Wham-o made firearms

by Tom Gaylord

I'm writing this to collect my thoughts for an article I'll publish in Shotgun News later this year.

Wamo or Wham-o ?
Wham-o, also known as Wamo (they are the same company) made three conventional firearms and three additional powder-burning muzzle-loading arms that fall loosely into the BB-gun category. In this report, I will look at the three firearms, only. Before that, however, here is a magazine ad from Science & Mechanics that is proof of the dual names. I have lots of this material, so don't believe what you hear about these being two different companies - they're not.


Here is an ad from a 1956 Science & Mechanics magazine that clearly shows both spellings of the Wamo name in one ad. There is much additional proof that Wamo and Wham-o are the same company, but this will suffice for now.

Dating these guns is still a problem for me. I would like to discover the start and end date for each of the three firearms, as well as the BB guns that I will also cover here in the future. If any reader has information that can help me date these guns more closely, I would enjoy hearing from you.

Wamo Powermaster
The best-known of the three firearms made by Wham-o/Wamo is the Powermaster. It is a single-shot pistol chambered for the .22 long rifle cartridge. From advertisements in magazines, I know this gun was offered in 1956. Both spellings of the company name are on the box and the literature inside.


The Wamo Powermaster is the best-known and most plentiful of the Wamo/Wham-o firearms. It's a single-shot pistol chambered for the .22 long rifle cartridge. This photo is used with permission of 45Broomhandle, a member of The High Road firearms discussion group.

The Powermaster operates from an unlocked bolt, using mass, alone, to retard the bolt until chamber pressure had dropped to a safe level. The bolt blows back with the shot and remains open. The empty cartridge is blown out of the chamber and it tipped by a steel spring in the bolt channel that functions as the ejector.

I have shot a Powermaster with .22 long rifle standard speed cartridges and it functioned fine. There was no violence in the action and ejection seemed no different than any regular .22 rimfire semiautomatic. Though I didn't spend much time with the gun, it was apparent that it was reasonably accurate, at least at a plinking level.

I don't currently have a Powermaster of my own. I would like to acquire a nice example in a box, if possible, though that's not essential. I see them for sale from time to time, but one recent one had a reserve of $600 on his, which is ridiculous. They should be worth about $250 in very good condition - $300 with a box. I have an excellent one being held for me at $200, but it will take about 8 months to get.

Wamo Hamilton pirate pistol
I only know of three of these guns, and I'm guessing they predate the Powermaster, though the actions show remarkable similarity. I do not have any literature or box information. I have no ads for them. I call them pirate pistols because of their look. They have the name Hamilton engraved on an anodized aluminum plaque on both sides of the stock. I once thought they might be the prototype for the Powermaster, but they are too developed for that. Also, the three I know about are all identical, which seldom happens with a prototype.


The Wamo Hamilton pistol (top) looks old at first glance, but the action is a close copy of the Powermaster below. Note the large bolt handle for mass. I would give credit for this photo, but I have misplaced the name of the man who sent it to me.

I would like to acquire any information on this pistol that's out there. And, if someone wants to part with one, I'm interested.

Wamo Tommygun
This is the gun I know the least about - despite owning one. I only know of one other, which is pictured here. It has the same action as the two pistols, but I chickened out when I fired mine. I used CB caps, which cycled the action. The barrel is rifled and the only marks on the exposed surface of the gun are these two lines:

Wamo Mfg. Co
San Gabriel, Cal.


The Wamo Tommygun is a crude long gun that uses the same operating mechanism as both pistols. I have misplaced the name of the man who sent me this photo.

I have no ads, no paper of any kind and no mention of this gun in any publication. I would really like to hear from someone who may know something - anything about this gun.

Well, that's it. My article in Shotgun News will be very large and contain lots more details and photos. If you help me with my research, I will be only too happy to give you credit in the article that should be out in July.