Girardoni air rifle
| Girandoni air rifle | |
|---|---|
Girandoni 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 Girandoni |
| 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) |
| Muzzle velocity | about 600 fps (152 m/s), 117 ft lbs (159 J) |
| Feed system | 20/21 round magazine or hopper |
| Sights | Iron |
The Girardoni air rifle is a repeating rifle designed by Ladin inventor Bartolomeo Girandoni in Austria circa 1779. It could be used as flintlock or as air gun, 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.