The Lewis and Clark Girandoni Air Rifle

This NRA video discussing an interesting piece of firearms history shows that air rifles had, at least during the black powder era, significant advantages over other firearms. Though this weapon has very little in common with the Crossman or Gamo airguns of today. The only modern equivalent you can find would be the specialty big bore ari rifles like the Sam Yang 909 Light Hunter which throws a .45 caliber round at 700 fps or their Recluse which fires a 9mm pellet at over 900 fps. Neither is as elegant or rugged as the Girandoni – but few could probably afford a working version of this historical classic.