‘A Christmas Story’ House and Museum Nabs Ralphie Parker’s Red Ryder BB Gun
A Christmas Story House and Museum has acquired the holy grail of “A Christmas Story” memorabilia — an original, custom-made Red Ryder BB gun used in the film.
The “official Red Ryder carbine action, 200-shot, range model air rifle with a compass in the stock and this thing that tells time” that Ralphie Parker pines over and eventually receives will become a permanent addition to the museum in Cleveland, Ohio.
“This has been the holy grail for us—the actual BB gun used by Ralphie in the movie,” said Brian Jones, founder and owner of the A Christmas Story House & Museum. “We have had a commemorative replica on display, along with many original props, costumes and memorabilia from the film, but this is an item we’ve hoped to find for a long time.”
The museum learned that production asset manager Gary Meck was selling the vintage rifle on a film collectibles website. They immediately snatched it for the $10,000 asking price. Six custom guns were made by Daisy for “A Christmas Story”; one went to Peter Billingsley (who played Ralphie), one to the film archives, and the others to Meck and production team members.
“This original Red Ryder BB gun from the movie is a great addition to our collection,” said Jones. “We are excited that fans will now be able to see the real thing for the first time.”