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!
>> 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.