Photo O’Gallerie Auction Recently, AllOutdoor Editor and fellow TFB contributor Sam S. passed along a Gunbroker link of an 18-inch top-break single-shot that instantly caught my eye, as it has been one of the many rifles on my list of ones to either find or at least cover here on The Rimfire Report. This is a unique and somewhat primitive looking rifle that features a very unique swinging breech block. The listing called it an H.M. Quackenbush Safety Cartridge .22 Rifle. The bore looked dark, the action a bit tired, but something about it just screamed: “forgotten American boys’ rifle.” It sent me down a wonderful research rabbit hole. Today, we’re talking about Henry Marcus Quackenbush’s clever Safety Rifle and why these unassuming little guns are actually highly collectible simply for their novelty.More Rimfire Report @ TFB: The Rimfire Report: Strike Industries SMC Chassis for the Ruger 10/22 The Rimfire Report: ELEY Force 42gr Supersonic Round Nose The Rimfire Report: Remington Subsonic 40gr HP CPHP - Amazing! HistoryThe man behind the Quackenbush family of firearms is obviously Henry Marcus Quackenbush, considered by many to be a true Yankee tinkerer, who led to many of his instantly recognizable designs. Born in 1847, he started in Herkimer, New York, building air rifles as early as 1871. Quackenbush spring-piston air guns, at the time, much like the Daisy Air Rifle today, taught a generation of kids how to shoot safely without the added expense or risk of real ammo. By the 1880s, Quackenbush wanted to move into cartridge arms, and thus, after a brief design period, he received U.S. Patent #336,586 on February 23, 1886, for his “Safety Rifle” design. The company expanded from airguns into firearms while keeping that same budget-minded philosophy that Quackenbush Air rifles were said to be known for. These rifles were heavily marketed through mail-order catalogs like Sears, Roebuck & Co. as safe, affordable starters for young shooters, often referred to as a “Boys Rifle.” This is something that would likely be looked at with pearls firmly clutched, but I happen to think it’s a marketing practice that needs to come back with full force. Kids are the next generation, and sometimes the newest current generation of shooters. Photo: O’Gallerie Auctions “Boys’ rifles” were intentionally simple, affordable, and built for young shooters, similar to the Keystone Sporting Arms Crickett Youth Rifle. Often selling for just a few dollars through catalogs, the Quackenbush Safety Cartridge Rifle featured a short barrel, smaller stock, and an intentionally safety-oriented design (like being single-shot only) and was suited for smaller hands and less experienced users. These rifles aimed to fill the important gap between BB guns and full-sized adult firearms. Photo: Liberty Tree Guns Makers like Quackenbush, Stevens, and Winchester produced them in large numbers, introducing the American youth to shooting and all of its responsibilities, lessons, and sports. Though the term sounds dated today, these guns in my mind probably played the same significant role in American gun culture that the 10/22 and rifles like it started to take over after WWII, as consumer firearms became a progressively larger market. Even though the firearms we use to do it have changed, it's interesting to see that we’re keeping alive basically what is an age-old firearm practice by prioritizing accessibility for our children, even if the rifles themselves aren’t quite as effective as the “grown-up” ones. Although to that point, I’d say I was pretty lucky to grow up shooting a Ruger 10/22, rather than a Quackenbush rifle. Photo: Liberty Tree Guns Design CharacteristicsThe Quackenbush Safety Rifle is unique in that it features a completely manual top-break, swinging breech action. Instead of the more common tipping barrel or bolt-action design, the breech block swings out to the right when you lift the lever. While maybe somewhat crude in some respects, it’s at least sturdy and true to its name by emphasizing safety for younger users, as there was a definite procedure for operating this deceptively complex rifle and there was physically no way to have a second cartridge in the rifle that could accidentally or absent-mindedly be loaded after firing. The patent (pictured below) highlighted a two-stage cocking mechanism that made it harder for a kid with subpar motor control to accidentally fire the rifle. You had to deliberately work the action in a way that reduced the chance of a negligent discharge. The rifle typically came in .22 rimfire and was intended to shoot Shorts, Longs, Flobert, and Long Rifle cartridges. Barrels could be found in a few various lengths as far as I can tell, with 22" and 18" being the only barrel lengths I could find in past or current auctions. Staying budget-friendly, the rifle had crude fixed open sights, a smooth walnut stock with a slim grip, and a crescent metal buttplate that completed the classic look and was probably nothing out of the ordinary for the time. From what I can tell, pretty much every rimfire rifle in this era had these exact features in one form or another. While a single shot should be fairly light, the Quackenbush Safety Cartridge Rifle is said to have a trigger pull right around 5 pounds, which, while not impressive by today’s standards, is both light and still light enough for a youngster and, more importantly, solid enough to make sure the trigger pull is intentional. For reference, many factory Glock triggers typically ship with a fairly stiff, but manageable, 5.5lb trigger pull. Photo, LSB Auctions Quackenbush also offered a Junior Safety Rifle (often nickel-plated with shorter barrels for smaller hands), a Quackenbush bicycle rifle with a folding wire stock for easy transport (which we covered in a previous edition of The Rimfire Report), and even some takedown versions. Most examples lack serial numbers, which is typical of these budget guns manufactured before the federal mandate took effect. Today, they’re classified as Curio & Relic, adding a nice touch for collectors who enjoy the paperwork side of things for C&Rs (you can have them shipped to your door). What to Look For When Buying One TodayIf you’re hunting for one of these on GunBroker or at a gun show, condition is everything, as most of these single-shot rifles are at this point absolutely ancient. Many have spent decades (perhaps even a century in some rare cases) in attics or barns, so check for:Rust and seized actions (a very common complaint I’ve seen on forums)Pitted bores or chambers from old corrosive priming or black-powder-era residueHeadspace wear and weak firing pin springsProper function of that swinging breech, according to some threads on Rimfire Central from other owners, extraction can get sticky with modern .22 LR A Photo from Northwest Firearms of a Collector’s Bicycle Rifle Really nice original examples with strong mechanics and decent finish can push $600–$1,200 or more for desirable variants. They’re still relatively accessible entry points into 19th-century rimfire collecting. Most of the archived auctions I have found of various rifles typically stayed between $250 and $500, so the current auction prices. Performance ExpectationsBased on what I’ve read on various forums and online accounts from alleged owners and shooters, these rifles generally deliver decent plinking accuracy at 15–25 yards with standard-velocity ammo when the bore is clean. They are not tack-drivers, but they handle tin cans and paper targets just fine for casual use. It seems that many have survived these 120+ years because the design is mechanically simple. They were probably great back in the day as short-range backyard plinkers when properly maintained. Final ThoughtsThe Quackenbush Safety Rifle represents that wonderful era when America was making affordable firearms for the next generation of shooters. It wasn’t the most powerful or refined rifle on the market, but its innovative safety features and unique swinging breech made it stand out from the Stevens Pocket Rifle and Winchester’s competing youth rifles. Photo: O’Gallerie Auctions If you come across one in decent shape, it’s well worth a closer look, and if you’re the type, worth collecting and even shooting. Clean it up and enjoy the simple pleasure of single-shot rimfire shooting the way earlier generations experienced it over 100 years ago. I’d love to hear your experiences with Quackenbush rifles: have you owned one? Restored one? Drop your stories in the comments. Thanks as always for stopping by The Rimfire Report, and we’ll see you again next week! Photo: Liberty Tree Guns