Buffalo Bill Gun
The Buffalo Bill Gun was one of the first toys made by the Milton Bradley Company. The toy was based on the popular Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show.[1] The strenuous life, so widely favored as the century drew to its close, was reflected in many games which Americans played at home.[1] The Milton Bradley Company, like many other game manufacturers, was alert to the trend.[1] As soon as Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show had proved to be popular, Company technicians devised the Buffalo Bill Gun, a wooden model which shot wooden pellets.[1]
The Buffalo Bill Gun was the most popular toy the company had produced to date. Appearing in 1884, it was immediately sold out and the Company could not keep up with the re-orders.[1] Company space was enlarged for this high demand of Buffalo Bill Guns, yet the production could still barely keep up with the demand. The expansion of the factory allowed the Company to produce other products that would not have been possible before expansion, such as the lawn game Enchantment, Pitch-a-Ring, Ring Toss, or Jackstraws.