Source: ATF P 5300.11 · Curios or Relics List · Jan 1972 – Apr 20253,573 entries · 4 sections
The C&R RegisterA finding aid to the ATF Curios or Relics List, for Type 03 collectors
C&R · II · 500

S&W Mercox Dart Gun

Section II: curio or relic, still subject to the Gun Control Act

Official wording

ATF P 5300.11 · APRIL 2025 EDITION · SECTION II · VERBATIM · PDF P. 16 ↗

Smith & Wesson, Mercox Dart Gun, cal. .22 rimfire, blank.

Built on the K-22 frame; about 25 made.

What this entry requires

  • INFOATF states no date; production was about 1966–1967.

Editorial facts · Our research

Low editorial confidence. Some details below couldn’t be confirmed from independent sources. The ATF wording is unaffected. About confidence

Country
United States
Manufacturer
Smith & Wesson; Mercox
Type
Other¹
Action
Other
Caliber
.22 blank
Made
1966–1967production; ATF states no date
Service
Commercial
Search listings ↗Check a specific gunReport an error ↗

Source

Official wording
ATF P 5300.11, April 2025 edition · Section II · PDF p. 16 ↗ · ATF original ↗
Entries
1 line
Verbatim check
Checked against the PDF text before every release
Editorial facts
Confidence: Low · Last revised 18 October 2026 (Evidence pass) · How we rate confidence
References
  1. collectorsfirearms.com ↗, type: Collectors Firearms (dealer): "Very rare experimental tranquilizer dart gun made for Mercox … shoots .22 blanks to launch the darts, only 25 of these were made" — a dart launcher, type Other; listing calls it "1970's vintage"
Fact tags
  • ATF the ATF wording states it.
  • REF ¹ an outside reference supports it; the number points to the list of references.
  • ESTIMATE an approximate or indirect reading, for example the production range of the base model.
  • NO CITATION we haven’t attached a reference for this fact; it’s our editorial reading, not ATF’s.
Source checked
20 October 2026: ATF’s page still lists the April 2025 edition
Corrections
1 change · see below

Correction history

  1. Evidence passEditorial confidence: Medium → Low. Re-rated after its references were re-checked and some details couldn't be confirmed.

All corrections · How corrections work

Historical context

Patent drawing, U.S. Patent 3,346,981 (shown for S&W Mercox Dart Gun)
Shown: the patent drawing for the Mercox blank-cartridge dart pistol (U.S. Patent 3,346,981), a revolver fitted with a dart barrel and gas selector valve; not a production example.

Image: U.S. Patent 3,346,981, “Blank cartridge pistol for propelling projectiles, sheet 1” by Patrick MacDonald Tabor, Public domain (US patent). Retrieved October 2026.