Posted on 09/13/2011 8:47:25 AM PDT by Paladins Prayer
In a way, commercials can tell you more about how we've changed than history books. The other day I came across the following 1960s TV commercial on YouTube; it's for a toy set called the "Gung Ho Commando Outfit" by Marx. And it's a perfect snapshot of the America that, sadly, no longer exists.
(Excerpt) Read more at renewamerica.com ...
I remember the toy guns I had over 50 years ago! They were “Cowboy” revolvers, and looked real. They even had cartridges that looked real. Real brass, with an insert that looked like a bullet. You put little round caps in them, shot them, and had to reload! What fun we had! Don’t remember which company made them.
Happiness is a Warm Gun
Artist(Band):The Beatles
She’s not a girl who misses much
Do do do do do do, oh yeah
She’s well acquainted with the touch of the velvet hand
Like a lizard on a window pane
The man in the crowd with the multicoloured mirrors
On his hobnail boots
Lying with his eyes while his hands are busy
Working overtime
A soap impression of his wife which he ate
And donated to the National Trust
I need a fix ‘cause I’m going down
Down to the bits that I left uptown
I need a fix cause I’m going down
Mother Superior jumped the gun
Mother Superior jumped the gun
Mother Superior jumped the gun
Mother Superior jumped the gun
Mother Superior jumped the gun
Mother Superior jumped the gun
Happiness (is a warm gun)
Bang Bang Shoot Shoot
Happiness (is a warm gun, momma)
Bang Bang Shoot Shoot
(When I hold you in my arms)
Oooooooooh, oh yeah!
And when I feel my finger on your trigger
Oooooooooh, oh yeah!
I know nobody can do me no harm
Oooooooooh, oh yeah!
Happiness (is a warm gun, momma)
Bang Bang Shoot Shoot
Happiness (is a warm gun)
Bang Bang Shoot Shoot
Yes it is, gun!
Happiness (is a warm gun)
Bang Bang Shoot Shoot
Happiness (is a warm gun)
is a warm gun, yeeeaahhh!
Nowadays, the only place you'll find realistic toy guns is in "less developed" countries and in areas where political correctness hasn't taken root. For example, the mercados in San Antonio sometimes have cap guns like we remember (but more cheaply made), because they are catering to Texan customers from areas not near Austin, Houston or Dallas. And Mexicans, of course.
However, I was surprised recently - did an honest double-take - when I walked through a Walgreen's phamacy near Dallas and saw packages of those little plastic six-shot ring caps (more of a '70s invention, the older cap guns used roll caps or individual peel-n-stick caps). I hadn't seen those on the shelf in fifteen years, I'll bet.
I had an 1898 Winchester that that got kicked over the top of a heating duct all night. The barrell bent 90 degress, and it used to shoot those plastic bullets around corners. (I only had 1 reusable cartrige though, so everytime I cocked the lever, I had to watch where it went.)
I had the same rifle. I remember buying it with S & H Green Stamps. The Army stuff was “Monkey Patrol”. But the best Christmas present EVER! was TIGER JOE.
I had all sorts of toy guns, bazookas and rocket launchers all made for play acting wars back in the 60’s. Not to step on the nostalgia or anything, but when my twelve yr old isn’t target practicing with real guns, he and his friends break out the airsoft pistols and rifles (his favorites are M16 and 1911 handgun models that I would have died for as a brat)!
>> They even had cartridges that looked real. Real brass, with an insert that looked like a bullet. You put little round caps in them, shot them, and had to reload! What fun we had! Don’t remember which company made them.
Mattel. “Fanner 50” was the pistol and “Winchester” the rifle. Brass shells, gray plastic bullets, a spring caused the bullet to pop out of the shell. “Greenie Stick-um” caps.
I will always remember one glorious Winter day when I was six years old. I had a pair of Roy Rogers plastic cap guns. They were not at all realistic but that is all I had. They took roll caps and probably misfired more often than not.
We were playing Cowboys and Crooks. I was hiding behind a bush but wanted a better location. I took out my sixguns and ran firing as fast as I could. This was to keep the crooks heads down while I was exposed.
