The Rolling Block Rifle was one of Mattel's distinguished line of Shootin' Shell weapons. It was sometimes packaged alone (with a cowhide bandolier - not shown because I don't have one) and sometimes with a Shootin' Shell Fanner 50. It was modeled after a real Remington rifle fitted with a rolling breechlock between the hammer and the cartridge. Because that sounds a little complicated, it was also called (at least on the box) an "Indian Scout" rifle. It's about 30 inches long.
More Cap Guns HERE.
A movie of you firing it would really be neat. I don't recall seeing commercials for this, or seeing it in the stores, and none of my friends had one. Good-looking long gun, though.
ReplyDeleteThat looks very familiar. In the dark recesses of my mind I see one in my hands. Whether that is a real memory or childhood wish, I'm not sure. But I can almost it against my shoulder.
ReplyDeleteI had one and I became quite the marksman.
ReplyDeleteMarx playset cowboys, army men, whatever
all fell before my deadly aim.
WOW, a blast from the past! I just went online on a whim to find this memory from my childhood and succeeded.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was seven, I wanted one of these guns so bad, but my mother refused to buy it for me saying that I had enough toys. Alameda shopping center was being built nearby, it was the beginning of summer vacation, AND I decided to go to work! I ran errands for the workmen each weekday (sodas, cigarettes- they sold them to 7 year olds back in 1959, snacks, etc.)and they would give me back a few tips and the empty soda bottles for the 2 cent deposits. Every day I'd count my earnings and kept them in a sock. After about a month when I'd made the $3 cost, I went to Popp's toy store to buy the "prize" of my life. BUT, at the age of 7, I didn't understand the concept of sales tax and came up short. That's when my mother took pitty and gave me the extra 9 cents I was missing. I never went back to work that summer. For years my mother loved to tell the story. This experience must have started the clock ticking, because I was fortunate enough to be able to retire at the age of 54.
The crazy thing is that I can remember this rifle being called the Buffalo Hunter's Gun?
The Rolling Block had different names
ReplyDeleteMattel was still selling this model in 1961-62. This model didn't malfunction like the revolving cylinder one
This rifle was not very popular. Lucky for me, my mother could never have afforded the $20.00 or so full retail price of a set. She paid less than $5.00 for my set that included the rolling block rifle, a banner 50, leather gunbelt with hidden derringer. The rolling block was far more accurate than the Winchesters and much easier to load rapidly. Absolutely my favorite Christmas present of all time. That was more than sixty years ago when I was only eight.
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