Exactly the same for me in the 70s, there was such an extensive choice available from multiple outlets - from cheap plastic pistols right up to surprisingly realistic rifles and Snags (I still mourn the SLR that I smashed up in a temper tantrum lol) Fenton
It was a veritable armoury of plastic back then Fenton wasn't it but toy shops are still bristling with big nerf guns and the like so not much has changed. I think I had an Airfix SLR. I adored the cocking lever action on it! A great movement and sound!
I remember an SLR made by Airfix- they also made a Thompson submachine gun which I had. Thankfully, (looking at what is happening in America) I have not grown up wanting to shoot people (or even animals) so my toy guns don't seem to have had that bad an effect.
Yes, that Airfix SLR was a cracker Andy. I had a sub machine gun too, Gangster style I think. Made lots of noise! Another fave was the build-up rifle/pistil in the Secret Sam Attache Case. if anything takes me back to thos glorious Sixties Christmasses its a Secret Sam attache case! And yes, we all seem reasonably sane on Moonbase, readers and all.
Both Lone Star and Crescent made a large range of toy pistols in the 1950's, mostly cap firing and with a Western theme. Based on Colt 45 Peacemakers.
My favourite was actually a Buccaneer Double Barrel Flintlock that could only fire two caps, one for each barrel. This made it more realistic as the other revolvers were 100 shot repeaters with a whole roll of caps.
The interesting think was that it was balanced like the real weapon to be a club for hand to hand fighting!
Before that I had a Plastic German Luger that fired one cork. It came with two and to obtain fresh ammunition you had to go to your neighbourhood chemist.
Now living in the US surrounded by real handguns with owners inspired by some video games or strange political motives the 50's TV westerns don't seem so violent.
That flintlock toy sounds great terran. It rings a bell as well. I know we had a pirate style flintlock ciggy lighter in our folk's house, which was life-size and one I often fired at my brothers! I love the fact you had to go to the chemists for corks! ha ha
Ahhh yes, firing the cap gun so fast that the paper roll set on fire; thankfully never burning down the roll into the gun. I went through cap guns and caps at an alarming rate. The all metal guns that took rolls or those 8?shot rings all eventually suffered metal fatigue. The plastic luger with metal firing plate disintegrated from overuse. My brother and I must have driven our mum mad with all the noise. I know at one point we were restricted to only a strip of 10 of 15 caps off a roll. Nowadays I only have a Lone Star Stingray cap gun. I have got a bunch of cap rolls, but have restrained myself from running around firing it (maybe I'll buy a cheap gun to indulge my inner child). At some point we didnt get them anymore, just the plastic "makes realistic firing sound" things.....
Sounds like a war zone Timmy back in the day but n a nice way. I love that, cap restriction! ha ha. That Lone Star Stingray cap gun is a great looking toy. Send us a snap of it if you want.
Quite a few toy guns in my childhood. Everyone I knew had the disc pistol or its brother that shot little yellow rubber balls. Many metal 6 shooters with the side that slid up to take a full roll of caps, pistols that just made clicking noises, plus so many assorted suction dart firing pistols.
Some friends had the Mattel M16 which I always wanted. Others had various rifles, wood bolt action ones, single cock pop rifles, assorted smg's. My favorite was the Marx Tommy gun. It was large, mostly blue, made noise with each pull of the trigger. Mine was used so much that the internal gears were so worn that it made noise about every tenth pull. It was around until 1980ish when my mom let one of the neighbor's kis she was watching play with it and they broke it in two. So much bent plastic, I was unable to fix it.
It took me almost 15 years to find a replacement. There's a lot of the short versions out there, and even more of the smaller yet black ones that you can find at the halloween stores, but the original long version is a rarity. My happy ending was that the merchant sold me both of his for a sweet price and one still has the price tag on the stock.
