A HEAVY-HITTER AIR RIFLE.... - The Firearms Forum

rooter · 04-25-2012, 05:17 PM

Girandoni Rifle

This is long at 8 min but it is fascinating. Listen to the last minute carefully. I recall Ronald Reagan saying that exact same thing. I guess Ron was not the first to think of it…

A really interesting story about the AIR RIFLE that Lewis & Clark used to change the world. This gun had NO bang, flash or smoke.

http://www.network54.com/Forum/45130...+spread+around

QUESTION: Where did the 800 PSI air pressure come from? Chief

rooter · 04-25-2012, 07:50 PM

I researched my own question on Google and found out about charging the air supply system.

The rifle was 4 ft (1.2 m) long and weighed 10 lbs (4.5 kg), about the same basic size and weight as other muskets of the time. It fired a .46 caliber ball[2] at a velocity similar to that of a modern .45 ACP and it had a tubular, gravity-fed magazine with a capacity of 20 balls. This gravity operated design was such that the rifle had to be pointed upwards in order to drop each ball into the breech block. Unlike its contemporary, muzzle-loading muskets, which required the rifleman to stand up to reload with powder and ball, the shooter could reload a ball from the magazine by holding the rifle vertically while laying on his back and operating the ball delivery mechanism. The rifleman then could roll back into position to fire, allowing the rifleman to keep a "low profile". Contemporary regulations of 1788 required that each rifleman, in addition to the rifle itself, be equipped with three compressed air reservoirs (two spare and one attached to the rifle), cleaning stick, hand pump, lead ladle, and 100 lead balls, 1 in the chamber, 21 in the magazine built into the rifle and the remaining 80 in four tin tubes. Equipment not carried attached to the rifle was held in a special leather knapsack. It was also necessary to keep the leather gaskets of the reservoir moist in order to maintain a good seal and prevent leakage.[3]

The air reservoir was in the club-shaped butt. With a full air reservoir, the Girandoni air rifle had the capacity to shoot 30 shots at useful pressure. These balls were effective to approximately 150 yards on a full load. The power declined as the air reservoir was emptied .[4]
m:

jack404 · 04-25-2012, 07:56 PM

and i'd love one myself , but no-one been able to replicate them to that standard of operation

04-25-2012, 05:17 PM	#1
rooter VMBB Senior Chief Of Staff Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Marty Robbins old hometown, Glendale Arizona--a suburb of Phoenix. Contributor Posts: 9,267	A HEAVY-HITTER AIR RIFLE.... Girandoni Rifle This is long at 8 min but it is fascinating. Listen to the last minute carefully. I recall Ronald Reagan saying that exact same thing. I guess Ron was not the first to think of it… A really interesting story about the AIR RIFLE that Lewis & Clark used to change the world. This gun had NO bang, flash or smoke. http://www.network54.com/Forum/45130...+spread+around QUESTION: Where did the 800 PSI air pressure come from? Chief __________________ -->

04-25-2012, 07:50 PM	#2
rooter VMBB Senior Chief Of Staff Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Marty Robbins old hometown, Glendale Arizona--a suburb of Phoenix. Contributor Posts: 9,267	Re: A HEAVY-HITTER AIR RIFLE.... I researched my own question on Google and found out about charging the air supply system. The rifle was 4 ft (1.2 m) long and weighed 10 lbs (4.5 kg), about the same basic size and weight as other muskets of the time. It fired a .46 caliber ball[2] at a velocity similar to that of a modern .45 ACP and it had a tubular, gravity-fed magazine with a capacity of 20 balls. This gravity operated design was such that the rifle had to be pointed upwards in order to drop each ball into the breech block. Unlike its contemporary, muzzle-loading muskets, which required the rifleman to stand up to reload with powder and ball, the shooter could reload a ball from the magazine by holding the rifle vertically while laying on his back and operating the ball delivery mechanism. The rifleman then could roll back into position to fire, allowing the rifleman to keep a "low profile". Contemporary regulations of 1788 required that each rifleman, in addition to the rifle itself, be equipped with three compressed air reservoirs (two spare and one attached to the rifle), cleaning stick, hand pump, lead ladle, and 100 lead balls, 1 in the chamber, 21 in the magazine built into the rifle and the remaining 80 in four tin tubes. Equipment not carried attached to the rifle was held in a special leather knapsack. It was also necessary to keep the leather gaskets of the reservoir moist in order to maintain a good seal and prevent leakage.[3] The air reservoir was in the club-shaped butt. With a full air reservoir, the Girandoni air rifle had the capacity to shoot 30 shots at useful pressure. These balls were effective to approximately 150 yards on a full load. The power declined as the air reservoir was emptied .[4] m: __________________

04-25-2012, 07:56 PM	#3
jack404 Former Guest Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Australia Contributor Posts: 17,622	Re: A HEAVY-HITTER AIR RIFLE.... and i'd love one myself , but no-one been able to replicate them to that standard of operation