Quackenbush Bicycle Rifle
- Category
- Rifle
- Barrel
- 305 mm
- Weight, empty
- 879 g
- Introduced
- 1896
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Quackenbush Bicycle Rifle is a lightweight, single-shot .22 rimfire takedown rifle produced by H.M. Quackenbush of Herkimer, New York, between 1896 and 1919. Its action uses a pivoting breech block that swings to the side to load a single cartridge and works an integral extractor for quick unloading. Fitted with a folding steel wire shoulder stock, the rifle collapses to about 16 inches so it could be strapped to a bicycle frame or slipped into a pack, and was aimed at cyclists who wanted a compact arm for small game, pest control, or plinking during the 1890s bicycle boom.
Henry Marcus Quackenbush was a prolific inventor best known for the nutcracker and other household hardware, but he also built a range of inexpensive boys' and sporting .22 rifles and air guns. The Bicycle Rifle rode the late-1890s craze for cycling, marketed as a packable companion for riders venturing into the countryside.
Produced in small numbers, with roughly 4,321 examples made over its production run. Chambered to fire .22 Short, .22 Long, and .22 Long Rifle rimfire cartridges. Typically supplied with a leather or canvas case that mounted to a bicycle in several positions.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- H.M. Quackenbush
- Category
- Rifle
- Country
- United States
- Status
- Discontinued
- Produced
- 1896 to 1919
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 305 mm
- Overall length
- 686 mm
- Weight, empty
- 879 g
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Hinged breechblock
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Single action
- Capacity
- 1
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Steel wire
- Finish
- Nickel
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 300 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 117 J
- Effective range
- 50 m
- Maximum range
- 1000 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.
Pivoting breech block
Integrated extractor
Folding wire stock
Takedown
Carrying case
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 215 .22 Long Rifle rifles | 879 g | 2.61 kg | Among the lightest tenth |
| Overall lengthAmong 207 .22 Long Rifle rifles | 686 mm | 1016 mm | Shorter than about 90% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 228 .22 Long Rifle rifles | 305 mm | 547 mm | Shorter than about 90% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 231 .22 Long Rifle rifles | 1 | 6 | Holds fewer rounds than about 90% |
Answers
Questions about the Quackenbush Bicycle Rifle
How much does the Quackenbush Bicycle Rifle weigh?
The Quackenbush Bicycle Rifle weighs 879 g (1.94 lb) empty. It is the 2nd lightest of 215 .22 Long Rifle rifles in the catalogue.
What caliber is the Quackenbush Bicycle Rifle?
The Quackenbush Bicycle Rifle is chambered in .22 Long Rifle.
How many rounds does the Quackenbush Bicycle Rifle hold?
The Quackenbush Bicycle Rifle holds 1 rounds.
How long is the Quackenbush Bicycle Rifle?
The Quackenbush Bicycle Rifle is 686 mm (27.0 in) long overall, with a 305 mm (12.0 in) barrel.
Who makes the Quackenbush Bicycle Rifle?
The Quackenbush Bicycle Rifle is made by H.M. Quackenbush (United States). It was designed by Henry M. Quackenbush.
When was the Quackenbush Bicycle Rifle introduced?
The Quackenbush Bicycle Rifle was introduced in 1896 and discontinued in 1919.
How does the Quackenbush Bicycle Rifle operate?
The Quackenbush Bicycle Rifle uses a hinged breechblock 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 sport and small game shooters
- 1896
Provenance
Confidence in this record
78%
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/quackenbush-bicycle-rifle' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "quackenbush-bicycle-rifle", "name": "Quackenbush Bicycle Rifle", "manufacturer": { "id": "quackenbush", "name": "H.M. Quackenbush", "countryCode": "US", "foundedYear": 1871, "website": null, "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": "defunct", "defunctYear": 1938, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": true, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-07-19 22:59:14", "updatedAt": "2026-07-19 22:59:14", "version": "2030d14d8ad24adf03e86be015c22be9c0b7016463036f976c474c723f3c8103" }, "category": { "id": "rifle", "name": "Rifle", "description": "Long-barreled firearms designed for accurate shooting" }, "country_of_origin": "US", "year_introduced": 1896, "barrel_length_mm": 305, "weight_empty_g": 879, "action_type": "hinged_breechblock"}