The company eventually dropped "Cycle Works" from its name when that part of the business was shut down. As family ownership waned and outside investment via publicly traded stock and mergers/acquisitions/partnerships took hold, the company changed ownership and moved several times during its operation. They also saw the growth of the firearms business and the eventual restructuring of the company to focus on firearms and related business as they divested non-firearms concerns, such as the motorcycle business, in the face of growing firearms demand, World War I's armaments industry expansion, and other factors. They shepherded the company through a phase of expansion, as bicycle operations grew, then converted to motorcycle manufacturing and sales. Frederick Iver, (born ), John Lovell (born ), and Walter Olof (born August 1878), each had vastly different levels of involvement in the company ranging from executive leadership to barely any involvement at all. Iver Johnson died of tuberculosis in 1895, and his sons took over the business. Mossberg and Andrew Fyrberg, who would go on to invent the company's top-latching strap mechanism and the Hammer-the-Hammer transfer bar safety system used on the company's popular line of top-break safety revolvers. The company attracted a number of talented immigrant machinists and designers to its ranks, including O.F. The company's name changed again to Iver Johnson's Arms & Cycle Works in 1891, when the company relocated to Fitchburg, Massachusetts, (sometimes incorrectly referred to as "Fitzburg") in order to have better and larger manufacturing facilities. The company's name changed to Iver Johnson & Company in 1883, upon Johnson's purchase of Bye's interest, but Bye continued working in the firearm industry for the remainder of his life. Their primary revenues came from the sale of their self designed and manufactured inexpensive models of revolvers. Beginning in 1876, Johnson and Bye filed jointly for, and received, multiple new firearms features and firearms feature improvement patents. In 1871, Johnson merged his and Martin Bye's gunsmithing operations to form the Johnson Bye & Company. On April 9, 1868, Johnson married Mary Elizabeth ( née Speirs, born January 1847) in Worcester and the couple had three sons, Frederick Iver, John Lovell and Walter Olof, and two daughters, Mary Louise and Nellie.
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Seeking new and creative uses for his partially idle manufacturing equipment after the American Civil War, he worked not only gunsmithing locally in Fitchburg, but also providing designs and work to other firearms companies notably making pepper-box pistols for Allen & Wheelock. Johnson emigrated from Norway to Worcester, Massachusetts, United States in 1863, and continued his work as a gunsmith by trade and an inventor in his spare time. He was educated as a gunsmith in Bergen in 1857, and had a gun store in Oslo. Iver Johnson was born in 1841 in Nordfjord, Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. If the item is shipped and you are legally unable to finalize the transaction you are responsible for shipping charges both ways and a 15% restocking fee.Iver Johnson revolver advertisement, pre-1907 If you live in a less than gun friendly city or state it is your responsibility to verify that the item you intend to purchase is legal to own and be sent there before clicking buy it. Check your local gun laws before purchase. Shipping charges and credit card fees will not be refunded. If you do not agree with our description you can send the item back for a refund of the purchase price. You have a 3 day inspection on all items. For all modern firearms purchases we need a legible copy of your local dealer's FFL (Federal Firearms License) by mail, fax, or email. We do take quality or collectible firearms in on trade. By clicking buy it or following through with this card transaction you are agreeing to this non-refundable fee.
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This 4% will be added to all credit or debit card purchases and is non-refundable if item is returned for any reason.
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Prices listed are for cash, cashiers checks, or money orders and reflect a 4% cash discount. Always interested in purchasing quality guns, either single pieces or collections. We have been in the gun business in north central Iowa since the 60's and usually have over 700 in stock.