Nick Danger Posted September 28, 2020 Share Posted September 28, 2020 There hasn't been a lot of activity on the "Space Guns" forum lately, so I thought I'd photograph something I picked up over the summer: my personal Holy Grail, the Rockatomic rifle... It's non-functional, but the sight is still there. And it looks great on my mantel, which is currently displaying my 1940s space guns; works of art in wood and aluminum (not a lot of color variation in 1940s space guns, but I kinda dig it). I always wondered why Daisy didn't offer a Buck Rogers rifle alongside its pistols in the 1930s, and then I realized...Right, the Depression. The Rocket Pistol sold for $.50 (and, I understand, quite a bit less than that while Macy's and Gimbels were competing during the Christmas of 1934), while the Rockatomic sold for $1.95 after the War. A bit of a jump. Which got me thinking...The Rockatomic was on sale in 1946. Does that make it the first commercial space rifle toy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian.. Posted September 28, 2020 Share Posted September 28, 2020 I can't think of an earlier one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tikidoc Posted October 1, 2020 Share Posted October 1, 2020 Fantastic addition! I would like to one day find one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alessandro Posted October 2, 2020 Share Posted October 2, 2020 Fantastic piece! Congrats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinplate6 Posted October 3, 2020 Share Posted October 3, 2020 Nick, Congratulations on finding one of these wonderful toys. I also love your display stand, shows of the gun nicely. I have mine on the wall, and it is definitely a prize in my collection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Danger Posted October 4, 2020 Author Share Posted October 4, 2020 Thanks one and all, for your kind words. I can't find an earlier space rifle, either. The Baby Zooka is a contender, since it requires two hands to operate, but I think the absence of a stock removes it from the "rifle" category. Ideal's Atomic Machine Gun has a patent date of 1944, but for whatever reason, it didn't go into production until the early 1950s. So, until something else comes along, I think the Rockatomic is the winner. Brady...*Sigh* Yes, I've been coveting your ray gun collection for some time; thank you for posting images of it on the forum. I see you have displayed your Rockatomic next to your Baby Zooka, as well. They do look good, together. Among your stunning collection of rifles, I notice that the Radar Flash is conspicuously absent. Do you dislike it, or are you simply waiting for a pristine example to become available? For what it's worth, I had to mix-and-match stands for the Rockatomic. Not only are they different heights, but one has a v-shaped notch and the other a semi-circular notch. The Rockatomic is so wonderfully-oddly shaped. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinplate6 Posted October 4, 2020 Share Posted October 4, 2020 Nick, yes, the "Flash" rarely shows up in decent condition, you have very nice examples. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Danger Posted October 5, 2020 Author Share Posted October 5, 2020 Thanks! My Radar Flash isn't exactly in pristine condition, but I feel lucky to find one at all, and much to my wife's dismay, it works! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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