Original Big Bore "Flintlock" and "Percussion" Air Rifles | Muzzleloading Air Rifles??

[@ChacoteOutdoorRecreation]

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]

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]

Sorry to hear you need a pal, you are always welcome on this side of the border!

[@markfair7648]

@@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]

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.

[@kentcostello5286]

Awesome work of art. I seen one at the N.R.A. museum at Springfield Missouri Bass Pro shop. Love to see one shot .

[@hazcat640]

Thanks, Ethan. You are really bringing some interesting items to the table!

[@ILoveMuzzleloading]

Thank you! I try to find the 'weird' stuff when I can

[@dpeter6396]

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]

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]

@@ILoveMuzzleloading Ah yes. I wonder if the auction house knows and can loosen it. I love these reviews of original pieces!

[@Everythingblackpowder]

I was just reading about the air rifle that Meriwether Lewis took on his expedition out west.

[@ILoveMuzzleloading]

Such a great use case for them!

[@galenhisler396]

That is amazing, I wouldn't have of dreamed of such a thing 🤠

[@terryqueen3233]

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]

Glad you liked it Terry!

[@steveg8322]

A marvel.Believe L &C used one to impress and or intimidate the Sioux.

[@krockpotbroccoli65]

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]

Thank you!

[@lisamcqueen8509]

Thanks for show and tell! With the powder shortage, I was looking, hoping, an air conversion, would come available!

[@TyrusPerises]

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."

[@KB4QAA]

How do you charge the flask?

[@AbbieOates]

I believe it was a hand pump.

[@johndally7994]

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]

I've thought about bringing them out to discuss 'practicing for muzzleloaders without burning powder'

[@snappers_antique_firearms]

Once again the saying of there is no new ideas is true

[@louisianagray8618]

Thank you Ethan that was a very interesting video and sure makes for a heck of a BB gun

[@ILoveMuzzleloading]

Thank you

[@dougeldredge]

i think i read lewis and clark had an air gun, was curious to see how it worked

[@bencarlos2555]

Wow! These are so amazing! How was the air compressed?? Thanks for sharing!

[@ILoveMuzzleloading]

Hand pumps are the common consensus on how they were charged

[@leonardzydowicz3480]

Louis and Clark had 40 to trade

[@markmorse9445]

Is there any indication of the power of these and what size limit of game could be taken?

[@ILoveMuzzleloading]

We know they were used for hunting, but I've not been able to find much documentation on how effective they were.