Article by Cole Edmonson | September 27, 2022
Introduction
Hi everyone,
This article is a little different than the others I’ve written so far, in that it is more of a collection of compiled resources regarding some LEGO product history that has otherwise been lost (or censored) over time. This is a followup and accompanying resource to my previous post, Why I Build Replica LEGO Guns, and helps provide context to the idea that ‘LEGO’ (as both a toy and a company) and life-inspired guns can be put together… because the company has already successfully and positively made this association in the past. Even as a gun builder in the AFOL community, I was largely unaware myself of this toy history until recently.
Many of the people online who have questioned and/or criticized my choice of subject matter in LEGO building have made the following statements and similar:
- “Real-world inspired guns are not in the spirit of the LEGO toy.”
- “The LEGO company would never make something like this.”
- “To make guns out of LEGO toys is a corruption of the medium.”
Therefore, as someone who views LEGO guns and military building as a positive thing, I’d like to present the following toys which were officially designed, patented, produced, and sold by The LEGO Group back in the day. The company is celebrating its 90th anniversary in 2022, and so let’s look at some of their lesser-known toys to better appreciate their overall product range and what that means for LEGO fans today.
Sources / Acknowledgement
The details and photos in this article are not mine, unless otherwise noted; I have done my best to provide the credit / citations that are due to the original sources in this fan community built around the LEGO toy. Because of the limited knowledge we have of the products featured in this article, the information displayed here is incomplete and subject to change, especially as more of it is discovered.
Please help contribute to this page! If you have any further information, pictures, etc., please contact me here.
The Forgotten LEGO Toy Gun and Accessory Products
Peace Pistol (Wood, 1945) – Halvautomatisk Legetöjspistol
Ole Kirk Christiansen, the Danish carpenter who founded The LEGO Group, lived through the Nazi occupation of his country during World War II. During the war, the Christian toymaker and family man served as a local resistance leader in Billund and this may be one of the reasons (see Rik Pauwels’ Facebook theory) why Ole and his son Godtfred celebrated the end of the war with the production of a toy gun, the Halvautomatisk Legetöjspistol (‘Semiautomatic Play Pistol”), aka Fredspistol (“Peace Pistol”).
The Peace Pistol was first produced in 1945 as a wood toy and is notable for being the LEGO Company’s first toy-specific patent (filed in1946). The toy featured an innovative reloading and shooting mechanism and was one of the company’s successful products, popular enough to warrant a follow-up plastic variant later on in 1949.
Peace Pistol (Plastic, 1949) – Halvautomatisk Legetöjspistol #325
In 1949, the Peace Pistol was updated in the new plastic material that was starting to catch on in children’s toys and at the LEGO company. The all new shape and detailing of the toy gun made it even more realistic and showcased the low-cost and high-detail molding possibilities of the new manufacturing material.
Besides realistic black, the plastic gun was also produced in more toy-like bright colors which shows off the molded details, such as the knurling pattern and logos on the pistol grips.
While most examples found today have ‘Made in Denmark’ engraved on the left side of the slide, some examples have been found with ‘Made in Sweden’ which is thought to be the results of a toy import ban in that particular country. (See Gary Istok’s theory.)
Transparent, clear color was also now available in plastic vs wood:
The smaller-scale 1×4 Modulex bricks could be used for ammo and successfully fired.
With the Peace Pistol, one received a paper insert with the following printed message that is a testament to the positive ways that the LEGO Group viewed both toy weaponry and real-life gun safety:
Til eieren af Fredspistolen!
Alle raske Drenge ønsker en Fredspistol. — Vil du, som ejer denne, huske Vaabnets Lov: “Sigt aldrig paa en Kammerat i Spøg eller Alvor”, Og saa en Ting til. — Fabriken Lego i Billund og København bygger alle Arter Legetøj. Vi onsker du skal eje smukke, solide og underholdende Ting, Som du stadig kan glæde dig over.—
Venlig Hilsen,
Fabriken LEGO A/S
Translated from Danish as:
To the owner of this Peace Pistol!
