This is a one-of-a-kind prototype of a .25ACP blow forward pistol made by Iver Johnson. It was patented in 1916 (patent applied for in 1912) by William O. Barnes of Massachusetts, and assigned to Iver Johnson. We don’t know much more about it, but it was probably dropped by the company for not working well.
Patent for this pistol: https://patents.google.com/patent/US1173161A
Thanks to Joe Salter for loaning me this piece to film!
“(…)patented in 1916 (patent applied for in 1912) by William O. Barnes of Massachusetts, and assigned to Iver Johnson.(…)”
Iver is fake in this statement. US1173161A Automatic Pistol https://patents.google.com/patent/US1173161A was assigned to MARY E JOHNSON.
Anyway overview of patents with William O. Barnes https://patents.google.com/?inventor=William+O+Barnes which do include (filed)
– Instrument for measuring the height of liquids (1921)
– Machine for grinding formed cutters (1916 and 1919)
– Apparatus for the reception of radio messages (1926)
– Automobile (1899)
– Means for truing wheels for grinding formed cutters (1916)
– Automatic pistol (1912)
– Internal-combustion engine (1907)
– Radio amplifying circuit (1931)
suggest he was more mechanical inventor who happened to invent said fire-arm, rather than someone focused at fire-arm designing. Beyond this automatic pistol, he has only 2 fire-arm related patents US1131984A Breech-loading firearm and US1137045A Barrel-locking device for guns. These 3 fire-arm related patents are assigned to MARY E JOHNSON, all others are assigned to himself. What might be reason for that?
great job Daweo
Blow forward action has an advantage of having longer barrel at total lenght than a comparable blowback…
this gun seems not getting advantage of that feature.
The frame system is one slick design.
Simpler feed mechanism than Boberg bullpup pistol.
4:49 – Ahem.
The spring is not under TENSION. It is under LOAD, the opposite.
I’m just sayin’…
Actually your comment kicked off for me a very interesting session googling up what I did not know about the nomenclature for springs.
Nice shirt, thanks fr earning and wearing it.