# Rabaser uses Baser surgical tubing ammo



## Grayrock (Feb 13, 2021)

Came across a Rabaser pistol that uses tubing joined by a piece of material. The tubes/ ammo/ bands are no longer made. Is anyone familiar with this product? Does anyone know the dimensions of them so I might possibly recreate some ? I bought some EPDM bands off ebay sized for this pistol, but wanted to construct ammo more like the original. Thanks for any help/ advice you might provide.


----------



## flipgun (Nov 14, 2012)

Did a look around. 1632 looks close enough for Jazz.


----------



## Tobor8Man (Nov 19, 2020)

Very cool pistol - can you posy some photos?


----------



## Cass (Nov 16, 2020)

Funny, I won one on eBay mint in the box, have not received it yet, but it's on the way. I don't know if I bands work, or if they are dry rotted, but I took a chance. Let you know.


----------



## Tobor8Man (Nov 19, 2020)

Thanks!


----------



## Grayrock (Feb 13, 2021)

Both sides with the bands I got off Theebay.


----------



## flipgun (Nov 14, 2012)

https://www.google.com/search?q=rabaser+pistol&newwindow=1&rlz=1C1CHBD_enUS786US786&sxsrf=ALeKk030ITISEkVdd30FSpFYJ37L9Oyb8w:1613362801556&source=ln


----------



## Grayrock (Feb 13, 2021)

https://slingshotforum.com/uploads/gallery/album_3590/tn_gallery_46222_3590_28816.jpg


----------



## Grayrock (Feb 13, 2021)

https://slingshotforum.com/uploads/gallery/album_3590/tn_gallery_46222_3590_292910.jpg


----------



## Tag (Jun 11, 2014)

Thanks for sharing, looks like a lot of fun


----------



## Cass (Nov 16, 2020)

Hi well I received the Rabaser today. Never used as new in box. Came with a lot of articles from 1984, but the band's still have the original silicon coating!! And seem to be usable! Also has a U.S. Ski team on the side, and a serial number. I may try it out later.


----------



## Tobor8Man (Nov 19, 2020)

That's a classic. Enjoy!


----------



## Grayrock (Feb 13, 2021)

Very cool, Cass. Would you be able to provide some measurements of the band so I might be able to reproduce them? TIA


----------



## Cass (Nov 16, 2020)

Yes, soon


----------



## fatherbowie (Mar 15, 2021)

Grayrock said:


> Came across a Rabaser pistol that uses tubing joined by a piece of material. The tubes/ ammo/ bands are no longer made. Is anyone familiar with this product? Does anyone know the dimensions of them so I might possibly recreate some ? I bought some EPDM bands off ebay sized for this pistol, but wanted to construct ammo more like the original. Thanks for any help/ advice you might provide.


Hi, I have four of these pistols and have been experimenting a lot with different materials and construction methods for the ammo. I believe the original bands used 1/8" OD round polyurethane rod (commonly sold as belt material for small machines) with 1/8" ID, 3/64" wall surgical tubing. They are joined with about 1/4" length of each end of the urethane rod inserted into each end of the surgical tubing, and bonded with an industrial flexible cyanoacrylate glue (not all super glues are the same). There are a lot more details to the construction, but those are the basic facts. Let me know if you need more info. If you want, I can make you a few and send them to you. I might ask for postage reimbursement, but they're free otherwise. Just let me know.


----------



## Cass (Nov 16, 2020)

Hi I am also interested, I got one new in the box from ebay, but I haven't tried it yet.


----------



## fatherbowie (Mar 15, 2021)

Cass said:


> Hi I am also interested, I got one new in the box from ebay, but I haven't tried it yet.


Yours looks pretty great. I have a couple with the box, but yours looks very complete and the bands are in great shape (though they will almost certainly break if you try to use them). The US Ski Team branding is really cool too. The manufacturer offered custom monogramming and they were also co-branded for some retailers. I have one that's branded Abercrombie & Fitch Co., and another that was sold through the Sharper Image catalog (though no Sharper Image branding, sadly). I'd be happy to make some bands for you, just send me a DM. Probably not super fast turnaround time on these as I have a regular job, but I might be able to get them sent out this weekend or next week. They take a long time to make and test (and often need small tweaks with the glue after initial testing).


