[Tinplate6]

Although not terribly uncommon, nevertheless, this gun doesn't come up as often as most. Another harlequin styled pistol, it too came in dual colors like several other less expensive guns of the 50's.



It's a dart gun, but rarely shows up with the original darts, unless carded. It is 6.5 inches long and has stars and a rudimentary lightening bolt design molded on each side. Made by Premier Plastics, it has no markings on it. This one is very clean and shiny.

This post has been edited by Tinplate6: 07 July 2010 - 07:07 AM

[Phil R]

I've always thought this was an interesting gun. Plain but the designs on the side really add to it. Mine is yellow/black designs and white/red designs. Don't you mean Palmer plastics? That's what is on Doc A's gun on card. I wonder how many color variations there are? All three of ours are different. This gun is unique in that it has a place for a cap built into the dart.

This post has been edited by Phil R: 07 July 2010 - 12:06 PM

[dratomic]

Nice pick up, T6.

Phil: Yep, Palmer Plastics.

The gun was available on the card with a dart, or bagged with a header card and dart. Every carded one I've seen has been black and white, with an almost airbrushed quality to the painted details. (Similar to what you'd see on something like the Tom Corbett rifle -- the masking wasn't very tight, I guess.) The cleaner paint job on yours, T6, suggests that it was done with a bit more care... Making me think it was probably a later, bagged examples.

As far as I know, only the carded version of the gun came with the exploding darts. The bagged version had regular suction cup darts. Palmer also sold the darts on their own in pairs on space-themed cards. (I've got a set -- I'll post a pic tonight.)

It's a simple gun, but I find it kind of charming.

[Tinplate6]

Thanks guys for the background info...for some reason I seem to remember seeing Premier as the manufacturer somewhere, ok, Palmer it is then.

[Phil R]

Here's a Space Explorer gun with regular darts on card. Don't know if they're original, however. Here are the color combinations on mine . I don't have darts. I bought it for a few dollars a few years ago. Notice the swirls of black on the white near trigger and end of guns which appear to be dirt at first glance.

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This post has been edited by Phil R: 07 July 2010 - 05:46 PM

[dratomic]

You can see how the paint isn't quite as sharp on the carded one compared to T6's example. It's got that "fuzzy" look around the edge. I'd say the gun looks correct for the card, but the dart is definitely a later addition, probably by the collector/seller/whoever. The card very specifically advertised having "explosive" darts.

Phil, is the trigger on yours plastic or metal? It looks a bit sharper than those I've seen on other examples of the gun.

Oh, as for color combinations... I've seen black and white (with each color appearing on either the left or right side of the gun), yellow and black, yellow and white, yellow and blue, all blue, all black, and I THINK some combination of green and another color. I'm betting there are more floating around out there...

[Phil R]

Just plastic.

[Fineas J. Whoopie]

Hey Phil - I'm pretty sure the picture you posted of the carded Space Explorer gun is of my example. Did you save that pic from ebay? You can see mine has the same tears starting at the top of the card loop that holds the barrel in place and the same "hanging chad" on the top dart flap. Mine also came with a green non explosive dart that I have since replaced with a correct explosive dart (thanks again doc!)

Small world, this hobby.

Tinplate - I love that blue color - want to trade?

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