Quick video. More to come from Rick Rehm.
Girandoni @ Airgun Revisions
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As a muzzleloading enthusiast I would love to build one of these! Take it out hunting in the overgrown trails of my ancestors, Living off the Missouri river could be walking in there foot steps where they carried a original.
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Lewis and Clark carried this rifle on their adventure.
The Girandoni rifle was superior to the black powder guns in rainy & wet conditions, because there was no powder to get wet. It also put out more power than the black powder guns, was faster to load, and was more accurate. That would be a great addition piece for the shadow box of treasures that I'm collecting. I have some cool mining finds that I've found while dredging. One of the coolest finds was a Henery's rifle! the stock was all but gone, but all the metal parts were there. Sorry to get off topic, I'm a gold mining dork too.
The Girandoni rifle was superior to the black powder guns in rainy & wet conditions, because there was no powder to get wet. It also put out more power than the black powder guns, was faster to load, and was more accurate. That would be a great addition piece for the shadow box of treasures that I'm collecting. I have some cool mining finds that I've found while dredging. One of the coolest finds was a Henery's rifle! the stock was all but gone, but all the metal parts were there. Sorry to get off topic, I'm a gold mining dork too.
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I saw a copy of the Lewis and Clark rifle at Fort Clatsop in Oregon. A re-inactor there had one to show the tourists.
I have also heard/read that 40 shots in 46 caliber is not possible with 800 psi and that size reservoir. I don't know if that is true.
I have also heard/read that 40 shots in 46 caliber is not possible with 800 psi and that size reservoir. I don't know if that is true.
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would it have actually had more power than black powder rifles?? I don't disagree with the rest, but I used to shoot black powder, but I have never shot a big bore airgun..Lewis and Clark carried this rifle on their adventure.
The Girandoni rifle was superior to the black powder guns in rainy & wet conditions, because there was no powder to get wet. It also put out more power than the black powder guns, was faster to load, and was more accurate. That would be a great addition piece for the shadow box of treasures that I'm collecting. I have some cool mining finds that I've found while dredging. One of the coolest finds was a Henery's rifle! the stock was all but gone, but all the metal parts were there. Sorry to get off topic, I'm a gold mining dork too.
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I've read several different accounts of the same gun and I'm wondering if like black powder rifles they were made in different calibers.. I have read 36,42,44&46.. possibly the 44,45&46 are just different ways to measure the same gun.. since my black powder 44 actually has a 45 barrel and uses .454 lead balls..sort of how now big bore airguns are not a common size, you get the airforce texan and it's larger than the similar caliber as the Korean ones..I tend to think that it makes sense to be in a similar caliber as the black powder guns in the time.. I've shot black powder 36 caliber squirrel rifle and 44/45 black powder revolver and 50 caliber black powder rifle.. as far as the rifle went I really shot the 36 caliber more and it was quite accurate.. I also loved the double set trigger.. anyone who has shot double set trigger would understand that.. it's a feature I wish was available on airguns as well.
Mark
Mark
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The Girandoni is a .46 cal 4' long air rifle, weighting in at 10 lbs. muzzle energy of 1000 fps. So, maybe not as much total energy/power as .50cal. It will shoot accurate, out to 100 yards and hold 22 lead rifle balls. It didn't have to be pumped for each shot, air is supplied via the butt stock "air flask" that is prefilled buy hand, and then installed to the gun. It would take about 1500 strokes from a pump, to fill each air flask. It can shoot the 22-round count, in less than 30 seconds. The rifle dates back to 1580ish!! and was used for deer and boar hunting and also by the Austrian army for a time.
Sorry when I find something I'm interested in, I geek out...
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Robert Beeman was working on a history of the M1780 in the years before he died, but as far as i can tell it remains unfinished and unpublished. Ulrich Eichstädt, when he was editor of Visier was sub editing it for a while and Ulrich is still in the industry now involved with a US company, so he might know more if he could be tracked down. its a fascinating story that for sure. there are a lot of them in collections, i have seen probably 5 originals and even handled the one at the NFC in the UK. There was an article in Visier a few years ago titled ‘the worlds first assault rifle’, a really good read if you can find it.
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The earliest known example production date is 1580. it is in a museum in Stockholm Sweidan. Girandoni developed his in 1780. Your right, I should have said muzzle velocity rather than muzzle energy. Thanks for the correction.
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It would probably sell well today if there was a "kit" as I think these might qualify as primitive weapons for hunting. Upgrade the flask and materials to modern standards, clean it up a little but otherwise keep the look, function and authenticity as do modern primitive black powder hunter's weapons.
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I wish there was an affordable replica (or tribute) available. Probably never happen though.
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I think a modernized replica would be best. Make it in a more standardized caliber, (.454 or .495), so that ammo will be easily available, make the components rated to 300 bar and tap a few holes on the barrel or receiver so that an optics rail could be added if someone wanted it, but it could still be left bare for looks. Maybe thread the end of the barrel for a silencer as well if they could make it inconspicuous.
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That gun will never ever be able to shoot 1000FPS.
With a modified valve Martin Orro was getting around 700fps with his. His bore was also slightly smaller than the Girandoni and the barrel was shorter I think.
At 850psi I can get around 630fps with my short barrel .440cal Girandoni type gun, but it uses a v-spring...unlike the long flat spring that's in the 1780 model. The tank used is modern, the valve is also modern, but I don't know if the new valve is letting more or less air out than an original would have.
The 1780 Girandoni will start to valve lock at around 850psi ... the Schembor I have with the v-spring, it will still fire at 1100psi. I haven't gone much past that as it's an original gun and I'm in no mood to damage it. Could a stronger flat spring allow higher pressure and thus higher velocities in a Girandoni...maybe, but who wants to buy one and find out?
For the fun of it, a flintlock type airgun I have filled to 1500 PSI and it still fired with no sign of valve lock, it also uses a powerful V-spring
With a modified valve Martin Orro was getting around 700fps with his. His bore was also slightly smaller than the Girandoni and the barrel was shorter I think.
At 850psi I can get around 630fps with my short barrel .440cal Girandoni type gun, but it uses a v-spring...unlike the long flat spring that's in the 1780 model. The tank used is modern, the valve is also modern, but I don't know if the new valve is letting more or less air out than an original would have.
The 1780 Girandoni will start to valve lock at around 850psi ... the Schembor I have with the v-spring, it will still fire at 1100psi. I haven't gone much past that as it's an original gun and I'm in no mood to damage it. Could a stronger flat spring allow higher pressure and thus higher velocities in a Girandoni...maybe, but who wants to buy one and find out?
For the fun of it, a flintlock type airgun I have filled to 1500 PSI and it still fired with no sign of valve lock, it also uses a powerful V-spring
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Ian of Forgotten Weapons did a video on this air rifle. He said it was a 20 shot .46 at 700 fps max. The Austrian military used a similar type in the late 1700's. He has another cool video on a early mid 1800's air rifle
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