Posted on 07/05/2016 8:49:41 AM PDT by dvan
This 22-shot repeating air rifle is an original Girardoni military pattern rifle of the type used on the Lewis & Clark Expedition. It is a butt reservoir piece with a bore size of .462 caliber. Similar pieces were supplied by Bartolomeo Girardoni to the Austrian army circa 1780.
As originally issued, each Girardoni air rifle had three detachable air reservoirs, each requiring about 1,500 strokes of a pump to completely pressurize the reservoir. Once filled to operating pressure (about 800 psi) the air rifle could fire up to 70 shots before the reservoir required replacing.
A metal tube on the side of the barrel held up to 22 lead balls that could be fed one at a time to the firing chamber by a simple sideways push of a plunger. At a distance of 50 feet, this rifle is capable of placing ten shots into a group the size of a quarter.
Assault rock carried by Cain...
For some reason the link did not connect:
Video
The fact that the Lewis and Clark expedition was not exterminated by the natives has been attributed to this rifle. When the group met a new group of hostiles they would demonstrate the rifle. It is thought that the natives thought better of attacking them in case they had enough rifles for the entire expedition.
I’ll bet Cain’s rock had multiple clips.
A letter of my composing was published today in my local small-town (quite rural in tone and outlook, but also home of a land grant university) newspaper, wherein I asserted that no assault rifle, which I defined as a firearm capable of repetitive automatic fire with a single pull of the trigger, currently is being sold by licensed gun dealers in the USA.
Did I err?
“A high capacity magazine and environmentally insensitive non EPA approved lead balls.”
My argument every time
I suppose the M-1 Garand would be considered an assault weapon now. I think the Germans and Japanese considered it was. 8 rounds, one pull of the trigger fires one round. The Germans had their fully automatic weapons, but the ordinary soldier carried a bolt action weapon that could not match the M-1 in fire power.
“Assault Rife Carried by Lewis & Clark Expedition”
Incorrect and misleading title.
I bet Cain’s rock was black, (That’s not racist is it?)
They sell full auto if you go thru the NFA process with the BATFE. I dunno how those guys can afford to shoot'em and it's not very accurate. But hey, if it trips yer trigger, knock yerself out. I don't think there's been a crime committed with a legal full auto weapon obtained by one of us peons.
How so??
I don't know about you but this gives me some ideas. Capable of firing 22 .46 caliber rounds in one minute. Penetration through 1" pine board at 100 yards, no powder, no noise?
It takes 1500 pumps to fully charge the reservoir.
Yes. It is perfectly legal to buy and own fully automatic firearms if you pay the $200 tax and pass the background check. A bigger obstacle is that such weapons are now VERY expensive (I have seen $30K listed for some). But they can be sold (and anyone dealing in them WILL be a licensed gun dealer) and bought.
Is it “rife” or “rifle”?
You erred.
Every "Class III" licensed dealer in the country has "firearm(s) capable of repetitive automatic fire with a single pull of the trigger".
None of them available for sale to the general public were manufactured after 1986. A citizen who wishes to buy one must submit to a background check, and pay a $200 tax to the BATF. And they cost in the tens of thousands of dollars.
I didn’t know they used air rifles back in the 1700’s ..... Guess you do learn something new every day!
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