Little Giant
Bacon Manufacturing Company · Pistol · Discontinued · 1878
Overview
The Little Giant is a small solid-frame, single-action spur-trigger revolver in .22 Short rimfire, produced by the Bacon Manufacturing Company of Norwich, Connecticut during the late 1870s and 1880s. A typical inexpensive pocket 'suicide special' of the era, it carries seven rounds in a plain cylinder, uses a short two-inch barrel and birdshead grip, and was sold under one of several colorful trade names Bacon applied to this class of cheap concealable defense revolver.
Specifications
| Barrel Length | 50.8 mm (2.00") |
| Action Type | Single Action Revolver |
| Firing Mechanism | Single Action |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 7 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Rotary |
| Muzzle Velocity | 329 m/s (1079 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 102 J (75 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 10 m (11 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 100 m (109 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Nickel Plated |
Calibers
- .22 Short · primary — also known as .22 Short, .22 Rimfire, .22 RF
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: 7-Shot Revolving Cylinder
- Features: Spur Trigger, Solid Frame, Birdshead Grip, Single-Action Only, Fixed Sights
Production
Production years: 1878-1888
Sold as one of several trade-name variants of Bacon's small spur-trigger pocket revolvers; exact totals unrecorded.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Discontinued: 1888
Notes
"Little Giant" was a trade name applied to Bacon's small spur-trigger revolvers alongside names such as Big Bonanza, Conqueror, Guardian, and Reliable; examples are marked with an 1878 patent date.
Background
Cheap seven-shot .22 spur-trigger revolvers like the Little Giant were mass-marketed in the 1870s and 1880s under a parade of grandiose trade names, earning the whole class the grim collector nickname 'suicide specials.'