While I was tracking down the patents on the Bar pistol for Peter Rasmussen’s article last week, I ran across something interesting (well, I think it’s interesting). On the same day that Behr applied for his British patent on the pistol (May 26th, 1898), he also applied for another patent, and they were both granted with sequential numbers. The second patent was – and I’m quoting here – “An Improved Cartridge for Cyclists’ Use for Scaring Dogs and the Like”.
You may have heard of the Velo-Dog revolvers in tiny calibers meant to ward off dogs chasing bicycles, and this was meant to address the same problem. The mixture Behr was patenting? Equal parts gunpowder, magnesium powder, and granulated sulpher. Yep, it’s basically a 19th century pepper spray flash-bang…or Dragon’s Breath ammo for a revolver:
You can download the complete patent (although there’s not much more to it) here: Great Britain 1898 patent #11998
Interesting.
Here, in Spain, a lot of Velodogs were built, especially in the area of Eibar
I don’t see how a dog would be able to fire this cartridge better than any other. I’ve been trying to teach dogs to shoot all my life and have finally decided to give it up for a bad job.
For one thing, you can’t seem to stop them from muzzling you.
:):):)!!!
In the old days, mailmen would get around by the new fangled bicycle….dogs loved to chase the mailmen, often causing accidents on the early interatioins of those machines which weren’t as nimble as those of later years, causing serious injuries (in many cases) to the mailman…the Velodog – early bikes were called Velocipedes – was designed to scare the crap out of Fido while not killing it…dog lover were as vocal in those days as they are now…
CB in FL
Might have also scared the living daylights out of unsuspecting neighbours as well :)!
this is not the velo dog cartridge, but more in the area of shine-tott.
Behr also helda patent for a cattle killer on the revolver frame
Burkhart Behr, was an innovative guy, he had his own hunting gun factory in Hamburg
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