History lesson for today - very cool!

Bob,
Yes, he did say 40 shots before any noticeable change in velosity at 100 yds.
Can't inagine having to pump that cast iron butt up with 1800 psi. He mentiond it would take around 1500 strokes with a standard bike pump to get that kind of pressure.
I'm getting tired just thinking about it.
 
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That gun appears to have been incredibly reliable--it made it from Philadelphia to the mouth of the Columbia and back and was in working order the whole time.

It must have been incredibly expensive to produce, or else it's hard to imagine why every Army in the early 19th century didn't get rid of their single shot muskets and replace them with air guns. No need to transport gunpowder; a gun that would be reliable in the rain; and the ability to fire several shots a minute would have been serious adantages over flintlocks or early percussion muskets.
 
I knew they had an air rifle along but had never seen what it was like. I figured it was a little tiny thing to shot rabbits for the pot. I wonder what kind of fps it really got. A 1" pine board isn't exactly a bullet stopper.

It would make a super cool rabbit/squirrel gun.

Tim
 
Here's a piece of airgun trivia for ya....I remember reading that Napolean once decreed that anyone found with an airgun would be put to death immediatly. Thats how much he feard them.

John Bourbon
 
Pete - When I read Undaunted Courage, I somehow missed the air rifle - very interesting - thanks for posting this. Almost everything about that trip was unbelievable and if you have not read the book, you will really enjoy it.
sarge
 
Super cool. But I'd hate to be holding that thing to my cheek when somebody clipped the stock. An image of the final scene of Jaws with the compressed air and comes to mind. Could that thing explode? Any thoughts? And Tim as for muzzle velocity I wouldn't want to be hit by that round, because it might only hurt you and not kill you dead..
Frank
 
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