Air guns of this style were used primarily for indoor target shooting. "Wind guns" had several advantages over conventional firearms including that they were quieter, smokeless, quicker to reload, and they also required less cleaning since they did not require corrosive black powder. This exact gallery air gun is photographed and described on page 99 of "Blue Book of Airguns, Thirteenth Edition" in which it is called an "Upstate New York" air gun as produced for gallery target shooting sometime during the Civil War era by an American gunsmith, and the book states, "A small, special group. The main feature is a hand-operated revolving cylinder and barrel which is attached to the receiver with a pin, wedge, and bottom strap in a manner and styling very similar to an open-top Colt revolver." This example has no visible maker markings, is chambered in approximately .28 caliber/7.5 mm with a smooth bore, and has a bead front sight, fixed notch rear sight, and is mounted with a walnut buttstock with a checkered wrist. It functions through the use of a right side mounted lever that is pulled back for cocking in order to fill the cylinder reservoir, and upon pulling the trigger the spring loaded piston releases, and has a 12 shot cylinder that loads from the front. Circular brass collection tag marked "R.D. BEEMAN/PRIVATE/COLLECTION/479" hanging from the trigger guard. Provenance: The Dr. Robert D. Beeman Collection

Very good with some scattered light pitting/freckling on the iron surfaces, a mix of attractive golden aged and bright patina on the brass. The refinished stock is good with a partially reattached split in the wrist, and a few scattered light scratches and handling marks. Mechanically fine.