Toys R Us

[sheepherder]

Toys R Us!

"I don't wanna grow up, I'm a Toys R Us kid..."

The 50's were a great time to be a kid...Mattell, Hubley, and
other toy makers were cranking out clones of TV show
guns...Mattell even came out with the innovative "Shootin' Shell Fanner 50" that actually shot plastic bullets via a spring-loaded cartridge...They had a snub-nosed companion revolver loosely based on the detective specials ...Also "Shootin' Shell"...

Hubley had a very realistic top-break revolver capgun...And a
lever action cap rifle that was chromed Zinc w/plastic furniture...

I had a Shootin' Shell Fanner 50 and the Hubley lever
action...But the Mattel MMP was my prize...

Loosely based on the Mauser Broomhandle, but lots of obvious fantasy additions...and a belt clip on the stock-holster...Held a roll of caps and shot them off full-auto...

I don't recall where or how I got it, probably traded something
for it (trading was big in the 50's), but I do recall playing
with it in the snow...So maybe a Xmas present...

But while rolling down a snowbank, the MMP got caught and the barrel snapped off...I took it home, found a suitable dowel of some sort in my dad's 'stuff' drawers/boxes, and glued it back together...We had really good plastic glue back then; Testor's and Monogram both made good glue. Outlawed now, of course - dangerous inhalent...

But I glued it back together and it went on to play again...I
have no idea what ever happened to it...

About a year or two ago, there was a discussion here about toy guns...I remembered my MMP and went online to eBay and Searched for MMP's...They were selling at phenomenal prices!!! A hundred dollars and more!!! Even the box the toy came in sells!!! I couldn't justify that...but I put in some lowball bids, and last week finally won...this...

It even has a Patent number...2729011...Patented in Jan
1956...(The patent pic actually shows a Thompson-style cap gun - it's the mechanism that got patented)...I was 6 then...I probably was 9 or 10 when I got my MMP...

I realize this has nothing whatsoever to do with this
Forum...just reliving some of my childhood memories...This was
one of my fondest toys...

This one has been neglected for decades; looks like it was never oiled (several labeled oil ports), but nothing seems
broken...just gummed up and erratic...

I don't even know if they still sell rols of caps...But this will
go in my [public] display case, along with my slide rule,
cigarette case lighters, and antique staplers...

[lugerholsterrepair]

Ricj, Very cool! Nice presentation..Interesting story. Thanks! Had fun reading it. Have never heard of this toy..

[ithacaartist]

I had a Fanner 50, but my shootin' shell rig was a smaller revolver, Peacemaker style; it had a leather belt and holster which seemed good, realistic quality at the time. I also remember the snub nosed detective revolver. That also came in a "detective's kit" with a Thompson!

Roll of caps here: http://moretoyguns.com/MoreToyGuns/p...02TOOTSIE.html Full auto cap fire sounds impressive, but for the really big effect, I'd pinch the rolls so they wouldn't roll away, set the roll on edge on the sidewalk, and give the entire roll a whomp with one of my dad's hammers, igniting the entire roll at once. Adults would come from nowhere to see what was going on.

[rhuff]

Now that is a really COOL pistol!! I have never seen one, but can easily see how that one could be a favorite. Glad that you located one to relive your youth.

A few years ago a dear friend of many years died, and he gave me his Marlin 30-30s, and a cap shooting lever action rifle STILL in the original box. The cellophane "window' on the box is broken/torn, but everything else is just as it was in the 1950s. It belonged to Joe, so it would never be for sale, but it does bring back wonderful memories of a much more simple time.

[alanint]

I also had the cowboy Fanner 50 and the tommygun that would shoot the rolled caps full auto. You loaded the roll into a compartment on the front of the Tommy's 20 round "magazine".

[cdmech]

Very, very, very cool!
Marc

[milburn]

Has anyone seen a full-sized "Colt" cap gun that would be the counterpart to the S&W 38/44, Chrome plated, cylinder was tapered from the back to the front, probably to make it look less real, and I think the cylinder was spring loaded to push to the front to load circular caps. I broke mine, and never saw another one. Too real looking? This was a full-sized pistol with about a 6" bbl. This was in the early 50s.

[Ice]

I remember having a breaktop toy revolver that closely resembled a S&W. It was double action and had a hammer. Had to place a circular tab that held 6 glued in caps on the face of the cylinder and closed the assembly. Pulling the trigger raised the hammer that fired the caps. Very realistic. Wish I still had it but it was part of a box of toys that my mother packed up and sent to a cousin while I was at camp as a teenager.

Thanks for the good memories.

Charlie

[Douglas Jr.]

Man, it is HUGE!
Great story, thanks for sharing.

[rhuff]

Amazing....I actually do have the plastic Buntline Special from the Wyatt Earp Show. I had not thought about that thing for many years. It is in a box in a closet of a spare bedroom. Now that does go back many years.

[alvin]

Once I had a toy Schnellfeuer like gun (1975), made of thin steel sheet, which cost about 8 (adult earned 50 a month at that time). It had a long removable magazine, single column, single feeding, holding 10 plastic rounds. Pulling the trigger, one round flies out, DAO like operation. Purely spring operated, no recoil. Lots of fun.

[cirelaw]

In 'COMBAT' Rick Jason and Vic Morrow with a Thompson that always full of ammo. Vic Morrow was decaptated by a helicoptor blade while holding a seven you old. They decided to finish with Vic out takes and the child while filming the Twilight zone movie.

[cirelaw]

Rick Jason and Vic Morrow killed more German with their Thompson. 30 years later I got mine, in semi of course. I can hardly lift it and thats empty

[alanint]

Rick Jason always carried an M1 Carbine.......

[cirelaw]

YEP I stand corrected!

[spartacus38]

I still have 2 of my cap pistols from the 40s.
One is a Bronco with the off white grips having a saddle and a pair of boots.
The other is a Texan with the off white grips having a Texas Long horn steer on each side.
Bob

[sheepherder]

I added another modelgun to my collection...It's a Marushin PFC MP40...ABS plastic...1:1 scale...Basically functions like the real ones...Except it doesn't shoot...

...But it looks cool!...

[Curly1]

Yea that is pretty cool.

[cirelaw]

I came accross this plastic luger!

[cirelaw]

This was my first and favorite!