The Kazooka by Kusan

[Tinplate6]

This is one of the more oddball toy guns I've come across, and like most of its cousins produced in the 50's, it is difficult to find in good condition; because most have warped horribly out of shape. However, this example is pristine condition, and is in perfect working order. I won this beauty at the last Smith House auction. The gun measures a substantial 17 inches long, in glorious red plastic, or should I say "Tenite", as it states on the box.

 

 

 

 

The crank is steel, with a wood knob. The Kazooka is yet another ping pong ball gun, the surprise for me was that the part that looks like the barrel, isn't; it's the loading chamber, the short port underneath is where the balls come out.

 

 

 

 

So, the box states "Shoots six table tennis balls rapid fire without reloading", the inside consists simply of a U-shaped steel shaft, that engages a 4 inch tongue, made of spring steel, the first action is where the bend catches and drops a ball, continuing forward it bends the leaf spring back until, with a satisfying "thung", it smacks the ball out of the barrel, and the process repeats.

 

 

 

 

 

The box is in excellent condition as well, and doubles as a target when the lid is folded back.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The sides are stamped proudly "Kusan Incorporated, Nashville Tennessee No: K:90".

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's interesting to note that Kusan produced a few guns over the years; this was followed up by the Astro-Zapper, another ping pong gun, the Kangaroo Gun, that throws a boomerang, and the most recent was the electronic Sonic Phazer.

 

[Joe K.]

Good get, Brady. Not bad for a 66 year old toy:

 

[PeeBee]

WOW

[Joe K.]

Everything you've ever wanted to know about Tenite. Well, O.K., almost everything.

http://breyerhistorydiva.blogspot.com/2010/06/unique-properties-of-cellulose-acetate.html

[Tinplate6]

Thanks guys, it's a cool gun. Great detective work there Joe, as usual; educational.

 

Here is an excerpt of the article, in case the link stops working someday...

 

Tenite is the brand name for a family of cellulosic plastics created by the Eastman Chemical Company of Kingsport, Tennessee. It was formerly known as the Tennessee Eastman Corporation, a subsidiary of the Eastman Kodak Company. There are actually three different forms of Tenite: Cellulose Acetate (CA), Cellulose Acetate Butyrate (CAB), and Cellulose Acetate Propionate (CAP.) 

Cellulose Acetate was developed as a more stable and less flammable substitute for Cellulose Nitrate, or Celluloid. It was first used to manufacture photographic film and textiles: it’s the stuff Rayon is made of. The solid, moldable form of Cellulose Acetate was put on the market in 1932, and it basically made the plastic injection molding industry possible: prior to that, most plastics were either extruded, cast, or formed by hand, which made mass production labor intensive and time consuming.

Other plastics hit the market not long afterwards, including Tenite II, or Cellulose Acetate Butyrate, in 1938. Other companies came up with their own varieties of Cellulose Acetate, often with their own unique brand names.

 

Tenite is also used for game pieces and toys. Chessmen, mahjong pieces, and poker chips may be injection molded complete in only a few seconds, eliminating hand-carving, machining, and polishing operations. Toy trains, airplanes, and automobiles are safer and less expensive to produce in Tenite than similar articles made by swedging nitrocellulose sheeting. Jackstones, toy soldiers, whistles, and babies’ teethers of Tenite are practically unbreakable, light in weight, and colorfully attractive. Because it is a low conductor of heat and takes an exceptionally smooth finish, molded Tenite is very pleasant to the touch.

 

It’s no coincidence that the other uses for Cellulose Acetate today include toothbrushes, eyeglass frames, and tool handles: all of these surfaces come in close, regular contact with the skin.

[Joe K.]

Here's a 1953 Dyson & Horsfall Christmas Catalogue sighting for a Bazooka Gun:

Did Kusan market their Kazooka Gun in England or was this model made by a British toy manufacturer?

I came across this Google image search photo:

It looks to me like these a two different sized guns, or is it a trick of the camera angle?

Note the crank shaft opening on the top gun as compared to the lower one.

Opinions?

 

[Tinplate6]

Dunno, Joe, it does seem to be two different guns; although the top barrels both have 8 rings each, the upper one is shorter, or actually, the entire gun looks a bit smaller overall. Additionally, the top gun has a black plug where the crank enters the stock, the bottom one is red, like mine. Also, just behind the bottom grip, on that dog-leg is a small raised line, which is not on the bottom gun. Other than that, and without getting a closer look, everything else seems the same.

 

 

[Joe K.]

Here's a 1964 Sears Toy Book (with partially torn cover):

Is this a slightly different version of the Kazooka that was initially available in 1950? Anybody have one like this?

[Tinplate6]

Joe, good eyes. So, my question is...is that a stock with a white insert, or is that whole area actually cut out, leaving a wireframe?

 

 

[Joe K.]

Might this be that gun?

as found here:

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/toy-ping-pong-ball-gun-launcher-child-417584195

 

[Tinman]

1950 adverts:

 

[Tinman]

1951 adverts:

 

[Tinplate6]

16 hours ago, Joe K. said:

Might this be that gun?

as found here:

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/toy-ping-pong-ball-gun-launcher-child-417584195

 

 

 

Hmm...rough life, that's for sure. However, it does seem that were the complete white sticker, or paint, still there on the stock, it would surely be a match for the one in the ad. Great detective work, Joe. It definitely resembles a Army toy now, in that OD green color.

 

 

 

[Joe K.]

Here's a color catalog sighting from a 1962 The May Co. Toyland catalog:

Green gun with yellow stock trim and yellow ping pong balls.

I couldn't find a date anywhere in the listing, but the Combat and Ensign O'Toole toys do date from 1962.

The ended catalog listing:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1962-MAY-COMPANY-CHRISTMAS-TOY-CATALOG-TV-039-S-COMBAT-OUTFIT-HUBLEY-NYLINT-STRUCTO-/173672509240?hash=item286fb02f38%3Ag%3An8IAAOSwEp5cBI~F&nma=true&si=v9m9znqphYNdIsyAZXBgNFFTBNQ%3D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

 

[Joe K.]

Still included in Kusan's 1965 catalog: