Iver Johnson Safety Automatic
Iver Johnson's Arms & Cycle Works · Revolver · Discontinued · 1894
Also known as: Iver Johnson Safety Hammerless, Hammer the Hammer
Overview
The Iver Johnson Safety Automatic is a top-break, double-action revolver introduced in 1894 by Iver Johnson's Arms & Cycle Works of Fitchburg, Massachusetts. Chambered in .38 S&W with a five-shot cylinder, it was one of the most popular and affordable American pocket revolvers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The 'Safety Automatic' name combined two features: the patented 'Hammer the Hammer' transfer-bar safety, which let the gun be carried with the hammer resting on a loaded chamber, and automatic ejection of the spent cases when the barrel was tipped open. The design was offered in both exposed-hammer and hammerless configurations.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 503 g (17.7 oz) |
| Overall Length | 190 mm (7.48") |
| Barrel Length | 82 mm (3.23") |
| Action Type | Break Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Double Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 5 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Cylinder |
| Muzzle Velocity | 189 m/s (620 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 232 J (171 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 15 m (16 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Hard Rubber |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .38 S&W · primary — also known as .38/200, .380 Revolver Mk I, .38 Smith & Wesson
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Revolver Cylinder
- Safety mechanisms: Transfer Bar
- Features: Top Break, Automatic Ejection, Exposed Hammer And Hammerless Models, Owl Head Grips
Variants
- Iver Johnson Safety Hammerless — Hammerless
Service history
Operators
- American civilian market · adopted 1894
Production
Production years: 1894-1941
Iver Johnson produced roughly 100,000 revolvers in the first year of Safety Automatic production; the series sold for $4-$8 depending on model.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Andrew Fyrberg
Discontinued: 1941
Notes
Sold in both .32 S&W (small frame) and .38 S&W (large frame). The large-frame .38 S&W model with a 3.25-inch barrel weighed about 17.75 ounces. Famously, an Iver Johnson Safety Automatic in .32 caliber was the revolver used by Leon Czolgosz to assassinate U.S. President William McKinley in 1901.
Background
The 'Hammer the Hammer' transfer-bar safety was designed by Swedish immigrant Andrew Fyrberg and patented in 1896 (U.S. Patent #566,393). It was a genuinely revolutionary safety system that allowed a loaded revolver to be carried hammer-down without risk of accidental discharge, and the marketing slogan 'Hammer the Hammer' depicted a child striking the hammer with a mallet without the gun firing.