I’ve long known of the air rifle taken on the Lewis and Clark expedition, but this video adds some interesting information. I do think the guy takes his thesis to unsupportable lengths, but even that is intriguing.
For further information, note this about the “Lewis and Clark ‘Assault Rifle'”
It’s not lacking in drama, I’ll give him that.
Good grief but he stretches a point. An interesting firearm certainly, but hardly the most significant rifle in the known universe. While impressive enough ballistics for an airgun, it’d make a large carnivore nothing but angry.
Actually, Fits, within its effective range, it’d be quite effective against all but the largest of game. Modern airguns 12, of course, pack a bit more wallop, but if you checked out the linked information below the video, I suspect your appraisal would change a tad.
Of course, the rifle in the video isn’t technically a firearm at all *heh*, and it is definitely not “the most significant rifle in the known universe”. And, as I said, he does take his thesis to unsupportable lengths. Far more fascinating than this guy’s presentation (fascinating though it is, despite his hyperventilating bout the SUPREME importance of this one gun *bleh*) is the Robert D. Beeman article I linked. Some very good reading there with a ton of even more fascinating linked sources.
I don’t shoot much, nowadays (more’s the pity), but were I to do more shooting–and more hunting *sigh*–I’d be very tempted by one of the Quakenbush big game air rifles. (Of course, then I’d probably be tempted to cast my own bullets, and so what would I have gained, eh? DIY stuff is just so very, very tempting.) Getting on his waiting list would strain my patience, though. *heh*
I’d heard the story of Lewis and Clark’s air rifle; but had no idea of the historical value ( perhaps with some exaggeration).
Lucy gave me a nice air rifle for Christmas a couple of years ago to take care of opossum and raccoon invaders. This is a 177 cal but packs 1200 ft per sec so it’s able to take them down quietly in a suburban setting. For some reason folks in suburbia don’t like the sound of small arms fire. I put a laser site on the thing since most of the time these vermin come around at night, works very nice and the garbage men don’t mind as long as we wrap them in plastic so as to match the rest of the garbage.
I’ve given some consideration to a varmint/pest airgun.
That was quite interesting.
Yeh, Mel, as I said in response to Fits, I’m really giving some serious thought to getting at least a high-powered varmint air rifle… and a “plinking” air-powered handgun might be nice to keep my eye sharp (well, re-sharpen my hand-eye, since I’ve not shot much at all in recent years). And I like the idea of quieter shooting as well. My ears are less forgiving of loud noises than they have ben in the past, and hunting with hearing protection, apart from really expensive noise-canceling solutions, is just stupid.
OH YES, my ears are old, too.