Toy gun
Category
Toys
Date
circa 1925
Materials
Metal, cardboard and pea
Measurements
Gun - 130 mm (length); 102 mm (width); 15 mm (height), Box - 147 mm (length); 105 mm (width); 19 mm (height), Each pea - 7 mm (diameter)
Place of origin
England
Order this imageCollection
Sudbury Hall Museum of Childhood, Derbyshire
NT 664384
Caption
A pea-shooting toy gun, 'The New Bully Boy', patented in 1924 by Percy Harold Hurst. Printed on the box lid is the claim that it fires 25 shots in rapid succession, but only if you load it with the correct size of pea - too small and it could jam the mechanism!
Summary
A pea-shooting toy gun in its original box (circa 1925). The box has a label on the lid which reads 'New Bully Boy' 'rapid firing repeating pea pistol'. There is an illustration of the gun working and a view of the gun with the butt open. There are directions as to how the weapon should be loaded and fired. The lid is covered with faded green coloured paper. The bottom of the box is covered with faded green paper. The gun is made of grey coloured metal. It has two barrels, one on top of the other, and the upper most one has a flat swinging cover pivoted at the top. The butt of the pistol has 'The New' embossed on both sides across the top and 'Bullboy' embossed below this, in an oval. The remainder of the butt has a regular chequered design. On one side, at the top, is impressed 'Patent No. 234995', and on the other side is 'Made in England'. The two halves of the butt are held together by a bent piece of wire at the bottom. The trigger is painted black. The ammunition consists of three yellow dried peas. Total number of items is 6.