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Topic starter
06/12/2017 21:43:38
Topic starter
06/12/2017 21:49:46
Skeleton in a Coffin Fairground Target.
This is currently for sale at Holts Auctioneers.
The auction blurb is:
"A MACABRE MECHANICAL 'SKELETON IN A COFFIN' FAIRGROUND AIRGUN TARGET,
almost certainly pre World War Two and probably Showman produced but competently made, featuring a 20in. long pine coffin of realistic shape and fitted with authentic side-handles, the lid split lengthways with each half operating on coil springs, the interior with a flip-up iron skeleton with loose chain arms and legs (chains renewed), the action of the lid opening thrusting the skeleton forwards to stand upright in the coffin, the lid halves held shut by a locking catch released by hitting a small circular target positioned in front of a steel backplate, the plate now crudely painted with a bullseye and the legend 'POOR OLD JOHN, SHOT TO DEATH', (the hardwood skeleton head with losses and heavy pellet damage, original painted finish worn)
Other Notes: The back plate of this target almost certainly originally supported a large circular bell which would ring if the centre release was missed. Once activated, shooting the skeleton in the head would make it fall back, but the lid would have to be manually reset."
Topic starter
06/12/2017 21:50:58
Bell Target Collection.
With thanks to Ray for these pics.
MID. 1970's PRODUCTION BELL TARGET.
MID 1970's BELL TARGET AS SOLD BY MILBRO PLUS WEBLEY & SCOTT. MAKER UNKNOWN. ALSO ON GENERAL SALE MID 70's TO LATE 80's
A 'STD' TARGET' WITH MY TARGETS IN COMPARISON
MY THREE SCALE BELL TARGETS; SHOWN INSIDE A 'STD' UNIT FOR COMPARISON.
1/12 SIZE BELL TARGET WITH .177 PELLET AS GAUGE
MY SMALLEST BELL TARGET WITH A .177 PELLET ON THE PLATE TO GIVE AN UNDERSTANDABLE IMAGE.
ALL IS NOW CLEAR MINE ARE JUST COPIES
A COMPARISON BETWEEN A FULL SIZE TARGET AND MY THREE 'MODEL' TARGETS. SIZES ARE AS SEEN. THE SILVER ONE IS 1/3 SCALE [1/8" DIA HOLE]; THE THIRD LEFT [BLACK] IS 1/2 THE SIZE OF THE PREVIOUS ONE; 1/6 SCALE [1/16" DIA. HOLE] THE LAST ONE IS 1/2 THE SIZE OF THE PREVIOUS ONE 1/12 SCALE [1/32" DIA. HOLE - - 0.8mm]. ALL OF THEM WORK, BUT DO NOT AS YET HAVE LIGHTS OR SOUND. THE 1/3 rd TARGET WAS MADE TO BE ABLE TO SHOW A 'BELL' TARGET IN USE WHILST EASILY HELD IN THE HAND BUT ABLE TO SHOW AN ACTUAL ''IMAGE'' AT 6ft. THE OTHER TWO WERE JUST ME BEING ''SILLY''.
MECHANISM; POSSIBLY EARLY 1930's
CLOSE UP OF MECHANISM IN ''SET'' CONDITION.
PRODUCTION BELL TARGET MID 70's
STD. PRODUCTION BELL TARGET. BOUGHT BY ME FROM W & S MID 70's. MAKER UNKNOWN. SOLD BY MANY FIRMS AS THEIR OWN.
ELECTRONIC BELL TARGET POSSIBLY 80's
BELL TARGET OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN. BELIEVED LATE 80's OR EARLY 90's. MADE WITH AN INTERLINKING CABLE ARRANGEMENT TO ENABLE A LINE OF TARGETS TO BE CONNECTED VIA THE 'GROMMETS' AT THE TOP; USING SPECIAL MINI 3 PIN PLUGS AND SOCKETS. ELECTRONIC MECHANISM, LIGHT AND BUZZER, WITH TIMED RE-SET.
MECHANISM OF 1970's BELL TARGET
MECHANISM OF 'STD' PRODUCTION TARGET. CIRCA EARLY / MID 1970's.
COMPARISON OF TWO BELL TARGETS USED FROM MID 70's
TRANSPORT CLUB TARGET COMPARED WITH 'STD' PRODUCTION TARGET OF SIMILAR ERA.
BELL TARGET USED FROM MID 70's
BELL TARGET AS USED BY WEST MIDLAND PUBLIC TRANSPORT EXECUTIVE CLUB. [TRANSPORT CLUB; HORSLEY FIELDS; WOLVERHAMPTON] MAKER UNKNOWN, USED MID 1970's TO LATE 1990's.
VIEW FROM TOP, WITH TOP PLATE INC. LIGHT FITTING.
Topic starter
06/12/2017 21:52:14
Motorised 10m Strip Target.
With thanks to Ken Walker for these pics.
He says:
"The face is over 9" x 11", and the whole thing is about 10" deep; it weighs about 8 lbs.
A 'standard' 10 meter target is centered in the target's 2" opening.
The target has a reel of the paper targets, and a motorized advance mechanism.
The removable reel can hold a lot of targets--the German-printed targets are 10-target strips, with room for writing shooter/scoring data on each strip.
The targets feed down from the top reel, through a channel to the feed mechanism.
With the back flap opened, you can see the bottom of the 2" hole in the face plate--a correctly shot pellet will hit the back of the slanted trough before hitting the flap; the spent shot just drops out the bottom. Even though the conveniently-marked label says "6 Volts", I used a 9 volt battery to try it out (you can barely see the two terminal pins sticking out the bottom)--it works! There is no automatic stop for the next target, but it is geared down slow enough that it is pretty easy to center each ensuing target.
The mechanism even has a flat coil spring tensioner--it only has about one millimeter of throw, just enough to allow the paper target to be fed under the feed roller. (I used to piece of wood to hold it up).
The small L-brackets on the back show that this was hung on some sort of rail set-up.
Not marked anywhere, with enough extra holes to make me think this wasn't a factory product, someone spent a lot of time and effort thinking out and constructing this target (I'd have to guess they were copying something they had previously seen). It is heavy-duty and meant to last a lifetime."
