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The Detective is a toy .357 Magnum and one of
those shell firing toy cap guns. These guns started with the Derringer that was
the larger cousin of the Dyna-Mite. When Nichols Industries first developed
these shooting shells, the muzzle velocity was probably enough to require you
to get a "Concealed Handgun Permit." However, they redesigned the die-cast
bullet to let out more of the blast and got the velocity down to a "reasonable"
limit. Nowadays it would probably be illegal to use these. However, with our
current paranoia, it is not politically correct to point your finger at someone
and say, "Bang!" (which is what kids used to do when they didn't have the
proper cap guns) But anyway, the point is that the 3-piece bullets are just
about as valuable as the gun itself!
As it turns out, there are 2 different
versions of this Detective: one with a short barrel and a handle that "sticks
out" and the 2nd one that has a longer barrel and looks more like the real gun.
It would seem that the snub-nosed barrel version came out first, in 1961. Then
later they redesigned it into the fancier version. Both are valuable. The first
two photos here show the smaller one.
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Nichols
Detective
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Please
Click On Each Thumbnail For An Enlarged View!
Many thanks to Rich
Hall for the above photos! |
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| This
gun, as previously mentioned, has a sibling that uses roll caps, but this is
the one that is more expensive when you buy it at auction. Originally it sold
in 1961 for $1.98 and now is worth many times that figure. |
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Explaining a Few Things About This
Gun
From Dr. Bob (George Peters---see his
collection!) |
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Hey Mike. Dr.Bob here! I was browsing THE website
and noticed a couple of questions that you raised in regard to the .357 Magnum
(The Detective: editor). I know some questions are rhetorical but some aren't,
so here are my thoughts. You were wondering why the grips on this gun look so
awkward. After all is said and done this little gun is a modified frame of a
Nichols Stallion .32. The hammer and trigger of a .32 will fit and work in the
Magnum as do the springs, and cylinder advancer. There are external differences
on the hammers; the .32 is smooth while the Magnum has grooves but nonetheless
they work in the Magnum. If you remove the grips from a .357 you will instantly
see they are nearly identical, with the exception of the shorter barrel and
markings. Now to the question....... The awkward grips were shaped to make this
gun look less western and more Detective-like. Without the grips the Magnum
looks like a short-nosed Cowboy gun, if there ever was such a thing. Mattel was
famous for modifing their western guns until they looked like a detective's
snubnose. It was a time when the kids were saying goodbye to Roy and Gene and
hello to Sergeant Friday and Peter Gunn. I'm sure modifying an existing gun was
far less costly than starting a new one. The second question you raised was the
loading gate and why there was no "handle" to aid in opening it. The answer
goes back to the grips. The grips take up so much room that the gate would not
open if they had a handle (like the Stallion .22 and so many others have).
While most sets of grips are mirror images of one another, the right side
Magnum grips had to be shaped different from the left, just so the tiny gate
would open at all. The only other difference I can find between the .357 Magnum
and the Stallion .32 is the cylinder, it had to be modified to let the firing
shells pass thru but that was simple enough for your Uncle and his crew to
accomplish. It's obvious I have too much time on my hands not only for knowing
these things but also for writing a letter to take away from your busy
schedule. Thanks for listening (reading)!!
—Dr.Bob |
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Here's an even better photo
of the Detective still on the card. The gun is valuable enough in its own
right, the 3-piece bullets make it even more valuable and being on the card is
a real bonus!!!
Thanks to Brad Wentworth for the contribution!
For a reason I can't
explain, apparently Nichols made this particular card with red also. It's funny
to notice that the 3-piece bullets have been pirated from the pack. They are
worth more than the gun by far!
Jack Rosenthal , one of our advertisers from
Toys and More, contributed this photo. |
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More Nichols
Detective
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You know me;
I always try and get as many good shots of a Cap Gun as possible
These photos are
from our good friend,
Doug Hamilton
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| Be Sure To Click On The
Thumbnails! |
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Here is a holster set for the Detective, a page from a 1962
catalog from Nichols.
CLICK TO ENLARGE!
Photo
contribution by Robert Nichols
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Nichols
Detective Holster Set
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| Those this set is valuable in
its own right, I always think, when I see a set like this, WOW now I've got
some of those fabulous 3-piece bullets. There has been a lot of confusion about
when this set was made. I tend to think that it was made in around 1963-64 or
so, but I don't know how log it stayed in production. Since the holster already
appeared in the 1962 catalog, it's anybody's guess from that time forward. I do
know that I don't have one and wish I did. This one seems to be dead
mint. |
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Here's a great comparison shot to show the differences between
the first model of shell firing Detective and the last model. The last model
looks a lot more realistic. Probably aimed better too. It was made during the
Nichols/Kusan days.
Photo contribution by Louise Utley
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