Spud guns

[alf_resco]

Remember them? You probably have to be in your late 50s or older so to do. Great fun. You nicked a spud when your Mum wasn't watching and went round peppering anyone you could find. Also dried-pea guns. Hurt like mad when you got one of them on the back of the neck.
I mention this because my 4 yr old grandson is not allowed any "guns". Of course it doesn't stop him picking up any available stick and "shooting" at any being or thing.
Got me thinking of my childhood. Spud guns, pea-shooters, cap guns, those little dart-type things you put a cap in and lobbed it up in the air for it to hit the pavement and "explode." And loads of others I've forgotten. Scotch arrows anyone? They were absolutely great. Catapults?
Never turned me into an AK-47 wielding mass-murderer.
Still, modern parents know best.

[Fenwick]

Had a spud gun. And a pea shooter. (Dont fire them at cars because you get chased through gardens by a very angry driver) And a high powered catapult from Boyce's in Nelson. With ball bearings stored in the handle. Happy times!

[South West Claret.]

Remember them? You probably have to be in your late 50s or older so to do. Great fun. You nicked a spud when your Mum wasn't watching and went round peppering anyone you could find. Also dried-pea guns. Hurt like mad when you got one of them on the back of the neck.
I mention this because my 4 yr old grandson is not allowed any "guns". Of course it doesn't stop him picking up any available stick and "shooting" at any being or thing.
Got me thinking of my childhood. Spud guns, pea-shooters, cap guns, those little dart-type things you put a cap in and lobbed it up in the air for it to hit the pavement and "explode." And loads of others I've forgotten. Scotch arrows anyone? They were absolutely great. Catapults?
Never turned me into an AK-47 wielding mass-murderer.
Still, modern parents know best.

“Never turned me into an AK-47 wielding mass-murderer.”

Well you say that but we don’t actually know for sure do we

[alf_resco]

Ball-bearings? Wow! I once broke a slate on a neighbour's house with a catapult and had the "weapon" taken off me by my Mum.
And got my legs slapped for it.
Haha.

[MACCA]

I had a red Spud gun from Benns you shop, but certainly ain't 50! Probably not the sames ones you lot had, but it was a sod gun all the same.

The starch used to stain clothes and make your hands stink!

[conyoviejo]

I had a cannon that fired matchsticks.. Lol

[Billy Balfour]

The posh kid next door had an aubergine gun.

[Claretmatt4]

Ball bearing?

I mean it'd go in ya.

Take a nut off. Take a nut off like that.

[Bosscat]

Onions the only fruit/vegetable that can make you cry... or so I thought till my m8 hit me with a coconut

[bfcjg]

Spud guns were superb.

[WadingInDeeper]

Son has a spud gun, and too many nerf guns, and cap guns. Can't seem to find any of those grenades you put a cap in though.

On holiday with a friend we spent all week playing with those grenades and cap guns.

[South West Claret.]

Son has a spud gun, and too many nerf guns, and cap guns. Can't seem to find any of those grenades you put a cap in though.

On holiday with a friend we spent all week playing with those grenades and cap guns.

Second childhood approaching perhaps

[alf_resco]

I also had a plastic toy gun that fired pigeon-peas as I remember. Is that right? Made a whirring sound when fired.
They bloody hurt too.

[Bosscat]

We used to make our own cap bombs...

2 bolts and a box of swan vesta matches...

Made a helluva bang on top corridor at school

[BFCmaj]

I got a spud gun free with my copy of Eagle magazine.

[alf_resco]

I got a spud gun free with my copy of Eagle magazine.

Ah, Dan Dare v The Mekon. Now you're talking.

[South West Claret.]

I got a spud gun free with my copy of Eagle magazine.

Really I bet that made a row when it came through the letter box, unless it was a plastic job.

[WadingInDeeper]

Second childhood approaching perhaps

It already has. Nerf gun battles around the garden in summer, and sword fights around the house.

[ElectroClaret]

I also had a plastic toy gun that fired pigeon-peas as I remember. Is that right? Made a whirring sound when fired.
They bloody hurt too.

Think that was a Sekiden. Fired pigeon peas and came with silver coloured putty-like pellets.
I had a few of them.

[ClaretAndJew]

I also remember Dave Hedgehog

[Hipper]

I had a spud gun and one of those Sekiden guns. I think I also had a full cowboy kit with holster and cap gun and hat of course.

We also used elastic bands to fire staples. One end of the staple would be straightened out, the other made a finer angle. Pretty dangerous really if you hit someone in they eye.

[Dark Cloud]

Apparently spud guns aren't allowed any more as they're not politically correct. Turns out they were offensive to Irish people and tbh I fully support them on that. Quite disgusting in my book and I'm utterly ashamed to say I did once own a spud gun.

[Im_not_Robbie_Blake]

Used to make bows and arrows from straight tree branches. Incredibly dangerous weapons!

[evensteadiereddie]

Me and a mate in Nelson did exactly the same but used real, tipped arrows bought from Benns or Boyces, not sure which.
We were uo pn the Hard Platts just at the bottom of Edge End's field firing them directly, vertically, above us just to see how high they'd go.
Unfortunately, what went up came whistling down - about a metre away from a woman walking her dog, neither of which we'd spotted. Kids, eh ?
I loved spud and cap guns. I think the match-firing cannon somebody mentioned was a Dinky one.

[beddie]

Can you still get cap guns, I need one to save me going outside every few minutes to get rid of the magpies and pigeons nicking all the food from my bird table.

[chorleyhere]

We used to play a game of "chicken" on the waste land near Waidshouse Road off Halifax Road, vertically firing arrows with metal tips all at the same time - you did scarper if they were heading straight down towards you but I didn't realise someone had had loosed a bit later than the rest of us, and it came down on the inside of my shoe, missing my foot but going right through the sole of my shoe. A lucky escape !!

We also "played" a bit with pyrotechnics - an older friend demonstrated how a mixture of chemicals could be made to produce a very bright flame and masses of white smoke - we packed some in an old battery casing and it belched out so much white smoke that the cows in the next field were completely bemused as they disappeared the cloud. We were then rather alarmed as the bank of smoke drifted across the main road near Edge End school and we made ourselves scarce before someone called the police.

[Foulthrow]

Bomb bags.

[Hapag Lloyd]

Can you still get cap guns, I need one to save me going outside every few minutes to get rid of the magpies and pigeons nicking all the food from my bird table.

Are magpies and pigeons not birds ?

[Bosscat]

Are magpies and pigeons not birds ?

No he lives next door to a Newcastle Utd fan who keeps pigeons

[alf_resco]

Neat Bonfire Night, impressing (well, trying to) the lasses by putting a lit Standard Cannon banger in a copper pipe and firing close to them. Happy days!
Anyone remember those plastic divers you used to get at the bottom of the inside packet of Corn Flakes? Had to put baking powder or summat in them and the diver would magically rise to the surface. Or descend to the depths of the kitchen sink. Can't remember which. My Mum always used to go mad cos as soon as she'd bought a packet, I emptied out the contents to get said diver.

[Burnleyareback2]

Had a spud gun. And a pea shooter. (Dont fire them at cars because you get chased through gardens by a very angry driver) And a high powered catapult from Boyce's in Nelson. With ball bearings stored in the handle. Happy times!

The dried pea industry must be on its arse

[Dark Cloud]

I had toy cannons which fired small plastic (and metal?) balls, but when they all went missing, matches worked pretty well too. I also had a Sekedin gun and was always getting bollocked for firing it at people! I used dried peas when all the supplied ammo was lost!