Who invented air rifles?
WHEN DID THE FIRST AIR RIFLE APPEAR AND WHO INVENTED IT?
It’s nearly impossible to pinpoint who invented air rifles, however, Italian gunsmith Bartolomeo Girandoni in 1780 created what is considered by many experts the first PCP (Pre-Charged Pneumatic) rifle in history: the Girandoni rifle.
However, the history of compressed air weapons dates back many millennia. The Blowgun is considered to be the first weapon to use air to propel the projectile.
However, the oldest preserved compressed air gun dates back to the year 1580. It is a spring-powered rifle and can be found in the Livrustkammaren Museum in Stockholm.
To understand the origins of these types of weapons or air rifles, we need to go back to the 15th and 16th centuries AD. Historians themselves have difficulty reaching a consensus on the origin of air guns or rifles. There are indeed few ancient compressed air weapons preserved in collections or museums for study and analysis.
The primary use of compressed air weapons was for hunting. They were effective weapons capable of bringing down large prey. However, they were used only by the aristocracy due to their high cost. Aristocrats were also the only ones with land holdings where they could actually hunt.
The advantages of these types of weapons over firearms were numerous. Firstly, they could be used in adverse weather conditions such as rain and snow. Compressed air weapons were very quiet, giving hunters a tactical advantage. Since they were weapons that did not produce sparks and had constant shot velocity and power, they provided much greater practicality than firearms.
GIRANDONI REVOLUTIONIZED THE PARADIGM OF AIR RIFLES
Girandoni’s design transformed what was originally a sportive weapon for nobles into a formidable military firearm. The Girandoni rifle featured a breech-loading mechanism with a tubular magazine of 20 rounds fixed alongside the barrel. It operated at a pressure of 800 psi, and a fully charged pressure reservoir allowed for up to 80 shots.
Around 1803, one of these rifles ended up in Philadelphia through Captain Meriwether Lewis, an aide to President Thomas Jefferson, who acquired the piece.
When President Thomas Jefferson sent an expedition to Louisiana, Captain Meriwether Lewis brought the Girandoni rifle. The indigenous tribes, impressed, called the weapon a “smokeless bolt of thunder.”
“My Air-gun… astonishes them very much, they cannot comprehend its shooting so often and without powder…”
Meriwether Lewis Jan. 24, 1806
Air rifles were used for a time in the context of warfare but were quickly phased out of this role. They were weapons that required air storage containers, which were expensive and difficult to use. It was also necessary to have basic mechanical knowledge to use them effectively. On the other hand, their cylinders were too delicate and dangerous, running the risk of easily exploding.
Girandoni’s air rifle might have been a footnote in military history. Each one was handcrafted by master gunsmiths, and probably fewer than 1,500 were made. Some of the materials and techniques used, carefully guarded, died with the craftsmen.
In today’s world, air rifles and other weapons that use compressed or pre-compressed air as a propulsion system are used for sports practice.
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