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Because the air tanks took around 30 minutes of pumping by hand to bring to full
pressure, the riflemen had assistants that repressurized the reservoirs initially and later also had more efficient wagon mounted pumps. These rifles were reportedly capable of approximately 30-40 shots on a single filled tank (one source claims more than 60), although original instructions to Austrian soldiers advised them to only fire one loaded tube of 20 balls before switching to another
fully charged air reservoir due to loss of power as the air tank loses pressure.
To reload the tube magazine, the user opens a plug at the front of the
magazine and empties a “speed loader” into it. The well known
British military Ferguson breech loading flintlock rifles of the same time period
were capable of
about 6 shots per
minute, which was considered quick when compared with the then standard muzzleloaders of the time, whereas the Girardoni
was capable of
at least 40 shots
per minute with
a skilled operator.
With a muzzle velocity of about 600
fps using a .46 caliber ball weighing
around 146 grains, their effective
lethal range was between 125-150
yards when properly charged, which
would have been devastating on the
receiving end when combined with its
repeating capability. “Wind guns” had
several advantages over conventional
firearms including that they were
quieter, smokeless, quicker to reload,
and relatively unaffected by rain. They
also required less cleaning since they
did not require corrosive black powder. This Austrian military example is
chambered in .46 caliber/11.5 mm and features an octagon barrel with 12-groove rifling, dovetail mounted blade front sight and notch
rear sight, 20-21 shot gravity-fed tubular magazine, screw-off metal buttstock air reservoir, and a walnut forearm with incised border
carvings. Austrian military eagle stamp located on top of the breech of the barrel and on the front flat of the threaded section of the stock
reservoir, a “G” Girardoni maker marking is stamped on top of the brass receiver body and on the stock reservoir, along with an unknown
tree-like symbol (possibly acting as a “1”) ahead of “382”, with the same tree-like symbol ahead of “263” on the stock reservoir, and a fleur-de-lis is
stamped on the left of the stock above the sideplate. More information on Girardoni air rifles can be found on pages 598-601 of the book “Blue Book
of Airguns, Thirteenth Edition”, as well as in the online articles at https://www.beemans.net/Austrian%20airguns.htm and https://www.beemans.net/lewis-assault-rifle. htm where the “Lewis Airgun” is shown in detail.
CONDITION: Fine as period issued, exhibiting an attractive proper natural aged patina overall, with scattered patches of brown freckling and light pitting on the iron surfaces, bright golden patina on the brass, and mostly defined edges and markings in the metal overall. The wood is very good, with scattered scratches and dings, a chipped/absent section visible on the right ahead of the magazine tube, some chipped sections along the side of the ramrod channel, and fine figure overall. Mechanically fine. The Austrian military Model 1780 Girardoni repeating air rifle was a marvel, the most advanced shoulder arm of its time in the late 1700s, famous for its reported use on the Lewis and Clark Expedition, and this is an incredibly rare opportunity to acquire a genuine surviving example!
Estimate: 30,000 - 50,000
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