Kilgore American Cap Guns

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Mike Nichols
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Kilgore, of Westerville, Ohio, was DEFINITELY one of the largest sellers of toy Cap Guns in the old days. They made a lot of quality cap guns and also made a lot of the roll caps. Uncle Talley assisted them in modernizing their equipment that made the roll caps and thus made it more profitable for everybody. Their line of Cap Guns will always remain in the top of the brands that are desirable to collect.

NICHOLS GUNS
(in Uncle Talley's order)




	Kilgore Hawkeye







	Here's a little offering from Kilgore called the Hawkeye. It was just a little small "Detective-Type" Cap Gun, but it is still part of the full Kilgore set. Hubley and Kilgore had the largest collections I guess. Photos thanks to Andy Fisher. You Will Miss Out If You Don't Click On The Thumbnails!

Here is the box for this particular Kilgore Cap Gun.

Thanks to Steve Fulford for the photo.

Though this looks just like a cannon, it says, "BOY SCOUT MACHINE GUN" right there on the side and it is from Kilgore. It was made around 1913. It is cast-iron. Michael purchase this from a couple whose parents worked in the Kilgore factory!

Thanks to Michael Etheridge for the photo.

Here's a cast-iron nickel plated Mascot and its box. the hole in the grip is for oil of course.

Thanks to Janet Van Houten for the photo.

This is a 1910 Kilgore Buster that shows that it was patented in 1907. By standards of only a few years later, you wonder why they bothered to patent it. In just a few years—especially after World War II, the technology went up so high!

Thanks to Janet Van Houten for the photo.




	Kilgore Minute Man







	This Kilgore Minute Man is 20" in length with a wooden stock and the rest being cast as found on most old Cap Guns. It has an octagonal barrel and was nickel plated at one time but this example only has remaining nickel on one side and is bare metal on the other. Photos thanks to Daryl Wright

And here is another rendering of the Minute Man, but this time with a box!

Thanks to Dave Klahn for the photos.

Here's a small Cap Gun that we don't know much about. Sometimes these litle (not-so-popular) ones just slip through the cracks.

Thanks to Huey West for the photo.

And here is another one that is still mint on the card! It's really hard to find any Cap Guns mint on the card these days!

Photo by Scott McCollum of Cap Gun Treasures

Here's another variation of this Avenger holster set that is Mint On Card!

Photo by Rich Hall




	Kilgore Cast Iron Cap Guns







	The top gun is a Kilgore Fargo Express cast iron Cap Gun. (very rare!) and the bottom one is a (albeit similar) Kilgore American. Jim has added an original Wells Fargo & Co. envelope and a toy Wells Fargo & Co. agent's badge for this nice photo. *Many thanks to Jim Schleyer of Western Toy Guns* (what we in the hobby refer to as Backyard Buckaroos) for this photo!**



	Ok, so I'm going to do something that I don't normally do. It's "BAD" enough that Ed Manes should have one Fargo Express, but he has sent me photos of his TWO Fargo Express Cap Guns by Kilgore!!! So I'm making even the thumbnails large and the pop-ups excessively large. My guess is that Schleyer used one of these for his photo. Right Ed? As Ed reminded me, please notice that the right grips don't have the lettering "FARGO EXPRESS MADE IN U.S.A." on them. Strange! The Kilgore Americans are embossed on both left and right grips. Thanks for your generous photo contribution!

Our friend Ed Manes has the reputation of being able to build any. Chuck Quinn says that he could fix the Crack of Dawn. Here is a reproduction box that he made for the Fargo Express, which he says is almost 100% identical. Of course Ed is a man of character and it is labeled inside the box that it is a reproduction. America needs to get back to people of character like Ed.

Thanks, to Ed Manes this photo.

Here's a Fargo Express that is about as good as you are ever likely to see. And the box!

Thanks to our friend David Denton for these photos.

And here's another fine photo of the famous Fargo Express, but this time with a box. This is a repro box, but on the other hand, how many originals are really out there? I would assume that most of you would simply like to see a box at all.

Ron Eaton generously donated this photo.




	More Kilgore Fargo Express







	Here's a real "HEDGE FUND" for you. A Kilgore Fargo Express and box from Steve Arlin, one of our friends. While some people have invested in stocks, Steve has invested in Cap Guns (well, maybe stocks too). And he has some of the best. This is one of the best of the best. It's not that the Fargo Express is as good an example of the manufacturer's art as a Nichols Stallion MK-II, it's that it's a fine Cap Gun from a fine company and there are very few examples of them left. This gun is definitely worth several root canals. (sorry Steve, retired endodontist) Photos thanks to Steve Arlin. You Will Miss Out If You Don't Click On The Thumbnails!




	Kilgore American







	And here IS the famous Kilgore American—complete with a box! This is one of the most famous cast iron guns. I've had it pointed out to me that this version of the Kilgore American doesn't have a Circle "K" in front of the trigger on the frame under the cylinder. Thanks to David Denton.

People actually send me photos like this just to make me jealous for the entire day!!! These excellent Kilgore Americans (DEAD MINT OF COURSE!) were sent from our friend Andrew Teleki of Australia. Be sure to see his unusual collections page with the other collections.
CLICK ON THUMBNAIL TO GET EVEN MORE JEALOUS!

A couple more photos from the Chuck Quinn collection and the catalog page of the American. Notice that this version of the American DOES have the Circle "K" under the cylinder just in front of the trigger.

from Chuck Quinn's Collection!

Here is an even MORE RARE Kilgore American in that it is a "Dummy" that doesn't shoot caps. Notice that it says, "PLAY GUN, DOES NOT SHOOT CAPS." (for wimps?) This one is dead mint with the box, but I don't think the shotgun shell is mint.

Thanks to Belinda Quan, from Chuck Quinn's Collection!

This little Cap Gun is seldom seen: one of those guns that isn't expensive, isn't worth much, BUT YOU HAD BETTER HAVE IT---IF, you actually want a complete set of a particular manufacturer. The bright side of this is that a gun like this probably isn't going to cost you very much. But it might!

Many thanks to Jim Schleyer of Western Toy Guns (what we in the hobby refer to as Backyard Buckaroos) for this photo!




	Kilgore Buc-a-Roo








	Here's an old cast iron Cap Gun from around 1940. Thanks to Jack Rosenthal of Toys and More for these photos! CLICK ON THUMBNAILS

	Kilgore Hi-Ho




	Here's another Cast Iron gun from about 1940.




	Another Kilgore Buc-a-Roo









	BE SURE TO CLICK ON THE THUMBNAILS



	Besides this Buc-a-Roo being blued, it has the same basic grips as the Ranger Cap Gun on the second Kilgore page. Many thanks to Doug Hamilton for these photos.

Here's a standard cast-iron Buc-a-roo with its box.

Photo thanks to Chuck Quinn

Here's a fine Kilgore Buc-a-Roo holster from our friend Dave Klahn.


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