Phase Pistol

Time for another gratuitous photo! This time it’s another favorite of mine: the ray gun.

Here are a couple of Buck Rogers pistols from the 1930s: the XZ-38 Disintegrator (copper plated) and the XZ-31 Rocket Pistol (blued). These are pressed steel pop guns, and very sturdy. Probably inspired by the Mauser and other pistols, these ray guns are classics of design and instantly recognizable by the powder-horn muzzle and tapered rings decorating the barrel.

Photo by Karl Tate