Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (orig. Aus./US) a small, low-powered firearm [note WWI Aus. milit. pea-shooter, a German anti-tank gun; UK WWI pea-shooter, a rifle].

1893		K. Mackay Out Back 190: Don’t fire till all other means fail [...] A squint down your peashooter will satisfy the traps, never fear.
1903		‘O. Henry’ ‘The Atavism of John Tom Little Bear’ in Rolling Stones (1913) 38: Mind the steak [...] while I investigate this demon with the pea shooter.
1918		L.N. Smith Lingo of No Man’s Land 63: PEA SHOOTER, The artillery man’s name for his gun.
1937		F. Gruber ‘Death on Eagle’s Crag’ in Goulart (1967) 177: Them shot-guns and rifles was his’n. The pea-shooter, I dunno.
1943		Smith & Carnes American Guerrilla 257: Stirling’s repeated attempts to get even a few armor-piercing machine guns had failed; the largest we had in the outfit were .30-caliber pea-shooters.
1946		R.L. Bellem ‘Latin Blood’ in Speed Detective Aug. 🌐 Drop that pea shooter, [...] You’ve spilled enough Spanish gore for one evening!
1958		I. Fleming Dr No (1960) 103: Drop the pea-shooter. No tricks.
1975		J. Wambaugh Choirboys (1976) 44: We’ll [...] blow the motherfuckers right outta their shoes with my magnum and your little peashooter!
1983		C. Heath A-Team 2 (1984) 142: Drop your pea-shooters real slow and easy.
1990		M. McAlary Crack War (1991) 67: Now we’re up against nines and Uzis. All we’ve got is a .38 pea shooter.
2000		C. Cook Robbers (2001) 40: Just don’t squeeze that peashooter, he said. I’m near enough dead already.
2005		P. Temple Broken Shore (2007) [ebook] I took the little peashooter of yours out for a walk.
2009		J. Stahl Pain Killers 194: The Chasid had a .22 out and pointed at my stomach [...] ‘Go ahead. I’ve got a vest on. That peashooter won’t make a dent’.
2011		G. Hayward Corruption Officer [ebk] cap. 35: Ya’ got ya’ little pea-shooter pointed at me like ya’ ready to end me.
2019		S.M. Jones Lives Laid Away [ebook] ‘Feel like I’m fucking naked,’ Tomás grumbled [...] ‘Coupla goddamn peashooters and a Mexican toothpick’.

2. the penis.

1922

Joyce Ulysses 310: Belle in her bloomers misconducting herself and her fancy man feeling for her tickles and Norman W. Tupper bouncing in with his peashooter just in time to be late after she doing the trick of the loop with officer Taylor.