kendal Black]

I have always had a soft spot for these, often wondering why no one has made .22 reproductions of them...

The NAA and Freedom Arms mini revolvers are similar in function. The very simple design shrinks down to micro-mini size without a lot of complicated stuff inside the gun to get in the way of miniaturization.