Stevens Tip-Up Pocket Rifle
J. Stevens Arms & Tool Company · Rifle · Discontinued · 1869
Also known as: Stevens Pocket Rifle, Stevens Bicycle Rifle, Stevens New Model Pocket Rifle No. 40, Stevens Old Model Pocket Rifle, Stevens Tip-Up Pocket Pistol with shoulder stock
Overview
The Stevens Tip-Up Pocket Rifle is an American single-shot rifle built on J. Stevens & Co.'s hinged tip-up action, in which the barrel pivots upward at the breech for loading a single cartridge. Essentially a long-barreled single-shot pistol fitted with a detachable iron skeleton shoulder stock, it could be carried in a pocket or saddlebag and assembled into a light rifle for target practice and small game. Chambered most commonly in .22 rimfire, it was marketed as a compact 'bicycle' or pocket rifle in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 450 g (15.9 oz) |
| Overall Length | 406 mm (15.98") |
| Barrel Length | 254 mm (10.00") |
| Height | 120 mm (4.72") |
| Action Type | Break Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 1 rounds |
| Muzzle Velocity | 300 m/s (984 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 117 J (86 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 50 m (55 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 1000 m (1094 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Brass |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Silver-Plated Brass Frame With Blued Barrel |
Calibers
- .22 Long Rifle · primary — also known as .22 LR, 22 LR, .22 RF, 5.6x15mmR
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Single-Shot, Manually Loaded
- Safety mechanisms: Half-Cock Hammer Notch
- Features: Tip-Up (Break-Open) Barrel That Pivots Upward At The Breech For Loading, Detachable Iron Skeleton Shoulder Stock That Bolts To The Grip Frame, Exposed Spur Hammer, Octagonal Or Round Barrel Options, Globe Front Sight With Adjustable Rear Peep/Ladder Sight, Two-Piece Walnut Grips
Production
Production years: 1869-1916
Built by J. Stevens & Co. / J. Stevens Arms & Tool Co. of Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts. Old Model pocket rifle production is estimated at around 4,000 units; the later New Model pocket rifles such as the No. 40 were made in larger numbers until the line was dropped in the 1910s.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Joshua Stevens
Discontinued: 1916
Notes
Stevens offered pocket rifles in two broad families: the Old Model (roughly 1869-1886, with silver-finished brass frames and 9-10 inch barrels) and the later New Model line such as the No. 40 (introduced in the 1890s, with barrels of 10, 12, 15 and 18 inches). Calibers included .22 Long Rifle, .25 Stevens and .32 Long Rimfire. The detachable wire or skeleton stock was serial-numbered to match the gun and screwed into a channel on the underside of the grip frame.
Background
J. Stevens & Co. was founded in 1864 by Joshua Stevens, whose very first product was a tip-up single-shot pistol. The pocket rifle extended that idea with a longer barrel and a detachable shoulder stock, offering an inexpensive, packable arm for plinking and small game. Often nicknamed the 'bicycle rifle' because it could be slipped into a bag while riding, it helped establish Stevens as one of America's leading makers of affordable sporting and boys' arms before the company was absorbed by Savage Arms in 1920.