Red Pyrotomic Disintegrator!

[dratomic]

Here it is. The toy I've been paying for since November (yikes!). An alternate variation of the candy-colored Pyrotomic Disintegrator. This is NOT the version that appears in Ray Gun by Gene Metcalf; that one reverses the blue and yellow bits. Both colored examples are very rare. There are only three known examples of this one (and only two known examples of the one in Ray Gun). One of these recently sold on ebay -- mine came from a collector in the midwest. Even though he doesn't normally deal in toys, he sadly knew what this puppy was worth. Oh well. Heh.

A few other Pyro collectors and I were talking and we've come to the conclusion that these candy colored variations came before the slightly more common copper/silver versions of the toy. The candy ones do not feature a ® symbol after the word "Pyrotomic" while the copper ones do. Also, many early toy ray guns were bright colors. However, as space-themed toys became more popular in the mid Fifties on account of various movies and television shows, I can imagine that Pyro Plastics would see the value in producing a spacier-colored toy, thus switching to the copper/silver for the remainder of the gun's production run. This is also supported by the fact that so many more of the metallic ones appear in collections (I know of about ten, including my own).

This is an extremely rare toy, on account of its fragile, brittle plastic and somewhat wonky mechanism (which causes the barrel to reciprocate when the trigger's pulled). To say this is the crowning piece in my ray gun collection would be a massive understatement. I'm extremely happy right now. Duh.

Here are a couple other pics, including one with the copper version for comparisson.

[Andyman]

All I can say is....WOW! :huh:

However, I do prefer the copper/silver one myself.

I can't imagine how much that set you back. Never the less...nice score Dr.

[Robot Fool]

Pyrotomic Disintegrator Ray Gun

Dratomic, you really get your specimens in your "Ray Gun-sights",

and go after what triggers your collecting appetite. :rolleyes:

Pyrotomic Disintegrators, as you say, are 'fragile' !

Rare, due to their built-in, self - disintergration . . .

Wow, a toy that really lives up to it's name.

( unlike the thread, IRON Giant ; which is not

• rare
• made of Iron
• or a giant, at a height of 4.25 inches tall

Robot Fool

[H.I. Gosses]

Bamm!....Zap!...Flash!..........Broke!

[robert]

Keep pushin the envelope doc! Great find. I have never seen that color combo before!

I can't decide which is more impressive now, your robot collection OR your ray gun collection, but luckily I don't have to choose. I can enjoy them both! Heh heh! :D

[HIGHWHEEL KICKER]

Both great but I do love your ray guns Dr A.

HW-K

:rolleyes:

[bartzenegger]

very nice ! i dont collect guns but ....... your making me want to start !!!

[dratomic]

Andy -- actually, the gun was about robot price, but cash has been tight with me lately, so it took a while to pay off. As for which I like better myself... I'm torn. On one hand, the metallic one just looks like a space gun. I think if I were a kid I'd really be into that. But the weird innocence of the candy colored piece attracts me as a collector of Fiftie's science fiction memorabilia. Phew -- good thing I've got both!

H.I. -- Toy designers know how to get the most bang for their buck. If it breaks in the first few days, little Tommy's going to bug his mom untils he caves in and shells out the $1.50 for another one. If only to get him to shut he hell up. It's all part of an insidious plot on the part of American capitalists. Why else switch from tin to plastic?

[toyboy]

Cool Dr A! - TOTALLY SWEEEEEEEET man!!!

(I'm drowning in my own drool!)

Wanna go outside and play?!!! ;)

Totally tight display too!

Thanks for sharing and CONGRATULATIONS on your new acquisition!

[robobob]

AWESOME gun, Doc !!

Something about primary colors...it just seems to

jump out at you !!! A real treat for the eyes.

I know Pyro Plastics made a lot of other items over

the years, but I was wondering if they made any

other Space Guns beside the Disintigrator ?? It seems

like I read about a Pyrotomic rifle, but now I can't

find where...I was curious if their other stuff was

mostly bright colors, or copper/silver, or ??

