Shooting toy

A shooting toy comprising:

• a circular projectile having a cylindrical surface extending along a center axis and having a coupling stud on a top surface thereof and a coupling skirt on the bottom surface thereof and an outwardly-extending cylindrical part therebetween, the coupling skirt being complementarily configured to connect to the coupling stud;
• a shooter comprising:
• a shooter body comprising at least one substantially tubular pinching element, the at least one substantially tubular pinching element consisting of two opposed, inner pinching surfaces, one or more cut-outs between said opposed, inner surfaces, and a rounded tip end, wherein in a loaded position, the opposed, inner pinching surfaces of the substantially tubular pinching element are configured to pinch the projectile along an outer surface of the coupling stud and thereby hold it in the shooter body, and whereby in a non-engaged position, the opposed, inner pinching surfaces are configured to extend slightly away from one another and release the projectile;
• a trigger element having a finger touch part adapted to be activated by an operator;
• and
• a pusher part adapted to push the projectile away from its loaded position when the trigger element is moved from a passive position to an activated position;
• the trigger element being movably mounted in the shooter body between the passive position, in which the projectile may occupy the loaded position in the shooter body, and the activated position in which the shooter is configured to eject the projectile along the center axis of the cylindrical surface of the projectile;
• wherein the projectile is configured to be held within the substantially tubular pinching element of the shooter body by the frictional force until suitable ejection force is created by the pusher part;
• and
• wherein the opposed, inner pinching surfaces of the substantially tubular pinching element are adapted to guide the cylindrical surface of the projectile in the ejection direction of the projectile, against the frictional force, and along the center axis of the cylindrical surface of the projectile during ejection of the projectile.