Gun Smoke

Gun Smoke, manufactured by Chicago Coin Machine Manufacturing Company in 1968, is a two-player Add-A-Ball export version of Chicago Coin's Western-themed 'Gun Smoke,' produced for the Italian market. The machine's designers, Ed Sermonti and Albin Peters, with artwork by Christian Marche, built the game around the popular Wild West theme common in pinball of the era.

The gameplay in Gun Smoke features two flippers, three pop bumpers, and three kick-out holes that add to the machine's kinetic energy, challenging players to navigate the ball through a network of targets. The center up-post, positioned between the flippers, is a particularly notable feature: Chicago Coin referred to it as the "Ball Saver," and Gun Smoke is credited as the first pinball machine by an American manufacturer to use this now-familiar design (an earlier, V-shaped precursor appeared on Gottlieb machines in the 1950s).

Notably, Gun Smoke is an example of Chicago Coin's design innovation during the 1960s, and may be the last Italian-export version produced by the company. While not as well-known as some other machines from this era, it remains an important part of the company's history and a testament to the creative vision of its designers. For pinball enthusiasts, this machine offers a glimpse into the evolution of EM design and the mechanical features that would go on to become industry standards.