Compo 10,328 Posted November 18, 2016 Report Share Posted November 18, 2016 1950s Spud guns were made of a cast metal and fired spud pellets for a respectable distance. A spud gun fight was a must during the long summer holidays. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Compo 10,328 Posted November 18, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 18, 2016 No self-respecting boy of the 1950s or 60s would be without a water pistol. They came in hundreds of different styles but there were two main types: The trigger pistol and the plastic pouch type. The trigger type (Picture 1) fires a bolt of water and repeated pulls on the trigger fires repeated bolts of water. The second type (Picture 2) was squeezed to give a continuous jet that could beat off any would-be attacker. I preferred the second type myself. With apologies for the tiny image of the non-pump style water pistol. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sue B 48 1,226 Posted November 18, 2016 Report Share Posted November 18, 2016 Having six Brothers Compo I remember them well, especially the ones in picture 2. I was usually on the receiving end but not always. I would try and give as good as I got and if all else failed I'd run crying to my mam. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
plantfit 7,635 Posted November 18, 2016 Report Share Posted November 18, 2016 could'nt afford a pea shooter,had to make do with a Bic pen outer cover and a pocket full of rice for the ammo Rog 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
carni 10,094 Posted November 18, 2016 Report Share Posted November 18, 2016 We used to catapult bits of rolled up paper at each other; via elastic bands made into homemade catapults on our fingers. dint half come sharp if they caught yer; double whammy if teacher caught you as well. Ouch. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
plantfit 7,635 Posted November 18, 2016 Report Share Posted November 18, 2016 Same here Carni until some wag decided to use netting staples instead of paper, the brown stuff hit the fan then I can tell you Rog 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
carni 10,094 Posted November 18, 2016 Report Share Posted November 18, 2016 That sounds very painful, detty little bo99ers we were, I forgot to say that we chewed the paper up first to make it travel further. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
catfan 14,793 Posted November 18, 2016 Report Share Posted November 18, 2016 Home made catapults ! We NEVER killed or injured animals or birds, just the occasional window, by accident of course ! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
carni 10,094 Posted November 18, 2016 Report Share Posted November 18, 2016 I never quite mastered the elastic band catapults, my efforts would either fly about six foot away and fall to the floor or just twizzle round and flop off the band onto the floor by my feet. No danger to man nor beast ( one for the "Things our parent used to say thread") lol. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Compo 10,328 Posted November 19, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 19, 2016 Some of the things we did should, by rights, have killed us. We made banger guns and fired Roman Candles at each other, cycled all over without a care, climbed trees without safety ropes, swam in the river, carried large sheath knives, you name it - we've done it at some point. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Compo 10,328 Posted November 19, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 19, 2016 I remember a particular cap gun that I had for a birthday when I was about eight or nine years old. I was dead chuffed with it because it had six bullets each of which could be loaded with a single "Cap". The problem was that I got six shots before my caps ran out and I had to unload and reload the bullets. By this time the others had pumped about a thousand bullets into me with their cap guns that held a full roll of caps each Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jill Sparrow 10,321 Posted November 19, 2016 Report Share Posted November 19, 2016 Richard spent his childhood, in the early 50s, making all sorts of explosives, aided by his friends whose parents had farms which afforded all kinds of chemicals for experimentation. He told me that as a young child, he made his own gunpowder and wandered into the kitchen one morning with a jam jar full of the stuff when the milkman turned up. Milkman came in to collect the week's milk payment and said to Richard: "And what have you got there, Sonny?" "It's gunpowder," replied Richard. "Oh aye?" replied the milkman, laughing as he tapped his cigarette ash into the jam jar! B A N G !!!!!! That was the last they ever saw of this particular milkman and the kitchen needed redecorating. He wonders why little boys don't get chemistry sets for Christmas nowadays! 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jill Sparrow 10,321 Posted November 19, 2016 Report Share Posted November 19, 2016 Richard was encouraged in his explosive pursuits by his great uncle, also named Richard. A major in the Army and a weapons instructor. As a child, this maniac made a 'cannon' from a length of Victorian brass curtain pole which was so successful it almost blew his hand off! His mother fainted when she saw a couple of fingers literally hanging by a flap of skin. The local doctor, an excellent fisherman and a whizz at tying flies, was prevailed upon to sew the carnage back together and, apparently did a pretty good job. As Richard says, a visit to any chemist in the 50s would procure all sorts of lethal ingredients for a few pennies. He's very lucky to be here to tell the tale! 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
