Johnson, Bye & Co.

Name	Street	Town	State	From	To
Johnson, Bye & Co.		Worcester	Massachusetts	established 1871	1882

Patent	Date	Remarks

Contract	for

Product
See Johnson, Iver Iver Johnson Arms Co. Iver Johnson Arms Works and Iver Johnson's Arms & Cycle Works In 1883, renamed to Iver Johnson Arms Company, which becames Iver Johnson's Arms & Cycle Works in 1884 The partnership of Iver Johnson and Martin Bye inteded to manufacture Pepperbox Revolvers. Instead they manufactured small personal weapons and everything they could produce on their highly automatic machinery. They where among the first to utilize such machinery and produced a wide diversity of objects as toy guns, air guns .... Almost no manual fitting was necessary. Very early, they realized not having the capability to mass market their products. When being aware Martin Bye contacted his war comrad John Lovell (J.P. Lovell Arms Co.). In 1881 they signed a contract that all of their products were sold solely by J.P. Lovell Arms Co. This agreement was maintained when the partnership of Johnson and Bye was dissolved. Much of the large mail order houses had to purchase through Lovell. And most of the firearms they sold were of Johnson & Bye or of the later companies of Iver. Trade names: for details see under the specific gun American Bulldog, first type, 3 or 5" barrels, saw-handle grip, 1878 - 1885 American Bulldog, second type, 3 or 5" barrels, rounded grip, 1886 - 1897 American Bulldog, third type, as second type but marked Model 1898 Boston Bulldog 1887 - 1899 Defender, 2 1/4" octagon or round barrel, half-fluted cylinder, mostly with bird's head grips, 1875 - 1888 Defender 89, as Defender, round grips, 1889 - 1895 Eagle Eclypse Encore, as Favorite but semi-octagon barrel, 1874 - 1887 Eureka Favorite, 3" or 4" octagon barrel, fluted cylinder, 1873 to 1884 Favorite Navy, as Encore, 1874 - 1887 Lion Old Hickory, as Defender, 1875 - 1884 Smoker, 3" or 4" octagon barrel, flueted cylinder, 1875 - 1884 Tycoon, as Favorite but round barrel, 1873 to 1887 .22, .32., 38 or .44 Cal. Spur trigger revolver .30 caliber percussion, Uncle Sam & Hero muzzleloading derringers, spur trigger, 3" barrel, manufactured from 1871 to 1887 .22 r.f. caliber, Eclipse and Star breechloading derringer .32 r.f. caliber, Eclipse and Star breechloading derringer .38 r.f. caliber, Eclipse and Star breechloading derringer Manufactured from 1873 to 1895 .22 r.f. caliber, single action revolver, spur trigger, solid frame .32 r.f. caliber, single action revolver, spur trigger, solid frame .38 r.f. caliber, single action revolver, spur trigger, solid frame .41 r.f. caliber, single action revolver, spur trigger, solid frame all were 5 shot, production was several milions and started in 1873, serial numbers from 1 to 99999 and than restarted at 1 Model 1879 Side Swing Double Action Revolver .38 S&W caliber, manufactured from 1883 to 1887, production was about 10000 In 1873 the first bycicles were manufactured.

Product

See Johnson, Iver
Iver Johnson Arms Co.
Iver Johnson Arms Works and
Iver Johnson's Arms & Cycle Works

In 1883, renamed to Iver Johnson Arms Company, which becames Iver Johnson's Arms & Cycle Works in 1884

The partnership of Iver Johnson and Martin Bye inteded to manufacture Pepperbox Revolvers. Instead they manufactured small personal weapons and everything they could produce on their highly automatic machinery. They where among the first to utilize such machinery and produced a wide diversity of objects as toy guns, air guns .... Almost no manual fitting was necessary.

Very early, they realized not having the capability to mass market their products. When being aware Martin Bye contacted his war comrad John Lovell (J.P. Lovell Arms Co.). In 1881 they signed a contract that all of their products were sold solely by J.P. Lovell Arms Co. This agreement was maintained when the partnership of Johnson and Bye was dissolved.

Much of the large mail order houses had to purchase through Lovell. And most of the firearms they sold were of Johnson & Bye or of the later companies of Iver.

Trade names:
for details see under the specific gun
American Bulldog, first type, 3 or 5" barrels, saw-handle grip, 1878 - 1885
American Bulldog, second type, 3 or 5" barrels, rounded grip, 1886 - 1897
American Bulldog, third type, as second type but marked Model 1898
Boston Bulldog 1887 - 1899 Defender, 2 1/4" octagon or round barrel, half-fluted cylinder, mostly with bird's head grips, 1875 - 1888
Defender 89, as Defender, round grips, 1889 - 1895
Eagle
Eclypse
Encore, as Favorite but semi-octagon barrel, 1874 - 1887
Eureka
Favorite, 3" or 4" octagon barrel, fluted cylinder, 1873 to 1884
Favorite Navy, as Encore, 1874 - 1887
Lion
Old Hickory, as Defender, 1875 - 1884
Smoker, 3" or 4" octagon barrel, flueted cylinder, 1875 - 1884
Tycoon, as Favorite but round barrel, 1873 to 1887

.22, .32., 38 or .44 Cal. Spur trigger revolver

.30 caliber percussion, Uncle Sam & Hero muzzleloading derringers, spur trigger, 3" barrel, manufactured from 1871 to 1887

.22 r.f. caliber, Eclipse and Star breechloading derringer
.32 r.f. caliber, Eclipse and Star breechloading derringer
.38 r.f. caliber, Eclipse and Star breechloading derringer
Manufactured from 1873 to 1895

.22 r.f. caliber, single action revolver, spur trigger, solid frame
.32 r.f. caliber, single action revolver, spur trigger, solid frame
.38 r.f. caliber, single action revolver, spur trigger, solid frame
.41 r.f. caliber, single action revolver, spur trigger, solid frame
all were 5 shot, production was several milions and started in 1873, serial numbers from 1 to 99999 and than restarted at 1

Model 1879 Side Swing Double Action Revolver
.38 S&W caliber, manufactured from 1883 to 1887, production was about 10000

In 1873 the first bycicles were manufactured.