Curious Relics #102: The Daisy Red Ryder BB Gun
Sam.S 12.04.24
Welcome back to our recurring series of Curious Relics at AllOutdoor.com! Last time, we explored the H&R 676 in all its glory, diving deep into its history, variations, dating, aftermarket parts & accessories, specifications, and range performance. Today, we’re taking a slight detour from our usual firearms focus. While Curious Relics typically centers on vintage firearms, given the holiday season and the cultural phenomenon surrounding the Daisy Red Ryder BB Gun this time of year, it feels only right to lend this American icon a momentary spotlight for the month of December.
Curious Relics Coverage on AllOutdoor
- Curious Relics #098: Long Ago Long Barrel – H&R 676 22LR Revolver
- Curious Relics #099: Gotta Start Somewhere– H&R Model 676 22LR Revolver Part II
- Curious Relics #100: Easy Dating – H&R Model 676 22LR Revolver Part III
- Curious Relics #101: Love Revolver Snipers – H&R Model 676 Part IV
Welcome to our recurring series of “Curious Relics.” Here, we want to share all of our experiences, knowledge, misadventures, and passion for older firearms that one might categorize as a Curio & Relic – any firearm that is at least 50 years old according to the ATF. Hopefully along the way you can garner a greater appreciation for older firearms like we do, and simultaneously you can teach us things as well through sharing your own expertise and thoughts in the Comments. Understanding the firearms of old, their importance, and their development which lead to many of the arms we now cherish today is incredibly fascinating and we hope you enjoy what we have to share, too!
History Abridged: Daisy Red Ryder BB Gun
The story of the Red Ryder BB Gun begins not with cowboys and comic strips, but with windmills. In the 1880s, the Plymouth Iron Windmill Company in Plymouth, Michigan was struggling to sell their iron windmills to farmers. Their fortunes changed when they began offering a premium item with each windmill purchase – a revolutionary all-metal air rifle. After firing this new gun at a target, General Manager Lewis Cass Hough exclaimed “Boy, that’s a Daisy!” The phrase, popular slang of the time, would ultimately become the company’s new name as they transitioned from windmills to air rifles.
By the late 1930s, Daisy had established itself as the dominant force in the air gun industry. The company had already seen success with their “Buck Jones” model, named for the famous cowboy star. But it was their partnership with comic strip artist Fred Harman Jr. and his character Red Ryder that would create an enduring legacy. Red Ryder was a tough, heroic cowboy who fought for justice in the American West alongside his young Native American ward, Little Beaver. The comic strip was a sensation, running in over 750 newspapers from 1938 to 1964.
In the spring of 1940, Daisy introduced the Red Ryder BB Gun. This wasn’t just another air rifle – it was a child’s gateway to the romantic world of the American West. The gun featured distinctive Western styling with blued metal parts, copper-plated barrel bands, and most importantly, a saddle ring with a genuine leather thong. Priced at $2.95, it was an immediate hit with America’s youth.
Production was temporarily halted in 1942 as Daisy converted their manufacturing to support the war effort. When peacetime production resumed in late 1945, the Red Ryder picked up right where it left off. By 1949, demand was so high that Daisy produced over one million Red Ryders in a single year – an unprecedented achievement at the time. Mail would occasionally arrive at Daisy’s offices simply addressed to “The Red Ryder Company.”
The original Model 40 underwent various changes through the years. Around 1950, plastic stocks began replacing wooden ones, though some transitional models featured both materials. The gun was briefly discontinued in 1954 but returned as the Model 94 Red Ryder. Even when the Red Ryder branding was dropped in 1959, the basic design lived on. The gun made a triumphant return in 1972 as the Model 1938B, named for the year the Red Ryder comic strip debuted.
Modern versions of the Red Ryder maintain much of the classic design while incorporating safety features like a cross-bolt safety. The current model still sports the iconic 35.4-inch length, wooden stock with branded Red Ryder artwork, and that distinctive saddle ring with leather thong. Its spring-piston powerplant launches .177 caliber BBs at around 350 feet per second, and its gravity-feed magazine holds 650 rounds.
End of Part One: Daisy Red Ryder BB Gun
The Daisy Red Ryder BB Gun represents more than just a youth air rifle – it’s a piece of Americana that has introduced countless young shooters to proper gun handling and marksmanship. Its connection to the Golden Age of cowboy culture through the Red Ryder comic strip and subsequent media adaptations has cemented its place in American popular culture. The gun remains in production today, maintaining much of its classic charm while incorporating modern safety features. Next time, we’ll continue our exploration of this American icon. Until then, keep your sights straight and your powder dry!
In closing, I hope our Curious Relics segment informed as well as entertained. This all was written in hopes of continued firearm appreciation and preservation. We did not just realize how guns were supposed to look and function. It was a long and tedious process that has shaped the world we live in. So, I put it to you! Is there a firearm out there that you feel does not get much notoriety? What should our next Curious Relics topic cover? As always, let us know all of your thoughts in the Comments below! We always appreciate your feedback.
