"SCHIRMANN:" and "A:PASEWALCK:" silver inlaid on the top barrel flat ahead of and behind the rear sight. "SCHIRMAN" marked on the lock plate. No information was found related to this maker at the current time, but the marking indicates they were active out of Pasewalk in what is modern day Germany. This high quality 18th century air gun shares strong resemblance to a muzzleloading flintlock long arm of the time, although the "cock" instead only functions as a cocking lever, and it uses a detachable walnut wrapped buttstock air reservoir. Air guns of this style were used primarily for hunting. "Wind guns" had several advantages over conventional firearms including that they were quieter, smokeless, quicker to reload, and relatively unaffected by rain. They also required less cleaning since they did not require corrosive black powder like the flintlocks that this example shares resemblance to. Features a smoothbore octagon barrel that measures approximately .44 caliber/11 mm, brass blade front sight, brass fixed notch rear sight, flat beveled iron lock, and high quality border relief carvings along the edges and bottom of the stock, around the wrist and on floral patterns on both sides of the buttstock. Initials "VR" carved into the right of the buttstock. An air gun of this style would have been an advanced hunting weapon of the time, fit for an individual of high status. Provenance: The Dr. Robert D. Beeman Collection