[Keith Palmer]

doctor, very nice indeed. i think i'll go with the candy colored one, just by a little bit.

hey, is that museum wax or something you are using to keep these from sliding around? i assume you have made sure that stuff won't leach into the plastic? nice display work. real clean.

[dratomic]

Robobob -- Pyro Plastics did make a Pyrotomic Disintegrator rifle in both copper/silver and red/blue/yellow. Both likely came out after the pistol (as the rifle has the ® symbol after the word "Pyrotomic"). Personally, I don't love the rifle. In my opinion, it's got a lot of dead space on it. It's also short -- about 20 inches. Barely a rifle, in my book. I will say, though, that the candy rifle works a bit better than the metallic, if only because the childlike colors fit the toy's childlike proportions. Surprisingly enough, though, when all's said and done, I'm not really looking to own either one of the rifle. If the price were low enough I'd pick one up, but otherwise... I dunno. Just doesn't do it for me. There are pics of it in Blast Off.

Keith -- That is museum wax (well, more or less). I tested it out on some cheap plastic toys and am confident that it won't leach into the plastic. I also know a few other collectors who use it to mount their guns -- and have done so for way longer than I've been collecting. They've had no problems, so I feel okay about it.

Mr. Gosses -- if you've got any opinions re: museum wax and plastic, I'd love to hear them.

[Fineas J. Whoopie]

Dratomic-

It's beautiful!!! I have to say that you have really earned this one. I can't imagine a ray gun collector who deserves this piece more than you. Passion is easy, the hard part (particularly in this age of ebay) is staying on course in saving up the money (and when he says the pyro goes for a price similar to a robot price, he's not talking loose Mr. Robot, folks). In my opinion (and I'm certainly not alone here) the Pyrotomic Disintergrator is the single most desireable raygun - end of conversation (I'll take the primary colored version please). I am insanely jeaulous (But in a good way!). Double triple congratulations!!!!!!!!!

Also, the way I read Henk's post was

Bamm!....Zap!...Flash!..........Broke! - As in the collector is now broke! :P

BTW- For reference here is a nice picture of the pyro rifle.

[dratomic]

Actually, when I re-read Henk's comment, I thought of it the same way. And you know what? He's right -- I'm broke!

That rifle was the one recently on ebay, right? I know the auction ended at around $500, reserve not nearly met. A year or so ago, a copper one hit something like $1600. They really don't come up that often. I dunno... I just wish it was A) a little bit bigger, like 26 inches or so, and B) I wish some of the flat areas, like around the crank, had more of a sculptural design. Also, the top of the rifle, especially back towards the stock, is very flat and boxy. I think that Pyro could have done a lot more with it. It's nice, I wouldn't turn it down, but I just can't get as excited about it as I imagined I might. Who knows -- that opinion could change if someone ever offers me one.

In this hobby, I've found that opportunity often breeds desire. As does discussion, come to think of it. The more I think about that rifle... Heh.

Only two books show the guns -- Blast Off has pictures of both the copper rifle and the copper pistol (as well as their respective patent drawings -- which can be found easilly enough on the U.S. patent web site, as has been discussed somewhere on this forum once before). And Ray Gun shows off the candy pistol. Toyraygun.com also shows off the only known example of a Pyrotomic box. It's very nice, and I have a suspicion that if one ever came up for grabs, its price would make the gun's look like a bargain. ;)

[Fineas J. Whoopie]

Dratomic-

Yep, that is the Pyro rifle that was recently on ebay. I bid $500 just for the hell of it. I knew there was very little chance of winning it for that price but as you have recently proven with the Flash Gordon gun, you just never know. I was offered the rifle after the auction ended for the reserve, but if I were going to spend that kind of money I would get myself a nice Door robot! Not that I don't love the rifle, I do - the details that bother you about the rifle don't bother me at all.