"321/JOHN ZUENDORFF" and "E. HOSTON/106/NEW YORK" marked on top of the cylinder area. John Zuendorff is listed as an active maker circa 1850-1860, and no related information was found on an E. Hoston. Air guns of this style were used primarily for indoor gallery target shooting as produced during the Civil War era. This gallery air gun has a swivel breech, octagon barrel chambered in approximately .28 caliber/7 mm with a smooth bore, dovetail mounted bead front sight and notch rear sight, floral engraving on the bottom of the trigger guard, and is mounted with a walnut forend and buttstock with a checkered wrist. It functions through the use of the included hand crank that is inserted in the right side for cocking in order to fill the cylinder reservoir, and upon pulling the trigger the spring loaded piston releases. Circular brass collection marked "R.D. BEEMAN/PRIVATE/COLLECTION/2077" hanging from the trigger guard. Provenance: The Dr. Robert D. Beeman Collection

Good with a mix of period applied brown finish and gray patina with scattered areas of light pitting on the iron surfaces, with the brass surfaces showing some mild wear. The wood is also good with numerous scattered mild dents and scratches, an absent section and a mild crack on the left of the forend, a mild crack at the bottom rear of the forend, and a few mild cracks at the toe. Mechanically fine.