Extraordinary air rifle carried on the Lewis & Clark Expedition
Feb 13, 2015 17:32:45 #
Sent to me from a fellow UHHer in England. Thanks Gra'. :lol:
Subject: THE RIFLE THAT AMAZED THE INDIANS
This is the air rifle that Lewis and Clark took on their expedition and AMAZED the Indians!!! Very interesting. It takes 1500 strokes to pump this rifle to full pressure, after which it could shoot more than 400 .46 cal. round balls, each of which can blast a clean hole through a 1 inch pine board at 100 yards.
This is a VERY interesting gun ! O.K. how many of you very gun knowledgeable folks out there even knew that a rifle like this ever existed?, especially way back then? I hope you enjoy this like I did.
This video is with sound and great on full screen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pqFyKh-rUI
Subject: THE RIFLE THAT AMAZED THE INDIANS
This is the air rifle that Lewis and Clark took on their expedition and AMAZED the Indians!!! Very interesting. It takes 1500 strokes to pump this rifle to full pressure, after which it could shoot more than 400 .46 cal. round balls, each of which can blast a clean hole through a 1 inch pine board at 100 yards.
This is a VERY interesting gun ! O.K. how many of you very gun knowledgeable folks out there even knew that a rifle like this ever existed?, especially way back then? I hope you enjoy this like I did.
This video is with sound and great on full screen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pqFyKh-rUI
Feb 13, 2015 18:10:32 #
Feb 13, 2015 18:11:57 #
There have been accounts that Napoleon actually gave orders that anyone caught with one be killed on the spot and made sure the other side knew about the order. He was afraid some sharp shooter would get close and use one against him and not be caught because of the lack of smoke and loud noise to give away his position.
As far as records go no known uses of the rifle against Napoleon or his troops have been verified.
It was dropped from use by troops because of problems using it in the field and the amount of training it took to use it well. Compared to other muskets and rifles of the time it was also fragile.
As far as records go no known uses of the rifle against Napoleon or his troops have been verified.
It was dropped from use by troops because of problems using it in the field and the amount of training it took to use it well. Compared to other muskets and rifles of the time it was also fragile.
Feb 13, 2015 18:44:08 #
DOOK wrote:
Fascinating. Thanks for posting. :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:
It sure was Earl. I had never heard of it before. I am surprised that modern day manufacturers have not come up with something similar. Modern day air rifles don't have a patch on that. :-D
Feb 13, 2015 18:44:44 #
robertjerl wrote:
There have been accounts that Napoleon actually ga... (show quote)
:thumbup: :thumbup: :-D
Feb 13, 2015 21:28:37 #
bcheary wrote:
Sent to me from a fellow UHHer in England. Thanks ... (show quote)
Having been an adult air gun shooter for a lot of years I did know that. I was the Alabama state "Field Target" champion one year. Air rifle field target is very big in England and a lot of them even came over here to shoot in our matches. Air guns are really big in England because it's a real bitch to get a permit to own a powder gun. Their airguns are VERY WELL MADE. They are also very expensive,.,.
The air rifles we used in field target could have the power turned up high enough to kill a grown man.
They could also put 10 shots thru the same hole at 50 yards,.,.
The most powerful air rifle I ever heard of is the air cannons on some ships back in the early 1800's I think.
Feb 13, 2015 21:55:17 #
davidheald1942 wrote:
Having been an adult air gun shooter for a lot of ... (show quote)
USS Vesuvius built in the late 1880s and used in the Spanish American War. Teddy Roosevelt and his regiment also had a small field gun of the same type. The Cuban rebels had at least one and there were large ones installed in coastal defense batteries. Development of stable explosives for use in shells ended the era of pneumatic dynamite guns.
http://www.spanamwar.com/vesuvius.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamite_gun
Feb 14, 2015 00:54:53 #
davidheald1942 wrote:
Having been an adult air gun shooter for a lot of ... (show quote)
Thanks for your input David. : :-D
Feb 14, 2015 02:56:43 #
OH, yeah, I forgot: google "punkin chunkin" you will find that today they have air powered guns that throw pumpkins and watermelons aprx a mile.
Feb 14, 2015 07:03:28 #
daplight
Loc: Kansas
Did the curator of the NFM say "
to the Cascades and the headwaters of the Potamac rivers
?" This was at the very end of the presentation. Pretty amazing air rifle though.
Feb 14, 2015 07:08:14 #
Fascinating. I've still got my Original 45 air rifle (under the bed) but scared to take it out as some do-gooder will report me and the police will confiscate it.
Scale it up and it tells me why we should keep SOME nuclear armaments.
Scale it up and it tells me why we should keep SOME nuclear armaments.
Feb 14, 2015 07:54:09 #
OldEarl
Loc: Northeast Kansas
John N wrote:
Fascinating. I've still got my Original 45 air rifle (under the bed) but scared to take it out as some do-gooder will report me and the police will confiscate it.
Scale it up and it tells me why we should keep SOME nuclear armaments.
Scale it up and it tells me why we should keep SOME nuclear armaments.
By federal law it is not a firearm.
Feb 14, 2015 08:01:20 #
Feb 14, 2015 08:08:11 #
John N wrote:
Federal LAW does not apply here in the U.K. Unfortunately.
not quite sure about air "guns" I have a shotgun certificate ans several shotguns also some air rifles, but my air rifles are only 177 and not very powerful, I believe (??) that there is a limit (above and below) for air guns here in the UK, some you can have without a licence and some HAVE TO BE licensed, if it end up requiring a "Firearms Certificate" (for a rifled bore), you have 2 chances, fat chance and NO chance
Feb 14, 2015 08:17:39 #
OldEarl
Loc: Northeast Kansas
John N wrote:
Federal LAW does not apply here in the U.K. Unfortunately.
There was a reason my British relatives left--and told Parliament and the Crown good bye.
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