Frank Wesson Small Frame Pocket Rifle
- Category
- Rifle
- Barrel
- 381 mm
- Weight, empty
- 400 g
- Introduced
- 1870
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Frank Wesson Small Frame Pocket Rifle is a single-shot .22 rimfire target rifle built on a pistol-sized frame and fitted with a detachable skeleton shoulder stock, made by gunmaker Frank Wesson of Worcester, Massachusetts from around 1870. Its octagonal barrel, typically about 15 inches long, pivots sideways for loading after a button beneath the action is pressed to release the breech. With the wire shoulder stock removed via the dovetail in the grip the arm becomes a compact pocket pistol, while attaching the stock turns it into a light rifle for precise target work. Marketed as the 'Sportsman's Jewel', it was aimed at the recreational and gallery target shooter.
Frank Wesson, younger brother of Daniel B. Wesson of Smith & Wesson, ran his own firearms business in Massachusetts and was best known for his single-shot rifles and pocket rifles. The pocket rifle was a popular Victorian-era novelty and target arm, designed to be carried in a pocket and steadied against the shoulder with its detachable wire stock.
Often classed as a 'pocket rifle' or 'bicycle rifle'; the same pattern was offered in small, medium and large frames and in barrel lengths from roughly 10 to 22 inches. Barrels are marked with the May 31, 1870 patent date. Small-frame examples are chambered for .22 rimfire.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Frank Wesson
- Category
- Rifle
- Country
- United States
- Status
- Discontinued
- Produced
- 1870 to 1899
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 381 mm
- Overall length
- 464 mm
- Weight, empty
- 400 g
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Rotating barrel
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Single action
- Capacity
- 1
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Iron
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Walnut
- Finish
- Blued
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 340 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 109 J
- Effective range
- 45 m
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
No load solved for this record yetThe flight path is computed from a cartridge and a bullet. This record has no ammunition filed against its chambering, so there is nothing to solve.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Rotating barrel
Octagonal barrel
Detachable shoulder stock
Single shot
Target sights
Spur trigger
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 1,612 rifles | 400 g | 3.50 kg | Among the lightest tenth |
| Overall lengthAmong 1,557 rifles | 464 mm | 1080 mm | Among the shortest tenth |
| Barrel lengthAmong 1,659 rifles | 381 mm | 584 mm | Shorter than about 90% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 1,611 rifles | 1 | 5 | Holds fewer rounds than about 90% |
Its place in the rankings
Answers
Questions about the Frank Wesson Small Frame Pocket Rifle
How much does the Frank Wesson Small Frame Pocket Rifle weigh?
The Frank Wesson Small Frame Pocket Rifle weighs 400 g (14.1 oz) empty. It is the 1st lightest of 1,612 rifles in the catalogue.
What caliber is the Frank Wesson Small Frame Pocket Rifle?
The Frank Wesson Small Frame Pocket Rifle is chambered in .22 Short.
How many rounds does the Frank Wesson Small Frame Pocket Rifle hold?
The Frank Wesson Small Frame Pocket Rifle holds 1 rounds.
How long is the Frank Wesson Small Frame Pocket Rifle?
The Frank Wesson Small Frame Pocket Rifle is 464 mm (18.3 in) long overall, with a 381 mm (15.0 in) barrel.
Who makes the Frank Wesson Small Frame Pocket Rifle?
The Frank Wesson Small Frame Pocket Rifle is made by Frank Wesson (United States). It was designed by Frank Wesson.
When was the Frank Wesson Small Frame Pocket Rifle introduced?
The Frank Wesson Small Frame Pocket Rifle was introduced in 1870 and discontinued in 1899.
How does the Frank Wesson Small Frame Pocket Rifle operate?
The Frank Wesson Small Frame Pocket Rifle uses a rotating barrel action, and its firing mechanism is hammer fired.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- Civilian market
- United States
Provenance
Confidence in this record
60%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/frank-wesson-small-frame-pocket-rifle' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "frank-wesson-small-frame-pocket-rifle", "name": "Frank Wesson Small Frame Pocket Rifle", "manufacturer": { "id": "frank-wesson", "name": "Frank Wesson", "countryCode": "US", "foundedYear": 1859, "website": null, "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-06-21 23:00:46", "updatedAt": "2026-06-21 23:00:46", "version": "0b34d238d4065ffb86b7745878a515d8cb90d6875f121e52813e5326325251a7" }, "category": { "id": "rifle", "name": "Rifle", "description": "Long-barreled firearms designed for accurate shooting" }, "country_of_origin": "US", "year_introduced": 1870, "barrel_length_mm": 381, "weight_empty_g": 400, "action_type": "rotating_barrel"}