This Austrian air gun dates to around the late 1700s to early 1800s. It is signed with the maker name "F. STERBA." on the top barrel flat at the breech. No information related to this maker has been found at the current time. "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. This example is chambered in approximately .43 caliber/11 mm and features a part octagon/round barrel with a smooth bore, a German silver bead front sight, notch rear sight, a small walnut stock section, and a leather wrapped metal stock reservoir. Provenance: The Dr. Robert D. Beeman Collection