spud guns at dawn

The Spud Gun was one of those classic toys that were everywhere in the Sixties. I imagine its such a classic that its still being made today.

Cast from sturdy metal, the gun was essentially a small pistol that could easily fit into the pocket of your parka or bomber. Saying that it was equally at home inside the family residence as it was in the garden or street. Sadly nowadays it would be a no-no to go in the street with one.

As the name suggests the spud gun relied on spuds for its ammo. Spuds are potatoes and only fresh ones would do. No chips, mash, roasties, scallops or rosti. Only fresh uncooked taters would be firm enough for the barrel to be inserted into and a plug of creamy flesh be removed. Whether the spuds had to be peeled I can't just recall.

In order to have ammo for a while you had to have at least one large potato with you at all times. As far as I remember there weren't any spud revolvers or spud machine guns. Just a single shot was possible before you had to reload so every shot counted!

A spud gun fight was something to behold. With gobs of potato flying around in all directions it was like paintballing in a chip shop! The squelchy thwup sound of the shot spuds was everywhere and a faint whiff of earth and fields pervaded the battle.

A hit could be painful depending on the location. A bullseye between the eyebrows was a real tearjerker as was a nose shot. Eyes were prohibited but open mouths were fair game. There's nothing quite like the floury taste of a raw spud plug as it hits your tonsils like a skittle.

The make of the spud guns eludes me. Maybe Spears or Lone Star? Crescent rings a bell too. Whoever made them, they were great fun in an age when toy guns were still acceptable in the average home, garden and street.

Did you enjoy your spud gun readers?