In the final day of our mini raygun extravaganza, lets have a look at the rayguns of our youth (ok, my youth, then, I rmember having the Dan Dare PlanetGun”. )

Some of the most popular props used in 1950s space opera were ray guns. At least twelve toy space guns were sold in association with television space adventure shows during this period. Merchandised as premiums or sold as toys in retail stores, these space guns,are among the most beautiful and intersting space toys produced at the time, and they encouraged children to “play along” and more completely identify with their favorite space heroes. Heck, they were just plain fun, too.

While the site linked is mainly a sales site, it does have a marvelous selction of vintage toy rayguns for your perusal and enjoyment. Vintage Toy Rayguns