Lewis and Clark air rifle

[preachnhunt]

This link is a fascinating history of the air rifle used by Lewis and Clark. I couldn't find this exact link in a search, so i am sharing it for anyone who may be interested.

http://www.network54.com/Forum/451309/thread/1296928404/This+is+just+to+

 

[waterhouse]

I got it in an email this morning. I had no idea such a thing existed. Worth watching,

 

[Maverick223]

I had heard of it, and even heard that it was a favorite weapon in the expedition, but had no idea that it was used as a showpiece to maintain peaceful relations with the Native Americans encountered along the journey. Very interesting.

For those interested, here is a video that explains how it operates: Girandoni Air Rifle.

 

[BrocLuno]

Successful air rifles have been around quite a long time. This is a fine example of that technology

 

[osprey176]

i recently read an excellent book on the lewis and clark expedition.the title was Undaunted Courage.the book covers the expedition in great detail,and goes into some detail about the air rifle.the book is a good read for anyone with an interest in history and adventure.the exploits of the team are truly remarkable.

 

[Cryogaijin]

Similar to the Windbuche used by the austrians about the same time. Superior to anything using black powder at the time, but so fragile it wasn't truely fieldable.

Napoleon put a bounty on any "assassin" that used one.

 

[gizmodog]

great video clip.

really admire lewis & clark & have read the mentioned book and another.

air rifles date back to europe & were used by poachers on the kings hunting reservers.

bill beeman of beeman air rifles had quite a collection himself at one time.

gizmodog

 

[preachnhunt]

So why don't we have them now?

 

[Maverick223]

I don't own one, nor profess to know a great deal about them, but there are some fairly stout medium bore (up to about .50cal. IIRC) air rifles on the market.

 

[Sam Cade]

So why don't we have them now?

We do, but it is only a niche item.

http://www.quackenbushairguns.com/

 

[macadore]

How did they fill it with air?

 

[throdgrain]

Over here where air rifles are very popular (for obvious reasons ) we use a compressed air tank to fill an air rifle, or sometimes a stirrup pump.

Link

 

[chrome_austex]

very cool, I had no idea air rifles existed back then.

The rapid cycling and capacity would have been very impressive for a firearm of the day.

Sounds very practical for frontier use.. no gunpowder to carry or replace, just recast your bullets, no?

 

[Cosmoline]

They would have been very difficult to build with 18th and early 19th century technology. As I've thankfully found myself building flintlocks, there's a fair amount of room for messups and variation with standard rifles of that period. But the airgun would require a master gunsmith with knowledge of air pressure that was not common at that time. Every part would have to be perfectly fitted by hand. And IIRC the velocity even from the first balls shot was meager compared with a .54 ml rifle, decreasing with every shot after that. But those multiple balls flying were impressive as heck for the natives, and helped as a show of power to keep everyone on good behavior.

 

[Maverick223]

How did they fill it with air?

With a simple piston hand pump. I don't remember the source but I believe I recall it requiring 1500 strokes to fill, so while it was quick to shoot the first shot string it took a loooong time to recharge after that. Fortunately the Indians didn't have "behind the scenes" access and were none the wiser.

 

[Phaethon]

They were more than a novelty; the Windbusche at the time was a terrifying weapon system in the hands of trained soldiers. Their problems of fragility were easily countered by simply putting them in the hands of well-trained and drilled professional soldiers. Previously, in their earlier trials, they were placed in the hands of regular infantry whom had a tendency to mistreat them.

Unfortunately they did require master craftsmen to construct them, particularly the complicated systems of the air reservoir and valves/tolerances. The tanks did take a very long time to fill via handpumps, but it was military doctrine at the time to wheel a horse cart filled with a few hundred pre-filled reservoirs to quickly restock the troops, in addition to the one or two spare ones they carried on hand. I believe there was also a horse or water-powered system of pumping air into the reservoirs, given the immense amount of time required to do it by hand.

 

[mcdonl]

Did the air rifle change our country?

I thought this was a pretty cool video.

The following video is from the National Firearms Museum curator. It speaks to the history of the Girandoni air rifle carried by Lewis & Clark....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pqFyKh-rUI&feature=player_embedded

 

[JackTheRipper]

wow very cool video man!

thanks a lot for sharing it mcdonl!!!!

 

[Panzercat]

Did it change our country?

I'm thinking not. I mean yes, It enabled L&C to bring along a firearm with which to more competently hunt without the need to bring along more extensive supplies, but I have to question whether it couldn't have been supplanted by another tool, such as bow and arrow.

I'd have a hard time believing the air rifle- while undoubtably important and kinda cool in its own right -realistically changed our country. Important? Yes. Irreplacable? No.

 

[BADUNAME37]

There is already a thread featuring this.
Did not the Indians they were constantly meeting up with have bow and arrow?
If so, bow and arrow would have done nothing.

What is important is the followup shots available and the Indians not knowing whether there was just one gun or one for every member of the expedition. If the latter, then it would be safe to assume that the Indians were frightened by this, so much so that they referred to it as having some kind of mystical power, likening it to God.

 

[epijunkie67]

Interesting. You know, I'd buy something like that today if I could get one. Having a rifle accurate out to 100 meters that doesn't require a primer or powder would be a really nice thing to have access to. I particularly like the capacity and fire rate. And you could make ammo easily.

 

[mcdonl]

There is already a thread featuring this.

Mines better...

I agree epijunkie... I wonder though, how modern Air Rifles compare... sure, when you look at the difference in calibers they do not even seem to be in the same conversation but when you look at the velocity of modern .177 pellets I wonder if real world hunting of small game would be much different?

 

[OC_]

I think these are the modern versions of this:
http://www.airforceairguns.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=1

 

[Panzercat]

ShinShun Career Dragon Slayer .50 (top)
Sam Yang 909 .45 (bottom)


nom nom nom.

 

[epijunkie67]

I've been looking at the offerings for modern large bore air rifles since seeing the video and to be honest none of them are even in the same league. The newer ones are certainly more powerful. The popular ones are .45 or .50 and deliver a 180-250 grain lead bullet at 850-700 feet per second using as much as 3000 psi in a precharged rifle.

However, the are all single shot. They also lose muzzle velocity quickly on repeat shots. As much as 200-250 fps by the 4th or 5th shot. So far I've yet to find a modern air rifle that shoots multiple large bore rounds rapidly and at a consistent velocity.