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Winning Bid US $1024 First bid $400 Quantity 1 # of bids 11 Time left Auction has ended   Started 2025-05-07 00:00:00 Ended 2025-11-21 22:35:25

RARE & UNQIUE, German Bolzenbuchse, Bellows Air gun, Cal: approx. .30/ 7.6mm, MFG: 1700s to mid 1800s, S/N None, 30 1/2'' barrel.

HISTORY: This is a Antique German air dart gun. The design of these goes way back to the late 16th century with a surviving example in Livrustkammer at Stockholm dating from around then. As the name suggests they use bellows, like those to used for fires, to generates air & use it to push a needle like projectile. These guns were high tech for their time & were hand made by highly skilled gunsmiths, clockmakers, tool & instrument makers. Some of them were marked with their makers name, but many like this one were left unmarked, likely with the maker not making very many. There were popular with rich shooters as they would cost as much as a small house at the time. They were used at indoor ranges shooting at targets 35 feet away. They used a handmade needle point dart with squirrel hair in the back end to stabilize it. These were apparently quite accurate with shooters hitting the bullseye every time & some Austrian shoots claiming each shot could be put on the same pin hole. The Bellows system also pulled in the same amount of air every time so every shot would be almost exactly the same. There is a lever in front of the trigger guard to pop up the barrel to be able to feed a dart into the breech. The square knob on the right cheek is how it is charged with air. This information & more can be found in the two articles ''The Bolzenbuchse'' by Brig. Gen. William T. Fitts, Jr., & ''The Bellows Airgun Restored'' by Albert Littler. Examples of this gun can be found in the articles, one being made by Anton Baumann. This gun comes out of the Famous Mike Carrick Collection & comes with more information & research done by him.

CONDITION: The checkered walnut stock is good with various small nicks, dings, scuffs & scratches from use/age. There is a 2'' crack in the belly of the stock. Two chip repairs on the left cheek of the stock, &a couple cracks at the tip of the forend with nail reinforcement. The barrel has been re-blued with light roughness under the finish. The finish on the barrel rates 97% with only a couple small spots of wear/patina. The barrel tang has toned to a mix of gun metal gray & brown patina. The brass parts all exhibit patina. The upper extension of the buttplate is marked with a script letter symbol. The bore is excellent, bright & shiny, smoothbore. The barrel has a brass bore sleeve, unknown if its original or if its been sleeved. The barrel holds a small, beaded post front sight with a large hood protector, & a small V-notch rear sight with another large hood protector. The wrist has a mount for a tang sight. The stock carries a brass buttplate, has a few dings & light patina. gun has no sling mounts, & has a stick in the ramrod channel. Antique/Airgun, No FFL Req - Value: 800 to 1600

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Price

RARE & UNQIUE, German Bolzenbuchse, Bellows Air gun, Cal: appro... Item # 4387 This auction is over. No new bids can be placed. Price: US $1024

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