ACTION MAN

Cowboy (and Scout) 1977

Period: Eagle Eyes

Dates: c.1977-79

Scout Cat No: 34402

Action Man Scout (and Cowboy) 1977 Contents:

Shirt
Waistcoat

Trousers
Boots
Cowboy Hat

Black neckerchief

Belt with two holsters

2 x Lebel pistols

Rope ('lasso')

Boxed Cowboy figure (Cat No 34076):

Gripping Hands Leaflet L575
Equipment Manual 1977

Scout (and Cowboy) Description:

The 1977 Palitoy Equipment Manual heralded the line thus: "New Wild West Adventure with Action Man. Indians, scouts, cavalrymen - they are all part of the new Wild West range. All just like the real thing". The new Eagle Eyes head figures seemed an ideal version to use for this gunslinger as he could move his eyes just like Clint Eastwood in his duals in the spaghetti westerns of the time. The outfit was sold either separately on an Locker Box outfit card names 'Scout', which included a yellow rope lasso, or as a complete figure in box (minus lasso) simply called 'Cowboy'. Other Figures in the Wild West Range were the 7th Cavalry outfit, Indian Brave outfit, Indian Brave boxed figure, Indian Chief outfit, and a Horse (labelled Cavalry Charger or Indian Pony)

Notes:

The Scout / Cowboy featured a chequered shirt with metal external domed poppers, and black neckerchief, black plastic hat, length of rope from which a lasso could be formed, molded one piece pistol belt with two holsters (7th Cavalryman version had single holster and sword) for two lebel revolvers (of the type first seen with the French Resistance Fighter), black tall boots (of the type worn by the German Stormtrooper) and brown trousers with external domed popper. The Lebel pistol was actually a French Service revolver and we can assume that Palitoy opted to use in favour of casting a new weapon more familiar to the Wild West. The 40th edition (released in c.2008) of the 7th Cavalry outfit has a longer barreled revolver, shown in some of the images, that suits the figure more. The 1977 Scout outfit card was of the 'Locker Box' type of the time, where the left hand box section could be removed from rest of card and used to place (force!) items of kit into as a storage option.

1977 Action Man Cowboy Figure - Action Man now with 'moving eyes'

Action Man Cowboy / Scout hat

1977 Action Man Scout's correct pistols : Lebel

1977 Action Man Cowboy - the boxed version of the Scout (34076). Shown with a 40th Anniversary box of c.2008. The 40th boxes have HASBRO © 2008 USED WITH PERMISSION REPRODUCTION PACK on the bottom flap