Exactly the same for me in the 70s, there was such an extensive choice available from multiple outlets - from cheap plastic pistols right up to surprisingly realistic rifles and Snags (I still mourn the SLR that I smashed up in a temper tantrum lol)
ReplyDeleteFenton
Snags ?!? SMGs ! Haha
DeleteFenton
It was a veritable armoury of plastic back then Fenton wasn't it but toy shops are still bristling with big nerf guns and the like so not much has changed. I think I had an Airfix SLR. I adored the cocking lever action on it! A great movement and sound!
DeleteI remember an SLR made by Airfix- they also made a Thompson submachine gun which I had.
ReplyDeleteThankfully, (looking at what is happening in America) I have not grown up wanting to shoot people (or even animals) so my toy guns don't seem to have had that bad an effect.
Yes, that Airfix SLR was a cracker Andy. I had a sub machine gun too, Gangster style I think. Made lots of noise! Another fave was the build-up rifle/pistil in the Secret Sam Attache Case. if anything takes me back to thos glorious Sixties Christmasses its a Secret Sam attache case! And yes, we all seem reasonably sane on Moonbase, readers and all.
DeleteBoth Lone Star and Crescent made a large range of toy pistols in the 1950's, mostly cap firing and with a Western theme. Based on Colt 45 Peacemakers.
ReplyDeleteMy favourite was actually a Buccaneer Double Barrel Flintlock that could only fire two caps, one for each barrel. This made it more realistic as the other revolvers were 100 shot repeaters with a whole roll of caps.
The interesting think was that it was balanced like the real weapon to be a club for hand to hand fighting!
Before that I had a Plastic German Luger that fired one cork. It came with two and to obtain fresh ammunition you had to go to your neighbourhood chemist.
Now living in the US surrounded by real handguns with owners inspired by some video games or strange political motives the 50's TV westerns don't seem so violent.
That flintlock toy sounds great terran. It rings a bell as well. I know we had a pirate style flintlock ciggy lighter in our folk's house, which was life-size and one I often fired at my brothers! I love the fact you had to go to the chemists for corks! ha ha
DeleteAhhh yes, firing the cap gun so fast that the paper roll set on fire; thankfully never burning down the roll into the gun. I went through cap guns and caps at an alarming rate. The all metal guns that took rolls or those 8?shot rings all eventually suffered metal fatigue. The plastic luger with metal firing plate disintegrated from overuse.
ReplyDeleteMy brother and I must have driven our mum mad with all the noise. I know at one point we were restricted to only a strip of 10 of 15 caps off a roll. Nowadays I only have a Lone Star Stingray cap gun. I have got a bunch of cap rolls, but have restrained myself from running around firing it (maybe I'll buy a cheap gun to indulge my inner child). At some point we didnt get them anymore, just the plastic "makes realistic firing sound" things.....
Sounds like a war zone Timmy back in the day but n a nice way. I love that, cap restriction! ha ha. That Lone Star Stingray cap gun is a great looking toy. Send us a snap of it if you want.
DeleteQuite a few toy guns in my childhood. Everyone I knew had the disc pistol or its brother that shot little yellow rubber balls. Many metal 6 shooters with the side that slid up to take a full roll of caps, pistols that just made clicking noises, plus so many assorted suction dart firing pistols.
ReplyDeleteSome friends had the Mattel M16 which I always wanted. Others had various rifles, wood bolt action ones, single cock pop rifles, assorted smg's. My favorite was the Marx Tommy gun. It was large, mostly blue, made noise with each pull of the trigger. Mine was used so much that the internal gears were so worn that it made noise about every tenth pull. It was around until 1980ish when my mom let one of the neighbor's kis she was watching play with it and they broke it in two. So much bent plastic, I was unable to fix it.
It took me almost 15 years to find a replacement. There's a lot of the short versions out there, and even more of the smaller yet black ones that you can find at the halloween stores, but the original long version is a rarity. My happy ending was that the merchant sold me both of his for a sweet price and one still has the price tag on the stock.
Great memories lance. How brilliant to get two Tommy Guns! You get to play with two and relive the glory days!
Delete