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 gallery air gun is chambered in approximately .28 caliber/7 mm with a smooth bore, dovetail mounted blade and notch sights and is mounted with a walnut forend and buttstock. 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. Provenance: The Dr. Robert D. Beeman Collection