Times have changed - then you had to reload quickly

When I was in high school we obviously had some of the same kinds of problems that currently exist in schools with respects to fights, weapons and a certain amount of "gang" mentality.  I should note here that we are talking about the differences of extremes.  Fights, once ended, rarely continued elsewhere and though the switchblade knives of the day were sharp, the available zip guns could not hold a candle to the guns currently on the streets.

For those who have never seen or perhaps heard of a "zip" gun, here is quote from Wikipedia regarding their construction which describes a Zip gun as any "improvised firearm":


"The essential part of any improvised firearm is the barrel and chamber. For small, low pressure cartridges, like the common .22 caliber (5.5 mm) rimfire cartridges, even very thin walled tubing will suffice. Author Harlan Ellison describes the zip guns used by gangs in 1950s New York City as being made from tubing used in coffee percolators or automobile radio antennas, strapped to a block of wood to serve as a handle. A rubber band provides the power for the firing pin, which is pulled back and released to fire. The use of such weak tubing results in a firearm that can be more dangerous to the shooter than the target; the poorly fitting smoothbore barrel provides little accuracy and is liable to burst upon firing.^[1]"   Click here for more info

Yes, using a single-shot 22 made from a car radio antenna, one could go to a fight in the late 1950s being assured that you were well armed!!  Now, don't you wish for the good old days of education and violence.


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