The Galleries
- Robert E. Petersen Gallery
- Old Guns in a New World
- The Road to American Liberty
- Seeds of Greatness
- The Prospering New Republic
- A Nation Asunder
- The American West
- The New Prosperity
- An Age of Elegance
- America Ascending
- Ever Vigilant
- For the Fun of It
- Firearms Traditions for Today
- William B. Ruger Special Exhibits
- Freedom's Doorway
Quackenbush Model 1886 Bicycle Pump Rifle
This gun, featuring a folding metal stock, was designed to be carried easily by boys as they rode their bicycles.
1886 Quackenbush (U.S.) 'Bicycle Pump' Pivot-Action Rifle (single-shot/ breech-loader/ black powder/ cartridge ammunition) The 'Bicycle Pump' is actually a single-shot rifle with a bolt that pivots to the right for loading with a .22 caliber WRF cartridge. Quackenbush made this gun with a folding metal frame so that it could be carried in a boy's hip pocket while riding a bicycle.
Children of the 1880s and 1890s sometimes were taught how to shoot before they learned how to ride a bike. This learning order came about because food for eating was more important to families than was an easy ride. In addition, a bicycle cost more than this Quackenbush. --Dr. William L. Roberts, THE AMERICAN LIBERTY COLLECTION; #195