The Rifle That Actually Won The West?

[Jim Koepke]

Before Colt or Winchester was the Girandoni Air Rifle. It may have been the most important weapon in the expansion of the U.S. from sea to shining sea.

http://www.network54.com/Forum/451309/thread/1296928404/This+is+just+tooo+kewl+not+to+spread+around

jtk

[ray hampton]

I wonder how much this gun will cost today ?

[Charlie Jones]

Wow. That was great. I have heard of this rifle but dodn't know any details until now. Thanks!

[Mike Archambeau]

That is some BB gun!

[Jim Koepke]

That is some BB gun!

Yeah, and I bet those 46 caliper BBs leave a mark! :eek:

jtk

[Bryan Morgan]

Cool! And I thought I already owned just about one of every type of gun there is! :) Never even heard of this thing! Thanks!

[Bill Cunningham]

Sorta wants to make you stop looking down yer nose at folks that use 'air guns' eh!:D

[Jim Koepke]

While reviewing some old posts it was noticed the link in the original post was no longer working.

Searching > air rifle lewis and clark used < this link rose to the top > https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/2016/12/13/lewis-and-clarks-girandoni-air-rifle/ <. Maybe it will stay active for a while.

jtk

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

Power ful air rifles presented some advantages in the days that wheel locks and early flintlocks were in use. Some principalities armed small units of palace guard etc with them. As the flintlock manufacturing etc became more reliable and such arms became common, the air rifles lost favor but were not completely obscured by the mists of time. The air rifle used bu lewis and clark for instance. An 8 shot matchlock revolver was built in Austria around 1580, other revolvers were built infrequently and then in the early 1720's, Puckle came up with his revolver wall gun. Other inventors used the revolver, but Colt brought it to the forefront. There had been cartridge firearms since the 1300's, but is took manufacturing capacities and all the innovation of the early 1800's to make cartridge guns the predominant type.

The new high power Korean air rifles are simply amazing. A few years ago, I had the opportunity to fire a 50 caliber air rifle. It put a 50 caliber pellet through one inch particle board at 100 yds .

[Dave Anderson NH]

Daisy makes more than the old Red Ryder BB gun. Their #753 air rifle is a precision instrument for .177 Caliber target shooting at 10 meters. It takes 4 Clicks of elevation or windage to move the shot 1/8" at that distance. Some of the Olympic grade air rifles run between $1700-5000. I've got to run now. My 11-17 year old kids will be starting to show up at the indoor range in an hour for 10 meter air rifle class and practice.