While the United States produced a majority of toy ray guns, some of the most beautiful, like the Atomic Ray Gun, came out of Great Britain.

I'm not exactly sure what the designers were thinking when they came up with the Atomic Ray, but the sculpted handle is scaled to fit comfortably in an adult-sized hand -- slightly odd at the time, but perfect for today's collector! The gun features an abundance of rings and molded gadgetry, as well as two non-functional, free-spinning knobs on either side.

The toy fired a strange suction cup dart with a forked back. A rubber band stretched vertically through the middle of the barrel; the dart would push back on the rubber band and clip on either end. Imagine a tiny bow and arrow an you've got the general picture. The firing mechanism is unique to this gun, which isn't surprising considering how overly complicated it is. But the darts look suitably impressive...

The gun was also available in a copper-colored version, which is a touch rarer. It was also originally sold with three darts. I bought this from a wonderful dealer in the U.K. named Antoni Emchowicz. He runs a web site called Zoomer Toys, and is also the author of one of my favorite space toy books, Future Toys.

© DOC ATOMIC © TOYZINE.COM

Sponsored by eBay
Most Popular Ray Gun Toys and Collectibles Selling Online Now!
Toyzine - eBay Direct auctions live! Bid Now or Search for more most Popular Toy Ray Guns and Collectibles

TOY MAGAZINE

• Toy Collector Articles

• Toy Collector Reviews

• Toy Collection Guide

• Toy Trends

• Toy Resources

• Rare Toys and Limited Editions

• Toy News & Reviews

• Rare Toy Finds

• Toy Expert Tips

• Evolution of Toys

• Iconic Toy Brands

• Featured Toys

• Rare vintage toy finds

• Vintage toy collecting

• Collector Toyzine Postcard

• Become a Contributor

ABOUT TOYZINE

• TOY History

• Mission and Values

• Advertise With Us

• Auction Banner Rates

• Website Banner Rates

• Link To Us

• Sponsorship Opportunities

• Terms of Service

• Contact Us

SOCIAL

• Pinterest Toyzine

• Instagram Toyzine

• Facebook Toyzine

• YouTube Toyzine