Wednesday, October 25, 2023

Daisy, Daisy.....

Last post I discussed the Daisy BB gun now being sold as a homage to the one immortalized in "the famous Christmas movie".   You know the one I'm talking about...


I had little to do with BB guns as a youngster, my parents being solidly in the "You'll shoot an eye out" camp.  I must have plinked away a bit as a cub scout.  

Perhaps this is a place to say a few things about the interesting history of Daisy BB guns.  I had not known for instance that the company that makes them started out making windmills for farms back in the 1880s.  Very renewable energy.  But their company was faltering until they started throwing in as a premium a BB gun made by another company in their hometown of Plymouth Michigan.  The BB guns proved very popular.  The windmills, less so.  After a few years they just switched over to producing the little pop guns full time.  

Daisy has done well with this business model.  Oh, they had to take the War Years off.  Disappointingly they did not make firearms of any sort, just gaskets, switches and other sub contracted stuff.  For more of the history of Daisy I found this.  If you need still more it sounds as if their museum is pretty impressive.

Getting back to my Daisy Cub. 


The information on the box provides a bit of a "time capsule".  


Needless to say the new, socially responsible Target does not sell these.  They seem in fact to be uncomfortable with squirt guns.

As Hank seldom leaves my side you'll have to get used to him photobombing Detritus of Empire.


As I mentioned, modern Daisy BB guns are made in China.  Consulting various histories of the company I can place the Preston Ontario plant as operating from the mid 1950's until 1983, the very year that the Famous Christmas Movie which shall not be named was made.

So it is just barely possible that the prop master for same, in being detailed to round up six specimens for use might have glanced at this very box.  But of course he said....nah.  This is a small, basic model BB gun.  Hardly something that Ralphie would dream about....




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