Brown pneumatic pistol (David Swan collection)
With thanks to Rod Meek of Anderson & Garland Auctioneers (www.andersonandgarland.com) for permission to post these pics of a gun auctioned in 2015.
Auction blurb:
"A Brown O.H. .22cal. Pneumatic pistol, no. 174 circa 1939, fitted compound pump action and walnut mounted grip, 16 3/4in. overall length; together with a brown leather holster, in an associated box.
Hammer Price: £1,700.00"
Brown pistol (detailed pics)
At the time of posting, this pistol was for sale in a forthcoming auction at Holts Auctioneers.
Auction blurb: "BROWN, USA
AN EXTRAORDINARILY RARE BOXED .22 MULTI-PUMP PNEUMATIC AIR-PISTOL, MODEL 'STANDARD', serial no. 125,
believed only manufactured in limited numbers during 1939 and retailed through Stoeger Arms, USA, with blued 7 1/2in. barrel, rotating tap at breech, plain air-chamber with knurled end-cap, pump-handle to rear, blued frame and smooth walnut grips, together with a black paper covered card box (some later internal reinforcement) believed associated and a facsimile of the original blue-print instructions
Other Notes: The Brown 'Standard' air pistol and its even rarer stablemate, the 'Deluxe' (with chequered grips and a 10in. barrel) were produced on a one by one basis to order and retailed through Stoeger Arms in the USA. The pistol uses a unique pump design in that it charges air on both the in and out strokes of the handle. It is believed that the almost amateur system of production caused its early demise, and it only appeared in Stoeger's 1939 catalogue, disappearing by the 1940 edition."
Brown pneumatic pistol - lucky find
The owner said: "I found the air pistol in the basement of an old building I own."
Thanks to @Tomtom