What on earth is a bicycle gun? (From Stephen Hunter's "Hot Springs")

[MikePGS]

I finished this novel the other day and enjoyed it a good deal. However there is a reference that might just be a slang i've never heard of, but it was curious nontheless. When one of the characters (Earl Swagger) is referring to a gun his father used to carry tucked under one of his sleeves somehow, its called a few times throughout the book a "bicycle gun". Its a .32 revolver that has a 1 inch barrel and no trigger guard. Is this a particular style of gun, or just some sort of slang?

 

[PTK]

The VeloDog revolver comes to mind. Perhaps it's just slang, though.

 

[rcmodel]

Way back when, bicycles where widely used for transportation.
It was perfectly acceptable to shoot a vicious dog off of your leg with a small revolver.

Goggle Velo-dog for instance.
Velo = Velocipede = bicycle
Dog = dog!
See, they even designed a cartridge for it!

And many companies made small pocket revolvers with some reference to dogs or bicycles in the name.


rcmodel

 

[2TransAms]

Way back in the day,Smith made a small .32 revolver that was nicknamed the "Bicycle Gun". I don't know the specs on it though.

 

[MikePGS]

Ahhh thank you rc, i really appreciate the info.

 

[Gordon]

Alo known as Velo Dog pistols, many had folding trigger and were in weird velo dog calibers, pinfires, 6.35 and 7.65 Browning in the later ones. For keeping Fido from tearing your leg in a less humane and litigous age~

 

[oweno]

I've also heard of single-shot, short barrel rifles having a detachable, skeleton stock being called bicycle guns. The one I saw - in a museum years ago - was made by Stevens Arms in Chicopee Falls, Mass. The idea was that you could take it apart, ride your bike out to the country and go target shooting.

Dunno how true this is, though.

 

[MikePGS]

How heavy is the trigger pull on something like that though?

 

[JamisJockey]

I'm presuming he means the velodog
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velo-dog

Pic stolen from a-human-right.com
http://www.deactivated-guns.co.uk/detail/Deactivated_velo_dog_revolver.htm

Being an avid cyclist I'm determined to have one someday.

 

[Sistema1927]

Marlin (and possibly other manufacturers) offered special versions of their rifles with custom cases that would strap to a bicycle frame as well. Kind of a neat idea.

 

[Old Fuff]

Smith and Wesson made a version of their .32 Safety Hammerless (New Departure) revolver that had a grip safety and inclosed hammer similar somewhat to the '42 series of revolvers that are made today. It had a 2" barrel, but examples are known that were as short as 1 1/2 inches.

They called it a "Bicycle Gun," and advertised that it wouldn't go off if your bike took a spill. However the design was such that you couldn't cut the trigger guard off or otherwise modify it.

During the latter 19th and early 20th centuries many spur triggered/single action revolvers in .32 and .38 caliber had their barrels cut down to very short lengths for concealment purposes. They didn't have a conventional trigger guard, as such was not necessary.

 

[oneshooter]

Remington made a break down 22 pump. It was made to be carried on a bike and used as a plinker after the picnik was finished!

Oneshooter
Livin in Texas

 

[Cannonball888]

 

[ID_shooting]

See any one of the Pat Mcmanus books, he speaks of hunting deer on bicycles

 

[Bwana John]

Bicycles and firearms are my favorite machines.

My last Bicycle Gun is a Rem 700 in 7mm Mauser

I hunted elk off my Mnt Bike last year due to an upcomming hip replacement surgery. (I could ride my bike fine, just couldnt walk)
Finally shot a cow elk from my lawn chair.

Ive also hunted waterfowl from a bicycle.

(Got the hip replacement, pain is gone, but I can still bike alot better than I can walk, and am planning many more bicycle hunts)

 

[jpcampbell]

I had a poster that was an enlargement of a Sears catalog page showing a young man about 10 or 12 riding his bike with a gun as described by oweno attached to the frame it sold for $4.00 according to the ad.
Wonder what the cops would do if they saw a kid that age with the same gun riding his bike? Or for that matter would they even put an add like that in their catalog?

 

[Cosmoline]

I'm not a young 'un but I've ridden right in front of cops with a 53" rifle attached to the frame of my bike. Riding to the range is great exercise!

 

[SaMx]

It has a pistol grip and it's black, it must be an assault bicycle gun

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

In the novel being discussed, the "bicycle gun" was used in the capacity of what we would call today a hideout/backup.

 

[fantacmet]

Pat McMannis that dude is a RIOT! Ihave two of his books. I was on the bus on the way home from the bookstore after buying one and was reading it and I must have been laughing like crazy because everyone was staring at me like I was some sort of loon.

 

[JamisJockey]

In the novel being discussed, the "bicycle gun" was used in the capacity of what we would call today a hideout/backup.

Then my presumption is that he meant the VeloDog. See my previous post.

See any one of the Pat Mcmanus books, he speaks of hunting deer on bicycles

I saw an article in a hunting mag, sorry cannot recall the mag name, where the author was a huge fan of bicycles for hunting coyote, among other things. Being much quieter than an ATV, cheap to purchase own and operate, and with the right modifications you can carry a couple hundred pounds of gear. Worked for the VC.
He also surmised that most hunters could use the exercise.

 

[El Tejon]

Too right, have you seen the food blisters on the hunters? The game must be jumping into their laps as they are not working very hard to kill it.

Fudds need Major Taylor! http://www.majortaylorassociation.org/who.htm

It's a pistol that you carry while exercising on your bicycle. Just try it in your spinning class.