Until recently, every little boy knew what it was to possess a toy gun at some point in their childhood. Until the political correctness of the late 20th century, suburban front yards were carved out and territory fought over tooth and nail.
The battleground was harsh; Trash cans were overturned and became chuck-wagons, garden beds became reed shelters from which the enemy could be more closely surveyed, and on occasion, provisions would arrive from a nearby town in the form of a maternal figure bearing a large food tray.
This lovely little find is a touch under 13 inches long but would have been a formidable weapon in the adept hands of its pint-sized owner. The pictured rifle’s spring-loaded trigger mechanism is fully functioning and while the steel shows some signs of pitting and rust spots, the wooden handle remains tight and secure. When in use, its barrel was most likely packed with a small piece of potato or apple for ammo.