All healthy Boys want a Peace Pistol. — Will you, who own this, remember the Law of Arms: “Never aim at a comrade in jest or in earnest”, And then one more thing. — The Lego factory in Billund and Copenhagen builds all kinds of toys. We want you to own beautiful, solid, and entertaining things that you can still enjoy.—
Sincerely,
The Factory of LEGO A/S
Ammo #326
Both the wood and plastic versions of the LEGO Peace Pistol used this supplemental ammunition, simple wood pieces that could be loaded and fired through the semiautomatic toy endlessly.
Shooting Disc Targets for Peace Pistol – Skydeskive
A variety of standup targets with different full-color graphics (e.g. clowns) were available for the Peace Pistol.
Automatic Magazine Gun with 5 Shots – Det Automatiske Magasingevaer for 5 Skud #440
Besides the release of the Peace Pistol in wood and plastic variants, a handful of other guns were produced by The LEGO Group and there is far less information readily available for these. I have no real idea of the specific years / order in which these came out; these are all mostly wood-based, and it’s likely they may have all been released between the mid-1940s and late 1950s.
The ‘Automatic Magazine Gun with 5 Shots’, resembling a semi-auto rifle from real life, was capable of firing special ammo balls via their attached elastic bands.
Original price 12,00DKK
Length 80cm
The advertisement in Danish below reads, “lige anvendelig udendørs som indendørs” (English: “equally applicable outdoors as indoors”).
Loose Shots – Løse Skud #440/1
Ammo balls powered by their attached elastic bands, for use with #440 ‘Automatic Magazine Gun with 5 Shots’ above.
Flintlock Rifle – Muskedonner #441
Both this longarm ‘Muskedonner’ and the handgun ‘Musketer’ below were released at about the same time and marketed as being capable of firing both “snap caps and rubber bullets.”
Original price 9.85DKK
Length 32cm
Danish: “og endelig kom si LEGO’s nybyggergevær MUSKEDONNER nr. 441 – alle drenges ønskedrøm – til en rimelig pris. Ligesom MUSKETER pistolen, nr. 442, kan det skyde samtidig med knaldhætter og ufarlige gummikugler”
English: “and finally, LEGO’s new builder rifle MUSKEDONNER no. 441 – every boy’s dream – came at a reasonable price. Like the MUSKETER pistol, No. 442, it can fire simultaneously with snap caps and harmless rubber bullets”
Flintlock Pistol – Musketer #442
Like its longer sibling the ‘Muskedonner’ above, the short Musketer was advertised as firing both rubber ammo and snap caps as part of its working features.
Original price 5.58DKK
Targets for Muskedonner and Musketer
A drop-target stand was made available for the Muskedonner and Musketer pair of flintlock-style LEGO gun toys.
Army Machine Gun – {Original Name Unknown}
Finally, last but not least in this list (again, I have no idea when this product was released in relation to the other toy guns) is the dramatic-looking machine gun item that the LEGO Company sold. I haven’t found the original Danish name of this toy yet. The ‘army gun’ (as one online source calls it) featured a turn-handle / crank on the right side that could be rotated to create a rat-a-tat full-auto noise.
Conclusion
Whether you personally appreciate guns or not, it’s indisputable that The LEGO Group and the Christiansen family (i.e. Ole and Godtfred), famous for their personal motto ‘Det bedste er ikke for godt’ (Only the best is good enough), were unashamedly for the idea of guns being a part of their product line and ethos.
While times and culture have certainly changed, both in Denmark following the end of WWII and worldwide, these toy guns are still an indelible part of the company’s history and should be remembered and appreciated for what they were intended: as celebrations of peace and freedom (e.g. from Nazi tyranny), achievements of product innovation (i.e. the company’s first patent), and as in the Peace Pistol’s product insert above, “beautiful, solid and entertaining things that you can still enjoy.”
In celebrating the company’s 90th birthday, I’m very grateful for the richness of its history and the timeless values of its founders. Leg godt!
Best,
Cole
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