Posted by Gary Konow, the Wyandotte Toys Answer Man on February 01, 19103 at 15:05:48:
The ray gun mentioned and pictured in Ms. Horning's article is the Wyandotte Pop-O-Matic Repeater Pistol No. 33, first introduced by All Metal Products Company in 1935 and manufactured through 1941. It was a very popular item when it was first introduced and promoted by the company.
The gun had a patented "automatic safety cork retaining device" that held the cork permanently in the barrel, making it a harmless repeating noise maker. Missing on the ray gun pictured is the shiny spur-type white steel trigger and the bell-shaped muzzle with a sight on top, which was at first made of shiny white steel but later lithographed red, white, and blue with red lightning bolts on the sight and the lettering, "Z-Z RAY." The pistol was painted red with a black barrel.
Some dealers and collectors erroneously think that a No. 33 gun missing the muzzle is a cork shooter or that it's a different version of the gun.
Gary Konow
Wyandotte Toys Answer Man
Author of the book, "Wyandotte Toys Are Good and Safe"
ggkonow@aol.com
konowgar@aquinas.edu