The Lewis and Clark Expedition used the rifle in the demonstrations that they performed for nearly every Native American tribe they encountered on the expedition.The Girardoni air rifle was in service with the Austrian army from 1780 to around 1815. Many references to the Girardoni air rifles mention lethal combat ranges of 125 to 150 yards and some extend that range considerably.While the detachable air reservoir was capable of around 30 shots, it took nearly 1,500 strokes of a hand pump to fill those reservoirs. Later, a wagon-mounted pump was provided. The reservoirs, made from hammered sheet iron held together with rivets and sealed by brazing, proved very difficult to manufacture using the techniques of the period and were always in short supply. The weapon was very delicate, and a small break in the reservoir could make it inoperable. It was also very different from any other weapon of the time, requiring extensive training to use.
@markfair7648
Жыл бұрын
2 of my passions to Ethan. Folks never too air power seriously until now. What the modern big bore air guns can do is amazing To bad you need a pal here in Canada to own one. Yet I can have my flintlock guns with no pal LoL. Big bore is quieter because the projectile is not moving as fast. But big slugs hold energy and get it done.
@ILoveMuzzleloading
Жыл бұрын
Sorry to hear you need a pal, you are always welcome on this side of the border!
@markfair7648
Жыл бұрын
@@ILoveMuzzleloading Thank you Ethan I love the fact that Americans still have black powder in the veins over there. Right now are shooting sports are being attacked by are crime Minister here. Joe and Trudeau what a disaster for North America
@curmudgeinnak
Жыл бұрын
Love my air rifles. I have hunted squirrels to hogs. Sold my big bores 5-6 years ago. Just now getting back into them now that I moved to Alaska and they made it legal to hunt caribou and black tail.
@hazcat640
Жыл бұрын
Thanks, Ethan. You are really bringing some interesting items to the table!
@ILoveMuzzleloading
Жыл бұрын
Thank you! I try to find the 'weird' stuff when I can
@steveg8322
10 ай бұрын
A marvel.Believe L &C used one to impress and or intimidate the Sioux.
@Everythingblackpowder
Жыл бұрын
I was just reading about the air rifle that Meriwether Lewis took on his expedition out west.
@ILoveMuzzleloading
Жыл бұрын
Such a great use case for them!
@lisamcqueen8509
Жыл бұрын
Thanks for show and tell! With the powder shortage, I was looking, hoping, an air conversion, would come available!
@TyrusPerises
Жыл бұрын
Great video, Ethan. It sounds like ball reservoirs tended to allow 10 to 20 shots depending on size. Seeing you go over the details shows the extreme effort these gunsmiths took to make these air guns pass as flintlocks, at least at a passing glance. There's some interesting speculation on why this approach was taken. On one hand, it could have been to make these otherwise novel guns more familiar to those used to firing true flintlocks and percussion weapons. Another reason could be as a way to camouflage them somewhat when traveling from the folks who thought of these arms as the weapons of assassins, poachers, and other persons of ill repute. When a gunsmith from Nuremberg named Dumbler demonstrated his air gun, there's a record of the Town Council banning its sale due to the "murderous weapon with which a man might be killed and yet not know what had hit him."
@johndally7994
Жыл бұрын
Let’s see some of your air rifles, Ethan. I enjoy air rifles and pistols, and the clean up beats BP any day. Thanks for sharing your expertise.
@ILoveMuzzleloading
Жыл бұрын
I've thought about bringing them out to discuss 'practicing for muzzleloaders without burning powder'
@KB4QAA
Жыл бұрын
How do you charge the flask?
@AbbieOates
Жыл бұрын
I believe it was a hand pump.
@leonardzydowicz3480
Жыл бұрын
Louis and Clark had 40 to trade
@kentcostello5286
Жыл бұрын
Awesome work of art. I seen one at the N.R.A. museum at Springfield Missouri Bass Pro shop. Love to see one shot .
@snappers_antique_firearms
Жыл бұрын
Once again the saying of there is no new ideas is true
@galenhisler396
Жыл бұрын
That is amazing, I wouldn't have of dreamed of such a thing 🤠
@dpeter6396
Жыл бұрын
Very interesting video! I've known about such guns but seeing one in detail is great. The flintlock; when you took off the flask something didn't look right. Then when you took the flask off of the percussion gun I knew. The percussion flask has the typical valve to hold the charge until the flask is screwed on, where a pin in the gun recess pushes the valve open. The top of the flask for the flintlock gun is still screwed into the gun! The hex part is what should unscrew with the ball....
@ILoveMuzzleloading
Жыл бұрын
You are correct, the 'important' parts of the flask were left on the gun. I was only able to get the ball itself loose with my hands, and wasn't about to take a wrench to the rest, lest I need to pay for it 😅
@dpeter6396
Жыл бұрын
@@ILoveMuzzleloading Ah yes. I wonder if the auction house knows and can loosen it. I love these reviews of original pieces!
@krockpotbroccoli65
Жыл бұрын
I just want to correct the record on something you said. Patchboxes were almost unheard of on fowlers of that era. Nobody used patches to load ball in smoothbores. Anyways, those are really cool. I love the fowler. A straight up flintlock to airgun conversion that doesn't interrupt the classic lines of the piece. The later one seems like a bit of a cludge and is a bit unsightly to boot.
@ILoveMuzzleloading
Жыл бұрын
Thank you!
@terryqueen3233
Жыл бұрын
At first I thought you made an mistake when you said air but by golly these things really where are rifles that is pretty cool. Thank you for sharing these, I really did learn something this time.
@ILoveMuzzleloading
Жыл бұрын
Glad you liked it Terry!
@dougeldredge
Жыл бұрын
i think i read lewis and clark had an air gun, was curious to see how it worked
@markmorse9445
Жыл бұрын
Is there any indication of the power of these and what size limit of game could be taken?
@ILoveMuzzleloading
Жыл бұрын
We know they were used for hunting, but I've not been able to find much documentation on how effective they were.
@bencarlos2555
Жыл бұрын
Wow! These are so amazing! How was the air compressed?? Thanks for sharing!
@ILoveMuzzleloading
Жыл бұрын
Hand pumps are the common consensus on how they were charged
@louisianagray8618
Жыл бұрын
Thank you Ethan that was a very interesting video and sure makes for a heck of a BB gun
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