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Many people that I talk to about air guns have the impression that most air rifles and air pistols shoot small caliber pellets or even BBs. They are amazed to learn that there are air rifles known as big bore air rifles that are capable of taking down large animals such as a deer and that these air rifles have the ability to shoot heavy pellets such as 9mm, .45 and even .50 caliber with authoritative results. Given modern technology, many people think that the big bore air rifle is something new. However, from 1790 to 1815, the Austrian Army used a 22-shot .46 caliber repeating air rifle known as the Girandoni air rifle because unlike single shot gun powder muskets there was no smoke to be seen and very little noise to be heard. Soldiers had to be specially trained and hand pumping the air reservoir 1500 times to a working pressure of 800 psi finally gave way to newly developed repeating gun powder air rifles that were arriving on the scene.
Consensus has it that the Girandoni air rifle was carried by Lewis and Clark on their famous expedition in 1803 to 1806. In fact, two accomplished Pennsylvania gun maker historians recently succeeded in producing four working reproductions of an original Girandoni air rifle as shown by the American Rifleman videos below. One was given to the donor of the original, two were kept by the gun makers for demonstration purposes and one was sold to a friend for $34,000. When I asked if they were going to produce more of the Girandoni air rifles, I was told by one of the gun makers that they were off to other new projects. However, I was also told that if a manufacturer wanted to start producing Girandoni replicas that one of theirs could be available for copying by that manufacturer.
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Wouldn't you love to own a piece of American History like this beauty- especially one that is fully functional? I know I would! Well, it just may be possible if you can generate enough interest by contacting AirForce Air Guns and Umarex USA- two high quality based manufacturers located right here in our own US of A backyard!! AirForce makes the highly powerful and precisely accurate Condor air rifle which has a removable reservoir very similar to the one used by the Girandoni. Umarex is well-known for making superb quality replica air pistols such as the Smith & Wesson 686 (Dirt E. Harry's gun) and the Beretta 92FS. Korean big-bore air rifle manufacturers ShinSung that makes the .50 caliber Dragon Slayer and SamYang that makes the .45 caliber 909S are also "long-shot" possibilities... won't hurt to try- one never knows.
Here is How...
Send an email to AirForce, send an email to ShinSung and fill out the contact form at the Umarex website and the contact form at the SamYang website telling them that: |
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(seat belts not included)
 .50 Caliber (2900 & 3000 psi) |
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A .45 caliber Repeating 22-Shot Big Bore Air Rifle... WOW!!
Now then, given the fact that the Light Hunter has a barrel length of 21.65 inches and the Girandoni barrel looks much, much longer, would it be possibly that the Girandoni would produce higher muzzle energy? I know what you are thinking... but from what I
gather, the professionals (SWAT) are opting for shorter thicker barrels (with no loss of power or accuracy) to reduce the
whip vibration at the muzzle found with longer barrels; so longer may not always be better. Never the less, it is my opinion that if the Girandoni was somehow outfitted with a 1,000cc reservoir that would allow at least a 3,000 psi starting air pressure, we would see a more than acceptable power and accuracy at a 22nd shot. In the meantime. I think you will agree that the 800 psi capacity leaves a lot to be desired.  |
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