Quackenbush Safety Rifle
H. M. Quackenbush · Rifle · Discontinued · 1886
Also known as: Quackenbush Safety Cartridge Rifle, Quackenbush Boys' Rifle
Overview
The Quackenbush Safety Rifle is a single-shot .22 rimfire boys' rifle built around a manually operated top-break action whose breech block swings out to the side when the operating lever is lifted. Patented by Henry Marcus Quackenbush of Herkimer, New York, in 1886 and marketed through mail-order catalogs such as Sears, Roebuck & Co., it was designed as an inexpensive, safety-conscious first rifle for young shooters and chambered the family of .22 rimfire cartridges from Flobert and Short up to Long Rifle.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 2041 g (72.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 864 mm (34.02") |
| Barrel Length | 457 mm (17.99") |
| Action Type | Break Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Trigger Pull | 22 N (4.9 lbf) |
| Magazine Capacity | 1 rounds |
| Effective Range | 45 m (49 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Nickel Plated |
Calibers
- .22 Long Rifle · primary — also known as .22 LR, 22 LR, 5.6x15mmR
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Single Shot
- Safety mechanisms: Two Stage Cocking, Manual Breech Lock
- Features: Top Break Swinging Breech, Crescent Buttplate, Fixed Open Sights, Takedown
Production
Estimated total produced: 50,000 · Production years: 1886-1920
Approximately 50,000 produced across all Safety Rifle configurations.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Henry Marcus Quackenbush
Discontinued: 1920
Notes
Most examples were produced before the federal serial-number mandate and are unmarked; the type is treated as a Curio & Relic. Offered in fixed-stock, junior, takedown, and folding wire-stock 'bicycle rifle' configurations.
Background
Henry M. Quackenbush made his name building spring-piston air rifles from 1871 before turning his mechanical ingenuity to a cheap, mass-market .22 cartridge rifle. Sold by the thousands through turn-of-the-century mail-order catalogs, the 'Safety' rifle put a first gun in the hands of a generation of American boys, its swing-out breech and two-stage cocking pitched to reassure cautious parents.