Well for the first and only time in my entire life both guns fired perfectly for each pull of the trigger. I still remember it like it was yesterday. The crooks must have been impressed!
Oh man....Monkey Patrol....that brings back memories.
Was the Tigers song something like “Bazooka Ben ???? and Combat Kid. Go into attack into action they’re the Tigers.” I can’t remember my wife’s birthday, but I can remember parts of those commercials.
"you're describing one of my favorite childhood toys, my Mattel "Fanner 50".Too bad you didn't hang on to it!
#543 Mattel, "Fanner 50 Bullet Loading Cap Pistol"
http://momandpopstoys.com/guns.htm
Fanning gun of Old West w/ bullet loading action, rapid for 50 perforated roll
caps, barrel smokes, action hammer 1958---ONLY TWO LEFT $800.00...
Mattel “Fanner 50” was the pistol and “Winchester” the rifle. Brass shells, gray plastic
bullets, a spring caused the bullet to pop out of the shell. “Greenie Stick-um” caps.
Definitely NOT the Fanner 50. Mine didn’t shoot anything. It was srictly a cap gun. The bullet part of the cartridge was grey metal. I’m talkin’ ‘bout Mid-Fifties, ‘55/’56, I think, as I was 10 in ‘56. The Mattel may have been available then, but it’s not what I had.
I said it didn’t shoot anything, but,,,, I soon discovered that a BB would fit tightly into the hole in the metal bullet, and I could squeeze up to ten of the red, round caps into the brass. With the aid of some strong rubber bands, the hammer had enough “oomph” to fire all the caps, and shoot the BB. BB didn’t go very far though!
I miss my Thompson SMG capgun. Geez, how I enjoyed that toy.
I bet it would be worth a fortune on eBay, too!
>> Definitely NOT the Fanner 50. Mine didn’t shoot anything. It was srictly a cap gun.
Come to think of it, you may be right on the Fanner 50; I think it *was* just a cap gun. The Winchester is what shot the “shootin’ shells”. They were definitely part of the same “set” though.
I got mine Christmas 1961. The “Shootin’ Shell” bullets were definitely plastic by then; the shells were still brass. But (and I don’t know if my memory is being jogged or if I’m inventing this by power of suggestion) I vaguely recall some other kid showing me shootin’ shells with metal bullets, just as you describe.
Thanks! Memories... didn’t have a red hat or glasses but otherwise I could’ve been that kid.
TOYS...PHTT...I got to play w/ the REAL thing(my dad’s .22) and my dad brought home 3 Jap swords from WW II AND a Jap Rifle and bayonet too. TOYS...PHTT!
HOWEVER when I shot the Picture Tube out of the Family’s TV(19 Inch B & W) with my BB Gun ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE! My sister(3 older) WERE PISSED! My dad was SO mad that he just walked away(he was a REAL LIVE WW II Combat Vet). Took 2 month before we go it fixed. Memories!
Sounds like I may have had a Nichols. From Wiki;
“In 1946 Talley W. and Lewis W. Nichols started a cap gun company in Pasadena, Texas, which eventually became one of the world’s largest cap gun manufacturing companies. World War II being just over they wanted to manufacture something and after several ideas the idea was proposed that they make toys, specifically toy cap guns. The primary choice was a cap pistol that resembled a 19th century version of the famous Colt Peacemaker in some way, as that was an extremely popular revolver.
Their first gun, the Silver Pony, was made and orders were brisk. The success of this initial offering led to the Mustang (later called the Silver Mustang) and the Silver Colt. But these were somewhat ordinary cap guns and being small they ventured out and created a large cap gun called the Stallion 45. In 1950 the Stallion 45 was introduced at the New York Toy Fair and became a sensation. It was declared the “Toy of the Year.” Besides its large size, which was essentially the same size as its namesake, it featured individual 2-piece bullets, which would hold a single cap and when the gun was fired, the cylinder revolved, the bullet fired, and smoke came out of the end of the barrel.”
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