----------



## Cass (Nov 16, 2020)

Hi, great thanks, what is a DM?


----------



## fatherbowie (Mar 15, 2021)

Cass said:


> Hi, great thanks, what is a DM?


I meant a direct message. I'll send you one.


----------



## Grayrock (Feb 13, 2021)

Mine was Abercrombie & Fitch. But I did not see a serial number on it.


----------



## fatherbowie (Mar 15, 2021)

Grayrock said:


> Mine was Abercrombie & Fitch. But I did not see a serial number on it.


My Abercrombie & Fitch Rabaser does not have a serial number. I'm not sure any of my other three do, either. I believe they started adding serial numbers sometime into the production run. I don't have a good handle on exactly how long they were produced, but probably not more than about 5 or 6 years. It's a shame really, it's a brilliant and elegant design. They actually sold a shadow box to mount on the wall and display your Rabaser as if it was a piece of art. In a way, it is!


----------



## fatherbowie (Mar 15, 2021)

I have some documents relating to the Rabaser, and am planning to scan as many as I think people will find interesting. The first item is an article on rubber band guns from the magazine Airgun Revue #4, which was published in 1999. The Rabaser is the last rubber band gun reviewed in the article, and it's an amusing read.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rPn7k3osGU9F1QbceDsIML-c3EhjoXiB/view?usp=sharing


----------



## Cass (Nov 16, 2020)

Great info, I had no idea about this history. Thanks


----------



## fatherbowie (Mar 15, 2021)

And one more scan, this time the full 14 page Rabaser owner's manual. I'm pretty sure I've owned actual, lead-spitting firearms that came with shorter owner's manuals than this! It's a pretty interesting and eccentric read, for sure. I think the ASPCA and some law enforcement officers might have issues these days with some of the suggested uses of the Rabaser.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MZoTcCE1_FcRHM-JoUsqdPhuzJlXYAZz/view?usp=sharing


----------



## Grayrock (Feb 13, 2021)

Very good info. Such a treasure trove of data on this most unique pistol. How did you come to be interested in it?


----------



## fatherbowie (Mar 15, 2021)

I saw one for sale in a gift shop when I was a kid, I think it must have been around 1985 or so. It looked like something out of a sci-fi film, it was so sleek and sculpted. Unfortunately it was not in the cards for me at the time. It was pretty expensive for a rubber band gun for a teenager in 1985. But I never forgot about it, and how elegant it was. A few months ago I bought my Abercrombie & Fitch Rabaser. I was pleasantly surprised that my memory had not embellished the Rabaser, it was everything I remembered and more. As a collector I have never been able to just buy one of anything, so now I have four of them. .


----------



## fatherbowie (Mar 15, 2021)

I scanned a few more pages, an article and a one-pager on the Rabaser and self defense, which I think is a pretty eccentric concept, but it makes for an interesting read.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1epF7n0NxgR3FNkcmLGxZiqJbOBE9pwSu/view?usp=sharing


----------



## Grayrock (Feb 13, 2021)

Again- great info. Where do you find this stuff?


----------



## fatherbowie (Mar 15, 2021)

Grayrock said:


> Again- great info. Where do you find this stuff?


The first article from Airgun Revue magazine, I found that in a Google search on another forum, I think it was an airgun forum. Someone posted a pretty bad scan of the article. I tracked down a hard copy of the magazine and scanned it in higher quality. The owner's manual and other documents were in the boxes of some of the Rabasers I've purchased over the past few months. I have two that were delivered to me in their original box with some original (broken) Baser bands and other accessories/paperwork. I know of a person who has a really nice glossy brochure from the Rabaser, I'm trying to get a higher quality scan of that.


----------

