I did not call the Protector Palm Pistol a "lemon squeezer" because it wasn't called a "lemon squeezer." The pistol that became commonly known as a "lemon squeezer' was a Smith & Wesson Safety Hammerless revolver which I'll talk about in a minute.
As stated in the post, "The Protector Palm Pistol of 1882", its official name is "The Minneapolis Firearms Co. Protector Squeezer Type Palm Pistol." It is also known as "The Protector Squeezer Type Palm Pistol," "The Protector Palm Pistol," "The Protector," or simply the "Palm Pistol."
The usual way of holding the "Palm Pistol" is with the barrel protruding from between the shooter’s fingers. The action is operated by squeezing the hinged lever on the rear of the gun’s circular frame. But that has nothing to do with the pistol known as a "Lemon Squeezer," which is a Smith & Wesson top-break revolver.
The Smith & Wesson Safety Hammerless -- Lemon Squeezer -- 3-inch Barrel |
The pistol known as a "lemon squeezer" is commonly known as the Smith & Wesson Safety Hammerless revolver. It is a small double-action revolver that was produced from 1887 to 1940. The first model was manufactured from 1887 to 1902. Improvements were made with the Second Model, Third Model, Fourth Model, and Fifth Models, and it was a good-selling pistol until just before World War II. It is chambered in .32 S&W and .38 S&W calibers.
The small hammerless double-action Smith & Wesson Lemon Squeezer, known as the Smith & Wesson Safety Hammerless, was officially designated "The New Departure." It has an internal hammer and external grip safety on its grip's backstrap that has to be squeezed to be fired. It was "nicknamed" the "Lemon Squeezer" by owners because of the grip safety built into its backstrap.
Lemon squeezer utensils of different sorts were commonly found in kitchens across America. They are general-purpose citrus squeezers that are ideal for squeezing lemons, limes, and even small oranges. The easy-to-use hand operation of the squeezer makes it easy to draw juice from a lemon. The Smith & Wesson Safety Hammerless revolver's grip safety has to be squeezed firmly to fire the pistol. Thus the nickname, "lemon squeezer."
The "lemon squeezer" is based on the Smith & Wesson Model 2 double-action design. It is a top-break revolver designed for fast reloading and ease of concealable carry. Its internal hammer means no snags when drawing the revolver from a coat or trouser pocket. This made it very popular and extremely convenient to carry. It was designed for personal protection.
The Smith & Wesson "Lemon Squeezer" was considered a very popular concealed carry and it was also considered a great hide-out backup gun for law enforcement officers. Some sources say it was carried as a backup gun by some law enforcement officers well into the 1970s. And frankly, while I find that hard to believe since there were already so many other options for backup pistols by the 1950s, that sentiment is probably due to the popularity of Smith & Wesson's Bicycle Revolvers.
Here's something else, the Smith & Wesson "Lemon Squeezer" that I own is in .32 S&W. It was given to me by my father-in-law when we got into Cowboy Action Shooting. And yes, in case you're wondering, it's a nice little shooter. My father-in-law, a man who was a real gun expert, once told me that the first models of Lemon Squeezers were made between 1888 to 1902. Mine has a push-down barrel latch. The later models required the latch to be pulled up.
Around 240,000 of the .32 caliber Safety Hammerless Revolvers were produced in total. The most common barrel lengths were the 3-inch and 3.5-inch barrels. The 1.5-inch and 2-inch barrel "Bicycle Revolvers" were available but were mostly special order items. It's said the shorter barrel "Bicycle Revolvers" were usually bought for storekeepers who wanted to keep a pistol in their pocket, for law enforcement, bankers, gamblers, pimps, prostitutes, and others who wanted to carry a hide-out gun.
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The Smith & Wesson Safety Hammerless -- Lemon Squeezer -- Bicycle Revolver |
There is a reason that I said that there were other options for law enforcement backup pistols by the 1950s. One reason has to do with how top-break revolvers made way for solid-frame swing-out cylinder J-frame Smith & Wesson models. Smith & Wesson J-frame revolvers are snub-nose revolvers that incorporate the "Bicycle Revolver" concept. And while snub-nose revolvers with hammers were plentiful for many years, it wasn't until the early 1950s that Smith & Wesson applied its safety hammerless concept to a J-frame revolver.
The result was the Smith & Wesson Centennial Model 40 revolver. It came about in 1952 on the 100th anniversary of the founding of Smith & Wesson.
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Smith & Wesson Centennial Model 40 |
Since the hammer was completely concealed, it was a double-action-only handgun. It was produced until 1974 and came in .38 Special. The Model 40 was a double-action-only revolver that featured a fully concealed hammer and still incorporated a grip safety. As far as I can tell looking at Smith & Wesson's line of revolvers, none today incorporate a grip safety in its design.
Tom Correa
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