Super Soaker Central

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Water guns were born likely out of the prankster in all of us. Early squirt guns were made out of tin or another metal and seem to have appeared in the 1880s in retail stores. Patent data suggests the 1880s as the start of the water gun as well. These squirt guns were modeled on real guns, but did not look completely like a real gun. Most of them were intended more for the prankster than kids having a water fight. Today, many of these guns are available on eBay and some can fetch quite some money. These water guns were as varied in design as they could come. Some used rubber bulbs that were squeezed, some used triggers. They all were primarily powered by the hand however.

In the 1900s, prank water guns made to look like real guns were used during initiation ceremonies in secret clubs. This practice however seems to have faded with time and was discontinued in the 1910s.

The 1920s saw what may have been the final innovation in squirt pistols the use of a finger activated pump as the trigger. Most every squirt gun since has used a similar design.

During the 1930s, space themed water guns began to appear. The varieties were endless. Water guns from the 1930s to the 1950s are more valuable than others simply due to their beautiful design and use of metal. Water guns in good condition can fetch over $200. See our links section for a few good links to websites with more information about this aspect of water guns. Our website is primarily concerned with the development of more powerful water guns.

During the 1950s, plastic water guns became more prevalent, until the point where metal water guns were no longer manufactured. Who may have been the largest manufacturer of water guns at this time was Park Plastic, and their profits were only a fraction of what today's water gun manufacturers' are. Water guns themed around TV shows were popular in the period from the 1950s until the 1970s. In the 1960s, water guns designed to be replicas of real guns appeared, matching the size and color of real guns. Designs could range from the elaborate to the simple. Some water guns had external tanks even. Again, there is a group of people who are very interested in collecting these older squirt pistols, and they can fetch quite some money.

Jack Stelzer's air pressure water gun

In the age of squirt pistols, innovation was hard to come by. But in 1949, an inventor named Jack Stelzer applied for a patent titled simply "Water gun" that was the forerunner to any other air pressure water gun (US patent number 2,589,977). This filing beats that invention of the next invented air pressure water gun by 28 years and the Super Soaker's invention by 33 years. Stelzer's water gun is a true innovation that was nearly lost to time.

The design was very similar to other early air pressure water guns. A container containing water and air was pressurized, and a valve controlled the ejection of said water through a nozzle.

The water gun's design was not influenced by the space age designs of the 1950s. Stelzer's water gun in fact was modeled after a real gun. His water gun design does not use a handle that pulls away from the gun as does BB rifles of the time. His design separates in the middle to pump air, which may be awkward or prone to damage.

Certainly, there were earlier air pressure devices capable of projecting a stream of water. But none were intended so clearly as a toy. There were pesticide sprayers and other applicators. But no toy water guns.

Whether or not Stelzer's water gun was ever manufactured is unknown, as is what else Stelzer accomplished in his lifetime. This was his only patent.

Alan Amron's electric water gun

CPS development

The general path the development of water guns took to most people interested in water guns sees CPS as a result of seeing the inadequacy of air pressure systems. However, historically there are several CPS systems that were developed separate from known air pressure systems. In fact, during the 70s there were 3 CPS patents and 3 air pressure patents. CPS wasn't necessarily developed as an improvement upon air pressure.

What may be the first use of CPS water guns was at MIT in the 60s. Engineering students had water fights at extended distances with a simple piece of rubber tubing. One end was tied off tight and the other end served as a nozzle and valve. If the open end we held to a water spout, the rubber tubing would expand and hold pressure. Then, by loosening or tightening your grip on the open end, you could fire the water gun and close the "valve" to save water.

In 1973, not long after the 60s, a similar CPS system was patented. Wham-O, known for the Frisbee and hula-hoop, applied for a patent (US patent number 3,848,808) on the water gun displayed above. While the water gun was relatively simple, in fact it was a near copy of the MIT water guns, it was a step towards water guns. The patent did however improve upon the MIT water guns by adding a small filling device similar to water balloon fillers and a "trigger" that consistent of nothing more than a piece that pushes into the rubber tubing. Because Wham-O was a major company, this product could have been sold, albeit for a limited time, because internet searches do not turn up any similar product. Wham-O could have had the first pressurized water gun on the market.

An improvement on Wham-O's water gun was made by Donald W. Barnby in 1976 in US patent 4,135,559. His water gun design was a marked improvement upon

Barnby's design even included a QFD (shown on its side above) very similar to later QFDs, in fact, this QFD appears nearly exactly the same. Barnby's water gun was essentially the same as Speed Loader and Supercharger water guns, but predated them by over 20 years.

Anson Sim's Cosmic Liquidator

The first marketed air pressure water gun was the Cosmic Liquidator. Anson Sims was a partner in a major toy invention firm, California R&D center when he licensed the Cosmic Liquidator to Sun Products.

I was inspired to create the Liquidator as I was playing with a very old product known as Water Rockets which involved a handheld pump which attached to the underside of a small hollow rocket shaped vessel which you fill half with water. Multiple pumps pressurizes the rocket and you then release the pump from the rocket and it propels into the air. I actually used the pump portion of that toy to fabricate the Liquidator prototype of which we presented and sold to Sun Products.

Anson Sims

Unfortunately the industry did not invest in the water gun because they never saw a squirt gun sell for more than $3.99. The Cosmic Liquidator was selling for $5.99 or higher.

The toy industry at the time was obviously different than it was in the late 80s. Alan Amron's electric water guns opened up the market to more expensive.

The image above is the Cosmic Liquidator taken from a Sun Products catalog.

Gary Esposito's water gun

Lonnie Johnson's water gun

The best known developments during this period were by none other than Lonnie Johnson, the inventor of the Super Soaker. While he was not the first to make an air pressure water gun or even a pressurized water gun, he did nonetheless invent an air pressure water gun. He had

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