Carnival Rifle

The Carnival Rifle, manufactured by Chicago Coin Machine Manufacturing Company and shipped around May 1968, is an electro-mechanical (EM) shooting-gallery game - not a flipper pinball - built around a circus/carnival theme. Trade press previewed the game in April 1968, with Billboard teasing it would be "out next week" and Cash Box reporting it was "readied for shipment."

Gameplay centers on two operator-selectable modes: Extended Play or Replay with Match, giving operators control over the reward structure for skilled play. The game also features blacklighting to enhance its playfield presentation, and its flyer describes "electronic sound effects," though the exact method of sound generation isn't documented.

The Carnival Rifle's design and artwork reflect its circus/carnival theme, though no information about its designer has been found. As one of many EM shooting games produced by Chicago Coin during the company's 45-year run (1932-1977), it represents the kind of coin-operated craftsmanship the company was known for in the years before the industry's shift to solid-state electronics.