Just when you think you've seen it all.

http://www.hermann-historica.de/gb/index_abgeschlossen_N.html

One of the stranger air guns I've ever seen.

Do you mean Lot 361 in Auction 61 (the "Pfeilpistole" or "Dart pistol")?

These are I believe stage guns used by magicians in various acts, usually for bursting balloons.

that is one strange beast too.

The one I was referencing is from auction 59 item 1218
ttp://www.hermann-historica.de/gb/index_abgeschlossen_N.html

It's sort of a transition air cane that is in three pieces. Never seen anything quite like it.

Sorry, didn't realize that it was not possible to post individual pages.

My browser doesn't recognize it.

Not sure why my browser didn't want to give up the correct URL.

Write up says German but hard to say, without any clear markings. Looks particularly sinister.

Not sure why I didn't do this in the first place. Here are some screen grabs of the Strangest Air gun





Brass castings look very nice. Just looks like it was manufactured by a real gunmakers. Looks more English to me than German, but, hard to say. Such a weapon would be perfectly acceptable in England but would be restricted in Germany and most other Continental countries in the 1800s.

It appears the barrel is wooden, much like a cane but also that it's not removable. Someone playing around with parts?

Windbüchse,

German, 19th century. brass running with mantle from Spanish tube, including black pre-painted Kit System. Unscrewable, large reservoir with punzierter leather sleeve. Old-age and wear. Length

I wonder if it's bamboo lined with brass barrel? However bamboo would be fine for some projectiles and pressures, ala blow guns. It almost looks like some script on end of female fitting in lower left picture?

To me it has an oriental look like the Philippines or somesuch because of carving and brass work and use of bamboo.

Walking-stick air-guns can be found with a faux bamboo finish, for the simple reason that the intent was for the air gun to look like a walking stick and walking sticks were often made of bamboo.

It looks to me that this strange fellow sits right between the late British pneumatics circa 1800-1850 and the Walking-stick air-guns that came to dominate after 1850. The air tank looks like it goes with a late British pneumatic. The trigger, exhaust valve assembly has the same trigger and cocking arrangement found on a walking-stick air-gun and the barrel is made to look like a walking-stick. It's only a short step from here to a full blown walking-stick air-gun.

Bet there might even be a name to be seen on the internal works, like often seen on the walking-stick air-guns.

I've got it! It's a crutch! Hence the large reservoir. Still looks like something cobbled together. Maybe a vehicle for testing walking stick designs?