Early Wooden CHICAGO AIR RIFLE MARKHAM'S PATENT Circa 1886 to 1895

Rare early antique wooden toy BB gun model stamped, CHICAGO AIR RIFLE MARKHAM’S PATENT, circa 1886 to 1895. 

Credited for inventing the first commercially successful toy BB airgun, the manufacturer, MARKHAM CHICAGO was producing up to 3,000 of this toy daily by 1916. While Markham may have had another early patent or two at the time, according to the Blue Book of Airguns, the CHICAGO AIR RIFLE MARKHAM’S PATENT was the company’s first real model.

The wooden toy BB gun measures 32” in length and is made of hard rock maple. The model is in great condition. It does have some scratches and damage to the wood near the muzzle and the cleaning rod attached to the bottom of the stock is not original. Other than the “make-shift” cleaning rod, the toy is original and has not been refurbished. Please review the photos carefully.

About Markham Air Rifle Company: The company began in Plymouth, Michigan in 1885 and was a local competitor of Plymouth Iron Windmill. Plymouth released its own all-metal BB gun two years after the Markham Chicago model. Plymouth changed its name to the Daisy Manufacturing Company in 1895 and twenty years later, purchased its competitor, Markham, but continued to operate both as separate companies. For more history of the two companies and the BB gun, visit the Daisy Museum, AirGun Nation World's First BB Gun, or the Tom Gaylord (BB Pelletier) article from 2007.