Girardoni air rifle
| Girardoni air rifle | |
|---|---|
Girardoni system Austrian repeating air rifle, circa 1795, believed to have been taken on the Lewis and Clark Expedition | |
| Type | Air rifle |
| Place of origin | Holy Roman Empire |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1780–1816 |
| Used by | Austrian Empire United States |
| Wars | |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Bartolomeo Girardoni |
| Designed | 1779 or 1780 |
| No. built | 1,300 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 4.5 kg (9.9 lb) |
| Length | 120 cm (3.9 ft) |
| Cartridge | spherical balls |
| Caliber | .46", 11.7 mm 146.3 grains (9.48 g), or .51", 13 mm, 201.49 grains (13.06 g) |
| Action | Pre-charged pneumatic: Pressurized air ~800 psi (5515.8 kpa) |
| Muzzle velocity | about 600 fps (152 m/s), 117 ft lbs (159 J) |
| Feed system | 20/22 shot tubular magazine |
| Sights | Iron |
The Girardoni (or Girandoni) air rifle, one of the first repeating rifles, was designed by Ladin artisan watchmaker and gunsmith Bartolomeo Girardoni in Austria circa 1779. Girandoni made both customary flintlocks and the innovative air guns, called Windbüchse ("wind rifle" in German). One of the air rifle's more famous associations is its use on the Lewis and Clark Expedition to explore and map the Louisiana Purchase of 1803.