Oldest Known Water Guns / Water Blasters .:

The Oldest Known Water Gun: USA Liquid Pistol

Patented June 30 1896 (Images provided by Phillip James): the USA Liquid Pistol may not necessarily be the first, but it is presently the oldest water gun that iSoaker.com knows about. Not shown in these images is the squeeze bulb and tubing that would attach to this pistol-shaped toy to allow it to shoot water.

Oldest Known Written Quote about a Water Gun: Ken Burns: The Civil War: "The Cause (1861)"

"You might as well attempt to put out the flames of a burning house with a squirt-gun. I think this is to be a long war-very long-much longer than any politician thinks." - William Tecumseh Sherman, assessing the [just beginning civil] war in 1861.

References:

• http://www.nellaware.com/blog/sherman.html
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Tecumseh_Sherman#St._Louis_interlude

Special thanks to P.C. for emailing this information to iSoaker.com.

The Oldest Known Stock Air-Pressure Water Gun: Cosmic Liquidator (Sun Products Corp.)

Patented in 1977: the Cosmic Liquidator is the oldest known water blaster that uses air pressure to generate a water stream. Its pressure tank, however, was separate and connected to the blaster part via a flexible piece of tubing.

The Original / First Super Soaker: Power Drencher

The Power Drencher (now known as the Super Soaker SS50) is perhaps the most recognized water blaster that revolutionized the face of water warfare. While not the first air-pressure water blaster, the Power Drencher placed the pressure chamber/reservoir atop the blaster, creating a visually distinct and better performing water blaster. Not only did the Power Drencher perform better than any of the motorized water guns available. Additionally, the Power Drencher did not require any batteries and had much more capacity than any of its rivals (apart from the Aqua Force water gun). Interestingly, then the Power Drencher was released in 1988, it gathered little attention. However, being rename to "Super Soaker" and having a more aggressive advertising campaign in 1989, the Super Soaker became THE toy of the summer, outselling virtually any other toy on the market and putting Super Soaker down into the history books.

See: History of the Super Soaker