katyjay 5,091 Posted November 19, 2016 Report Share Posted November 19, 2016 Going back to catapults, didn't we call them gadders? 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DJ360 6,733 Posted November 19, 2016 Report Share Posted November 19, 2016 I believe so Katy. And if you got it wrong you could fire the missile straight into the back of your thumb. That made your eyes water... Col Quote Link to post Share on other sites
catfan 14,793 Posted November 19, 2016 Report Share Posted November 19, 2016 #14. Gallies / Gally's if I remember correctly katy. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Merthyr Imp 729 Posted November 19, 2016 Report Share Posted November 19, 2016 9 hours ago, Compo said: I remember a particular cap gun that I had for a birthday when I was about eight or nine years old. I was dead chuffed with it because it had six bullets each of which could be loaded with a single "Cap". The problem was that I got six shots before my caps ran out and I had to unload and reload the bullets. By this time the others had pumped about a thousand bullets into me with their cap guns that held a full roll of caps each Ah, but you had the satisfaction knowing that your version was much closer to what real cowboys used to do! (I had one of those 'single shot' cap guns myself). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
NewBasfordlad 3,599 Posted November 19, 2016 Report Share Posted November 19, 2016 Looking up to a shelf I can see my original 'gadder' branch from a tree 1/4" square black rubber and a green leather pouch. The rubber originally used to power model aircraft is now so deteriorated I wouldn't dare pull it back. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
katyjay 5,091 Posted November 19, 2016 Report Share Posted November 19, 2016 I think we called some marbles, gallies? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
NewBasfordlad 3,599 Posted November 19, 2016 Report Share Posted November 19, 2016 ^^^^^^^If I right they were the large one's Quote Link to post Share on other sites
carni 10,094 Posted November 19, 2016 Report Share Posted November 19, 2016 I still love marbles and have a bowl of assorted ones on my table as an ornament. The table is just in the right place to pass on the way to the kitchen and you can hear the familiar clinking sound as neither of us can resist swizzling them around (I mean the Marbles) on the way, it's a good way of dusting them. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Merthyr Imp 729 Posted November 20, 2016 Report Share Posted November 20, 2016 I lost my marbles years ago. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Oztalgian 3,330 Posted November 20, 2016 Report Share Posted November 20, 2016 As a kid I was lucky in that my dad had worked at Ransome and Marles at Newark after the war and had many assorted size "steelies" to play marbles with and for ammunition for my 'gadder'. You used to be able to buy 1/4 inch square gadder elastic from the corner shop. The real trick was how to secure it to the gadder frame so it did not come off and hit you in the chops when taking aim. My granddad showed me how ti secure it using the twine that held ferrules on fishing rods by tyeing it like you would a spade end fishing hook. 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
banjo48 928 Posted November 20, 2016 Report Share Posted November 20, 2016 #13 My local chemist at corner of Mapperley plains and Gretton road, can't remember his name, short tubby little fellow with frame less bottle bottom glasses, must have known what I was up to when I used to buy my salt peter, pemangamate of potash and other goodies for my childhood "bomb making " enterprises ! We even used to make our own charcoal and grind it up ! We then moved on to weedkiller and other sweet things that went bang ! I used to buy "Jetex" fuse from the model shop up past the Porchester pub, great stuff for our experimentation at the time, my brother had a little jetex car, powered by a small solid fuel jet motor, so I used to pinch his fuses also. Mapperley brickyard was our testing area, especially the clay bank bordering plains road. Had some lucky escapes but always good fun at the time. I think a catapult was always carried wherever we roamed, complete with small stones or if lucky some marbels or ball bearings. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
banjo48 928 Posted November 20, 2016 Report Share Posted November 20, 2016 6 hours ago, katyjay said: I think we called some marbles, gallies? We actually called our catapults Gally's or Gallies. I actually still use a proper bought catapult sometimes still now, black widow I think it's called, uses round hollow rubber tube that is also used on spear fishing guns, and has a metal frame with wrist support. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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