Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire The Gun That “Wowed” The Indians

On the Lewis & Clark Expedition.
Girandoni Air Rifle
I’m sure some or most of us have heard of this gun. I know I have, but not too much technical stuff about it.
Pretty good article about this interesting bit of technology from the late 16th century.
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That is slick and something I never knew existed with Lewis and Clark.

Thanks for posting. I remember reading a very brief mention about this rifle once years ago and had forgotten about it. Had no idea of what it could do.

There is, or was, one in the Cabela's gun museum in Springfield, MO. It was neat to see it.

I read somewhere that Lewis and Clark would never shoot the gun until empty. They wanted the Indians to think that it would continue to shoot forever and never ran out of bullets.

Fascinating story. Thanks for posting. I've read about that gun and Lewis & Clarks exploits with it, but I never knew the thing still existed. Should I assume that the guy who donated it to that museum got some financial incentive? Like a healthy tax break or something? That rifle being documented as Lewis & Clarks makes it worth mega-bucks.

I've seen the gun in a museum. I forget which one, maybe the Cody museum. I'm sure Google knows.

Tag

Most private “donations” to museums are actually items “on loan from the XXXXX Family”.

Usually the items are family heirlooms that are still owned by someone. They just want the public to see it.

Once the owner dies, the will may stipulate it goes to the museum permanently, or it becomes the property of an heir.

.46 cal launched at 1000fps is respectable.

They damn near shot an eye out with that thing when they demonstrated the air gun to the Mandans (iirc). 😀

Yes. Amazing technology for the time.

Great Link!!

In today's airgun world that would be classified as a PCP ( Pre-Charged Pneumatic). That design was incredibly far ahead of its time.

I had a hell of a time getting perfect sealing when I scratch built my big bore 50 pcp rifle with today's tech. I cant imagine doing so with leather seals soaked with grease.

It was an amazing gun for the time. It's interesting that it was considered obsolete for military use in Europe and Lewis probably bought it as milsurp. I've never seen a photo of the pump. The article says it takes 1500 pumps to completely fill the tank. It came from the factory with 3 tanks. I've never read that Lewis had more than 1. 1 was plenty, though, if you could put the fear of God in the Indians with a single tank.

Pretty interesting piece of history, and far ahead of its time.
A little more information.
Deadly Under Pressure
This article claims it would put 30 shots through the board before the pressure dropped too low!
I figure a fellow could really eliminate some bad guys before you had to change canisters!
Makes one wonder what a rifle with this capability could do now, when compressed air ain’t that hard to come by.
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This is what velocity my 50 caliber air rifle pushed a paper patched 325 grainer at.
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A friend of mine, now deceased, told me about this years ago, when he got into air rifles. He said that they were used by French snipers in the Napoleonic Wars. According to him, just being captured in possession of one was a death sentence, because the average grunt has no use for snipers.
I had seen things about it over the years, but not being into air guns, it was just a passing interest.
But I saw this on Real Clear History and I knew there’d be some interested parties on the ‘Fire.
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Without Nosler BT's it wouldn't have been worth a damn 🤣