Markham - The Chicago Air Rifle.
With thanks to Trev for the first two pics.
With thanks to Sean Campbell, imaging manager of the Buffalo Bill Centre of the West in Cody, Wyoming, for permission to post these pics of guns held in the Cody Firearms Museum. The blurb accompanying these guns follows.
Accession Number: 1993.8.108
Date : 1884-1895
Dimensions: L: 32 in, Barrel length: 9.75 in, H: 5.25 in
Inscription: left side of butt: Chicago Air Rifle/ Markham's Patent
Synopsis: firearm- airgun- Markham Air Rifle Co., Plymouth, MI- wood- brass- steel- left side of butt: Chicago Air Rifle/ Markham's Patent- Chicago Air Rifle- .177
Accession Number: 1993.8.107
Date : 1884-1895
Dimensions: L: 32 in, Barrel length: 9.75 in, H: 5.25 in
Credit Line: Gift of Thomas K. Hutchinson
Inscription: left side of butt: Chicago Air Rifle/ Markham's Patent
Synopsis: firearm- rifle- airgun- Markham Air Rifle Co., Plymouth, MI- wood- brass- steel- left side of butt: Chicago Air Rifle/ Markham's Patent- Chicago Air Rifle- .177
Markham - The Chicago Air Rifle patent model (copy)
First patent of the Markham 'Chicago'.
With thanks to Wes, who made this rifle.
He says:
This is a copy of the Markham patent model that is in the Daisy Museum.
Joe Murfin was kind enough to remove the gun from the show case to allow me to take photos and measurements.
I did use walnut just because I like the look.
He adds:
The main spring was an extension spring. The production gun has a compression spring.
Brass piston in a brass air chamber tube. I did not take apart the gun in the Daisy Museum but all the Markham Chicago guns just had a metal to metal fit, no seal.
The production Chicago was an improvement and would have been easier to produce with the compression spring.
Patent drawing: