great robots & toys
from the space age




Atomic Space Gun: A Review


Space Gun
Space Gun

The Atomic Alien Spinning Space Gun is the funnest ray gun we've found. It's large (over ten inches long),  loud  (replete with authentic space gun sounds), bright  (it lights up in four places at once), and inexpensive under ten dollars).  What it may not be is kid-proof (not very much is). But it wins for shiny and bright (silver and blue or silver and red plastic, unless you get the slightly more expensive (under fifteen dollars) leather-feel black, noir version (shown below), which, beneath its executive exterior is still all kid. A great gift for dads who are part Buck Rogers or Flash Gordon.

Where, you're wondering, do you report to pull your weapon? Aaron's Tin Toy Arcade, one of the best links we've ever found. Once you visit, we guarantee you'll go back. Their website is delightful and family-friendly, and chock full of outstanding tin, plastic, and battery operated robots. The prices are amazingly low. The selection is amazingly wonderful. See the link below or on the links pages.

Once you've pulled your  weapon, it will arrive in a bubble wrap bag. There's a little tag to pull out by the battery cover, which will connect the three already loaded AA test batteries. Pull the trigger and voila! a blaze of glory. But you'd like to replace the batteries with three shiny, new AA models as soon as possible, especially if it's a gift for a cosmic cowboy, because it's not at all obvious how to do so. We provide detailed instructions below so you can saddle up the spaceship and ride out, ready for extraterrestrial adventure. So with the proviso about changing batteries, you're ready to defend the universe.

Above left: The blue gun stealthily blends into outer space.

Above right: Guns blazing, and ready for any alien invasion, ablaze with light and sound.



battery cover
changing batteries

Above left: Detail of the battery cover. Notice the three tiny screw holes that surround the large black dot. You want the center (top) hole. It requires a tiny phillips screwdriver. Be very careful so as not to strip the thread. Especially when replacing the cover. It won't tighten down, but a few turns are sufficient to hold the screw in place. Once the screw is out, the battery cover slides back, away from the trigger.

Above right: With the handle upside down, there are really two batteries on the right. One slides up into the gun. They go in both facing up, when you hold the gun as shown. The battery on the left goes in facing down. Then slide the cover back on towards the trigger. Tighten the screw a couple turns. It's just going into plastic, so you can easily overtighten it and strip the thread. A couple turns are sufficient.


red space gun
red Space Gun

blue space gun.
Above left: The red gun blends in well if you're in the Horsehead Nebula.

Above right: Red alert. pull the trigger and your weapon springs to life. There's a galaxy to defend.

Left: Propped up blue gun shows how it works. The center and nose chamber both spin when you pull the trigger They're studded with LEDs, which erupt with colorful firepower. The top silvered front sight and rear flank fender also light in operation, accompanied by sound and fury.

Below left: The legendary black gun, scourge of space pirates everywhere.

black space gun

Tin Toy Arcade


Aaron, official supplier of the Space Patrol.




planet zero
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