The Quackenbush rifle, invented by industrialist Henry M. Quackenbush, is a clever but cheaply made "Boys'

rifle A rifle is a long gun, long-barreled firearm designed for accurate shooting and higher stopping power, with a gun barrel, barrel that has a helical or spiralling pattern of grooves (rifling) cut into the bore wall. In keeping with their focus o ...

" sold in large numbers in the 1893–1920 period, along with several models of

air gun An air gun or airgun is a gun that uses energy from compressed air or other gases that are mechanically pressurized and then released to propel and accelerate projectiles, similar to the principle of the primitive blowgun. This is in contr ...

Versions

There were eleven models of the air rifle. The overall line was known for being ornamental and accurate. The Quackenbush rifles are fairly desirable collector items and sell for several hundred dollars depending on the exact model and the condition. The "Junior Safety" rifle came with either a fixed wire stock or one that slid forward for use as a "bicycle rifle" nearly identical with the stock later used on the

USAF The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

M4 survival rifle. The "bicycle rifle" had a leather or canvas case by which it was able to be attached in three places on a bicycle. The stock were removed by pulling down on a loop spring. The "Safety" rifle was able to fire BB's, short, long, and long rifle projectiles. The barrel was made from

nickel Nickel is a chemical element; it has symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel is a hard and ductile transition metal. Pure nickel is chemically reactive, but large pieces are slo ...

or gun blued steel. Quackenbush made gun models were both air gun and firearm; they could shoot .22 caliber, shot, or .21 1/2 projectiles. The last guns were produced in the late 1940s.

References

Air guns of the United States Early rifles {{Rifle-stub