Iver Johnson Safety Hammerless
- Category
- Revolver
- Barrel
- 76 mm
- Weight, empty
- 347 g
- Introduced
- 1895
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Iver Johnson Safety Hammerless is a top-break, double-action-only pocket revolver produced by Iver Johnson's Arms & Cycle Works from the 1890s until 1941. Part of the Safety Automatic series, it pairs a fully concealed internal hammer with Iver Johnson's patented "Hammer the Hammer" transfer-bar safety, which blocks the hammer from contacting the cartridge until the trigger is fully pulled, and an automatic ejector that lifts the empty cases when the action is broken open. The small-frame, five-shot model was chambered in .32 S&W (a larger five-shot version was offered in .38 S&W), making it one of the most popular and affordable concealed-carry revolvers of its era.
Iver Johnson marketed its Safety Automatic revolvers with the famous "Hammer the Hammer" advertising campaign, showing a carpenter using the loaded revolver to drive a nail to prove the transfer-bar safety made an accidental discharge impossible.
Designed for black-powder cartridges; firing modern smokeless .32 S&W loads can damage the cylinder. The trigger-mounted safety predates the Glock trigger safety by over a century. Produced in First, Second and Third Model variations distinguished by latch and frame details.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Iver Johnson Arms
- Category
- Revolver
- Country
- United States
- Status
- Discontinued
- Produced
- 1895 to 1941
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 76 mm
- Overall length
- 162 mm
- Height
- 83 mm
- Weight, empty
- 347 g
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Double action revolver
- Firing mechanism
- Double action only
- Trigger
- Double action
- Capacity
- 5
- Magazine
- Internal
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Hard rubber
- Finish
- Nickel
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 207 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 118 J
- Effective range
- 18 m
- Maximum range
- 90 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.
Top break action
Automatic ejector
Internal hammer
Fixed sights- Pocket size
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 404 revolvers | 347 g | 1.05 kg | Lighter than about 90% |
| Overall lengthAmong 415 revolvers | 162 mm | 260 mm | Shorter than about 90% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 431 revolvers | 76 mm | 127 mm | Shorter than about 80% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 434 revolvers | 5 | 6 | Holds fewer rounds than about 90% |
Answers
Questions about the Iver Johnson Safety Hammerless
How much does the Iver Johnson Safety Hammerless weigh?
The Iver Johnson Safety Hammerless weighs 347 g (12.2 oz) empty.
What caliber is the Iver Johnson Safety Hammerless?
The Iver Johnson Safety Hammerless is chambered in .32 S&W and .38 S&W.
How many rounds does the Iver Johnson Safety Hammerless hold?
The Iver Johnson Safety Hammerless holds 5 rounds, fed from an internal magazine.
How long is the Iver Johnson Safety Hammerless?
The Iver Johnson Safety Hammerless is 162 mm (6.38 in) long overall, with a 76 mm (2.99 in) barrel.
Who makes the Iver Johnson Safety Hammerless?
The Iver Johnson Safety Hammerless is made by Iver Johnson Arms (United States). It was designed by Andrew Fyrberg.
When was the Iver Johnson Safety Hammerless introduced?
The Iver Johnson Safety Hammerless was introduced in 1895 and discontinued in 1941.
How does the Iver Johnson Safety Hammerless operate?
The Iver Johnson Safety Hammerless uses a double action, and its firing mechanism is double action only.
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
- American civilian market
- United States
Provenance
Confidence in this record
66%
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/iver-johnson-safety-hammerless' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "iver-johnson-safety-hammerless", "name": "Iver Johnson Safety Hammerless", "manufacturer": { "id": "iver-johnson", "name": "Iver Johnson Arms", "countryCode": "US", "foundedYear": 1871, "website": "https://iverjohnsonarms.com", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-18 03:40:45", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:40:45", "version": "c96990df65041338c574a395247df0fc7dda60ab83793cc0b1ba0dc35b66ba48" }, "category": { "id": "revolver", "name": "Revolver", "description": "Handguns with a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers" }, "country_of_origin": "US", "year_introduced": 1895, "barrel_length_mm": 76, "weight_empty_g": 347, "action_type": "double_action_revolver"}