Brothers David and Joseph Lurch were listed as gallery gun makers in New York as early as 1863. "JOS. LURCH, N.Y." marked on the top flat at the breech. Air guns of this style were used primarily for indoor target shooting. This gallery air gun has a swivel breech, octagon barrel chambered in approximately .28 caliber/7 mm with a smooth bore, dovetail mounted beaded blade front sight and notch rear sight, and is mounted with a walnut forend and buttstock with a checkered wrist. Flourishes of floral scroll engraving on the breech, frame and trigger guard. It functions through the use of an included hand crank that is inserted in the right side for cocking in order to fill the cylinder reservoir, and upon pulling the trigger the spring loaded piston releases. Circular brass collection tag marked "R.D. BEEMAN/PRIVATE/COLLECTION/793" hanging from the trigger guard. Provenance: The Dr. Robert D. Beeman Collection

Fair with scattered moderate pitting on the iron surfaces, with the brass and German silver surfaces showing some light wear with otherwise defined engraving. Wood is good with numerous scattered dents and scratches, a small crack at the tip of the forend, and a crack ahead of the left of the buttplate. The mechanism does not properly cock. Trigger guard screws absent, trigger guard detached but included.