Amazing gun I had never heard of

[frank_drebin]

This video is pretty fascinating to me. The Girandoni Air Rifle was used as early as the 1700's in battle and carried by Lewis and Clark across the great plains. I had no idea that they were capable of producing such a gun in the 1700's.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPZ6DLHVa2c

How it worked

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fRu5tYH-4Q

[Just One Shot]

Awsome piece of history! I forwarded this to some friends. Thanks for posting.

[gb6491]

Nice post Frank:)

Here's a pretty good article about the Girandoni air rifle:
(note that they say the story that Napoleon ordered the execution of any captured Austrian troops in possession of an air rifle is a myth):
http://www.beemans.net/Austrian%20airguns.htm

FWIW, there a school of thought that the air rifle carried by Captain Meriwether Lewis was actually a .31 caliber, pneumatic rifle built by Isaiah Lukens of Philadelphia.

Power wise, a modern day equivalent?
http://www.quackenbushairguns.com/

Regards,
Greg