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LOT 304
Lewis and Clark are believed
Rare 18th Century Silver Inlaid Girardoni to have carried a similar air System Repeating Over/Under Stock
Reservoir Sporting Air Rifle by Ernst Eckardt of Bamberg, Germany - rifle on their expedition to
NSN, 10 mm , 30 1/4 inch octagon bbl., brown/casehardened finish, walnut
stock. The Girardoni (sometimes spelled “Girandoni”) is easily the most famous explore the American West
early air rifle, or “windbuchse,” largely thanks to the fact that for many years
it has been associated with Lewis & Clark and their famous Corps of Discovery Expedition. It is widely believed that
they either had a Girardoni or a very similar design by Isaiah Lukens of Philadelphia. The Girardoni was designed by
Bartolomeo Girardoni around 1779 and is also significant as one of the first widely used repeating martial arms,
with a magazine tube on the right side of the barrel for use with lead balls and a breech block that is able to be
pressed sideways against spring pressure for loading/repeating capability. They were notably used by Austrian
sharpshooters from 1787-1815. 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. “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 over/under sporting example is silver inlaid with the maker
name “E Eckardt a Bamberg” on top of the barrel at the breech. Ernst Eckardt (1774-1842) is listed as an active
gunmaker out of Bamberg, Bavaria. The rifled upper barrel and smoothbore lower barrel are both chambered
in approximately .38 caliber/10 mm. The upper rifled barrel utilizes the Girardoni repeating system, and the lower smoothbore barrel loads
from the muzzle end. Beaded blade front sight, flip-up notch rear sight, leather bound metal stock reservoir, and a walnut stock. The cocking lever is an imitation flintlock hammer.
Circular brass collection tag marked “R.D. BEEMAN/PRIVATE/COLLECTION/2908” hanging from the trigger guard. More information on Girardoni air rifles can be found in the online
article at https://www.beemans.net/Austrian%20airguns.htm, as well as pages 598-601 of the book “Blue Book of Airguns, Thirteenth Edition”.
CONDITION: Fine, with 20% original brown finish strongest in protected areas, nearly all of the silver inlay, strong case colors on the lock under mild freckling/brown patina, and bright
golden patina on the brass. The wood is also fine with numerous scattered scratches, a repaired section visible on the left above the sideplate, and solid overall figure. The leather stock reservoir cover is very good with scattered scuffs, an absent section on the rear, and general age related wear. The air valve is detached/loose inside of the stock reservoir, otherwise mechanically fine. Absent ramrod. Throughout our years of operation, Rock Island Auction Company has only ever had the privilege to offer less than a handful of Girardoni system rifles of any kind, and we cannot stress enough how rare of an opportunity this is to acquire hands down the most desirable type of air rifle ever made!
Provenance: The Dr. Robert D. Beeman Collection.
258 Estimate: 8,500 - 13,000