A non-gay,non-religious,non-political,non-racist thread.Lewis and Clark Air rifle!

[AKTexas]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pqFyKh-rUI&feature=player_embedded

[Zygomatic]

See! They did have assult rifles in the 1800s!

[AKTexas]

See! They did have assult rifles in the 1800s!

My thoughts exactly.

[abpt1]

Great Vid thx !

:thumbsup:

[davepool]

Wow 800 psi, i wonder what type of seals it had to maintain that much pressure. I would never have imagined that there were air rifles that long ago.

Thanks for educating me.

[matshock]

Big +1- great find.

[swampdragon]

Lewis & Clark were secretly lovers who voted for Obama.

[O.S.O.K.]

Yep, just another example of the amazing things done by the amazing Americans that founded and expanded our country.

[American Rage]

Thanks for posting a very cool video.


I wonder why the technology wasn't exploited?

I mean, wouldn't those rifes have been just as effective at the Alamo or in the Mexican War?



Rage

[Paladin]

Lewis & Clark were secretly lovers who voted for Obama.

Yeah, but were they Jewish?

[Penguin]

Thanks for posting a very cool video.


I wonder why the technology wasn't exploited?

I mean, wouldn't those rifes have been just as effective at the Alamo or in the Mexican War?



Rage

That is just what I was wondering. If it is as much as it was cracked up to be why weren't the more common. I have never heard of this gun at all or anything similer for that matter. I did not know there were even air rifles at all back then.

The one thing I am really wondering though is how they refill the air. Perhaps that is the weakness. The video never mentioned a way to pump the gun back up.

[AKTexas]

Lewis & Clark were secretly lovers who voted for Obama.

No way?!They did not let gays explore America and carry airguns.

[AKTexas]

That is just what I was wondering. If it is as much as it was cracked up to be why weren't the more common. I have never heard of this gun at all or anything similer for that matter. I did not know there were even air rifles at all back then.

The one thing I am really wondering though is how they refill the air. Perhaps that is the weakness. The video never mentioned a way to pump the gun back up.

It did very early on mentioned a bicycle type pump to fill the reservoir buttstock.

[Sidartha]

Thanks for posting a very cool video.


I wonder why the technology wasn't exploited?

I mean, wouldn't those rifes have been just as effective at the Alamo or in the Mexican War?



Rage

Wikipedia says;

While the detachable air reservoir was capable of around 30 shots it took nearly 1500 strokes of a hand pump to fill those reservoirs. Later, a wagon-mounted pump was provided. The reservoirs themselves, 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.

In addition, the weapon was very delicate and a small break could make it inoperable. Finally, it was very different from any other weapon of the time and any soldier using it needed to be highly trained.

[swampdragon]

Yeah, but were they Jewish?

They must have been.
That's why they pinched pennies and went with a rifle that they didn't have to spend money on powder.
lol....

That was a cool video though.

[swampdragon]

No way?!They did not let gays explore America and carry airguns.

That's why it had to be a secret.
Only their Rabbi knew.

[AKTexas]

That's why it had to be a secret.
Only their Rabbi knew.

Okay that explains it.

[American Rage]

Wikipedia says;

Makes sense to me.


Rage

[Flinter]

Wow 800 psi, i wonder what type of seals it had to maintain that much pressure. I would never have imagined that there were air rifles that long ago.

Thanks for educating me.

Since rings were above their technology....they used greased leather washers.
At least I read that once.

[chiak47]

A non-gay

I read "non-gay" and clicked on the thread...I then seen your name and immediately I knew it was a trick.

I'm now leaving....:biggrina:

[slamfire51]

You learn something every day.

[AKTexas]

I read "non-gay" and clicked on the thread...I then seen your name and immediately I knew it was a trick.

I'm now leaving....:biggrina:

Still did not stop you from coming out of the closet.:naughty:

[matshock]

Getting a weapon into wide circulation requires a lot more than it being a good weapon. There were plenty of repeating arms in production when the Civil War started but neither side wanted them for various good and bad reasons.

