US229868A patent
Nothing new under the sunMy invention consists of the stock of the arm, hollow or partly hollow, receiving air under pressure and communicating with the barrel, in combination with an intermediate cook or rotary plug, which, when properly operated by the finger-piece attached to it without the striking or snapping noise incident to other air guns and pistols, opens the communication between the stock and barrel, whereby the air is directed against the projectile in the barrel and forcibly discharges the same.
The cook or plug is securely held, when closed, by mechanism controlled by the trigger, and by operating the latter said mechanism is released, and by the action of a spring the cook or plug is swiftly rotated and opened.
Amazingly, there prototype has been preserved as part of the Henrry Stewart Collection
"yay, me wanna make big multishot pnoob with 1000 psi foot pump compressor using diamond as main material. Do you think wet bread make good sealant? " 
