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Member Section => Down Range Cafe => Topic started by: PegLeg45 on February 28, 2011, 09:45:06 AM

Title: Lewis & Clark era Air Rifle
Post by: PegLeg45 on February 28, 2011, 09:45:06 AM
It was said it could put a round through a 1" thick pine board at 100 yards.

Title: Re: Lewis & Clark era Air Rifle
Post by: Dakotaranger on February 28, 2011, 11:32:04 AM
22 rounds.  It seams like at the time of the Clinton era AWB they kept claiming that our forefather would never conceive of such a weapon.  But I suppose expecting a liberal to know history is just insane.
Title: Re: Lewis & Clark era Air Rifle
Post by: fightingquaker13 on February 28, 2011, 11:44:27 AM
Very cool post Peg. I keep saying folks should take air rfles more seriously. Some of the big bore guns (fed with a scuba tank or a whole lot of pumping) will drive a musket ball hard enough to work on deer and hogs. Pretty much the ultimate survival gun. All you need is a bullet mold and a bicycle pump, no powder or cartidge required.
FQ13
Title: Re: Lewis & Clark era Air Rifle
Post by: m25operator on February 28, 2011, 05:38:35 PM
You do need a very good bicycle pump, I have one for my Airforce Talon SS, you need to have some ass to pump it above 2500 psi, but it will go to 3500 psi. My air rifle works at 3000 but will take more.
Title: Re: Lewis & Clark era Air Rifle
Post by: alfsauve on February 28, 2011, 07:57:05 PM
"the" expert on historical air rifles is Robert Beeman.   A brief history of L&Cs rifle is on the Beeman company's website at:

http://beeman.com/history.htm (http://beeman.com/history.htm)

As Beeman will tell you there are some differing stories about the exact configuration and for what and when they used it.  I think they may have, at least initially, thought of it as a backup if their powder got wet or went bad on such a long trip.  The use of it as a "magic" weapon to finesse the Indians may have just been a plus.

Unfortunately Bob evidently hosts his personal web site at home and sometimes exceeds his allowable bandwidth, but check it occasionally for a lot of interesting stuff about air guns.

http://www.beemans.net/ (http://www.beemans.net/)
Title: Re: Lewis & Clark era Air Rifle
Post by: tombogan03884 on March 01, 2011, 11:25:26 AM
More on large caliber air rifles

http://www.airgundepot.com/big-bore-article.html

http://www.quackenbushairguns.com/bandit_1.html