Why don't we use a PKM chambered in a NATO round? It wouldn't be that hard to do, it would be less expensive and work better than the M249 for certain...

[jeremiah johnson]

Very interesting video, those 32 men on that expedition must have been
tough as nails. To deal with the terrain, weather, Indian attacks, starvation,
lack of pussy, disease, etc, etc.

[Flinter]

Very interesting video, those 32 men on that expedition must have been
tough as nails. To deal with the terrain, weather, Indian attacks, starvation,
lack of pussy, disease, etc, etc.

From what I've read, they had plenty of pussy and disease.

[Paladin]

...The one thing I am really wondering though is how they refill the air. Perhaps that is the weakness. The video never mentioned a way to pump the gun back up.

3 minutes and 19 seconds into the video, it is shown being "charged".


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9WEsILY92o

Paladin

[slamfire51]

Very interesting.
Thanks for posting.

[Penguin]

Why don't we use a PKM chambered in a NATO round? It wouldn't be that hard to do, it would be less expensive and work better than the M249 for certain...

Poland already makes a PKM in 7.62 NATO. The M249 is a SAW the PKM is a GPMG. Different roles.

[Penguin]

3 minutes and 19 seconds into the video, it is shown being "charged".


Paladin

Great video thanks. They said they had a reproduction for that. It almost makes me wonder if you could buy one today. It is an interisting enough gun I would almost consider it.

[AKTexas]

Poland already makes a PKM in 7.62 NATO. The M249 is a SAW the PKM is a GPMG. Different roles.

The PKM is essentially what the M60 is to the US?

[AK-J]

The PKM is essentially what the M60 is to the US?

That or what is currently used, M240 (FN MAG).

[AKTexas]

That or what is currently used, M240 (FN MAG).

I forgot about that one.

[Penguin]

The PKM is essentially what the M60 is to the US?


That or what is currently used, M240 (FN MAG).

You beat me to it. From what I have heard the M240 is pretty good though the tripod for the PKM is probably better. I have no expreince with the 240 but do with the PKM.

The russian equvalant to the 249 would have been the RPD though I belive they are now using the RPK in the saw role. As much as I don't like the 249 I think it is better in that role than the RPK and probably the RPD as well. Again I don't have any real experince with any of those three. The the AK is basicly the same as an RPK.

[MR. Polytech]

The narrator in the video mentions the Girandoni's use by the Austrians against Napoleon, but seems to go no firther than that...A little more info. in regards to this:

The Girandoni designed in 1779 that shot 22 rounds of .46 cal. bullets at speeds as high as 1,000 feet per second, that was carried by the Lewis & Clark expedition was used by both the Italians & the Austrians against Napoleon...A skilled soldier trained in the use of this rifle could fire 10 rounds in 30 seconds. Even though the Austrian Army was out numbered and lost the war against Napoleon, the Austrian Army armed with these air guns demoralized Napoleon's Army terribly during their invasion of Austria.

Napoleon's Army suffered huge losses as a result of the Girandoni's silence & fast fire capability, and were terrified when the Girandoni was used in ambush situations in mountain warfare by Tyrolean resistance/ Guerrilla fighters; as there was no report or smoke from these rifles- which gave them no clue as to where to target return fire... Air guns were so feared by Napoleon's Army that any enemy soldier captured with a air rifle was executed as an assassin.

The downfall of the Girandoni was that the pump that was used to charge it weighed about 60 lbs. and was about 3 times the size of the rifle itself.

-Also it was costly to manufacture this rifle and it was a somewhat delicate piece compared to a standard musket of the time. Welding was pretty primitive in those days so the Girandoni had many brazed parts which could break with even minor abuse.

[Gunner1558]

Great video thanks. They said they had a reproduction for that. It almost makes me wonder if you could buy one today. It is an interisting enough gun I would almost consider it.

Kind of interested myself.

If you do find anything about a repro, please post..