Iver Johnson British Bulldog
Iver Johnson Arms · Revolver · Discontinued · 1878
Also known as: British Bull Dog, Johnson Bye British Bull Dog, Bull Dog revolver
Overview
The Iver Johnson British Bulldog is a compact, solid-frame double-action pocket revolver produced by Iver Johnson (and its predecessor firm Johnson, Bye & Co.) of Worcester, Massachusetts, as an American copy of P. Webley & Son's popular British Bull Dog. It carries five rounds in a fixed cylinder behind a short 64 mm barrel and was chambered for stubby centrefire cartridges such as the .442 Webley and the shorter .44 Bull Dog, with smaller .32 and .38 versions also made. Cheap, rugged, and easily concealed, it was one of the era's ubiquitous budget pocket revolvers sold through hardware stores and mail-order catalogues in the late 19th century.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 450 g (15.9 oz) |
| Overall Length | 165 mm (6.50") |
| Barrel Length | 64 mm (2.52") |
| Action Type | Revolving |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Double Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 5 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Rotary |
| Muzzle Velocity | 210 m/s (689 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 324 J (239 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 14 m (15 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Hard Rubber |
| Finish | Nickel |
Calibers
- .442 Webley · primary — also known as .442 Revolver Centre Fire, .442 R.I.C., .44 Webley, 10.5x17mmR
- .44 Bull Dog — also known as .44 Bulldog, .44 Webley Short
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Revolving Cylinder
- Safety mechanisms: Half Cock Notch
- Features: Solid Frame, Short Barrel, Concealable, Pocket Revolver, Fixed Sights
Service history
Operators
- American civilian self-defence market · adopted 1878
Production
Production years: 1878-1900
Produced in large but undocumented numbers as an inexpensive pocket revolver; exact totals were never recorded.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Discontinued: 1900
Notes
Iver Johnson is documented as one of the three principal American makers of British Bull Dog copies, alongside Forehand & Wadsworth and Harrington & Richardson. Chamberings and exact dimensions varied between individual guns from these inexpensive, high-volume production lines.
Background
So many American and Belgian workshops copied Webley's British Bull Dog that 'Bulldog' became a generic name for any short-barrelled solid-frame pocket revolver. The pattern earned lasting notoriety when a .442 British Bull Dog was used to assassinate U.S. President James A. Garfield in 1881.