"G. Wallis" signed in fancy script on the flat beveled step tailed lock, with a ring neck cock. George Wallis (1731-1803) is listed as an active maker out of Hull, England. Though this example offered looks like a flintlock long arm, it is actually a muzzleloading air rifle with a copper ball reservoir. Ball reservoirs were in use since the late 17th century and had the added advantage of being easily swapped out. This exact air gun is photographed on page 170 of "Blue Book of Airguns, Thirteenth Edition". 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 is modeled after. The part octagon/round barrel has fine-groove rifling and measures at approximately .36 caliber/9 mm (the book says .327 caliber/8.32 mm) and has a blade front sight and two-position folding notch rear sight. Fitted with a full-length walnut stock with a checkered wrist and clamshell carving on top of the wrist, and an iron ramrod. Floral and border engraving on the barrel tang, lock, sideplate, trigger guard and buttplate tang that also has a pair of birds. Circular brass collection tag marked "R.D. BEEMAN/PRIVATE/COLLECTION/075" hanging from the trigger guard. Provenance: The Dr. Robert D. Beeman Collection