Girandoni Air Rifle

The Girandoni Air Rifle was an airgun designed by Bartholomäus Girandoni circa 1779. The weapon was also known as the "Windbüchse", which means "wind rifle" in German.

Design and Capabilities

It was 4 ft (1.2 m) long and weighed 10 pounds (4.5 kg), which made it the same basic size and weight as other muskets of the time. It fired a .51 caliber ball [The Beeman article on Girandoni Air Rifles in the sources section and an article in the German gun magazine "Visier" (issue 1/2007, page 141) claim the caliber was actually .463" (11.75 mm).] at a velocity similar to that of a modern .45 ACP and it had a tubular, gravity-fed magazine with a capacity of 20 balls. Contemporary regulations of 1788 required each rifleman, in addition to the rifle itself, to be equipped with three reservoirs (two spare and one attached to the rifle), cleaning stick, hand pump, lead ladle, and 100 lead balls, 20 in the magazine built into the rifle and the remaining 80 in four tin tubes. Equipment not carried attached to the rifle was held in a special leather knapsack. It was also required to keep the leather gaskets of the reservoir moist in order to maintain a good seal and prevent leakage. [A letter detailing regulations, "Signed, Vienna, 24th january 1788", is reproduced in the book "The Austrian Army Repeating Air Rifle" by G Baker & C Currie, 2nd Edition ]

The air reservoir was in the club-shaped butt. With a full air reservoir, the Girandoni Air Rifle had the capacity to shoot 30 shots at useful pressure. These balls were effective to approximately 150 yards on a full load. The power declined as the air reservoir was emptied [The military writer August Haller claimed in an 1891 treatise titled "Die österreichische Militär-Repetier-Windbüchse" that the first ten shots would be effective to about 150 paces, the next ten shots up to 120-125 paces, the next ten out to 100 paces, and then the remaining air pressure in the reservoir would be too low.] .

History and Use

The Girandoni Air Rifle was in service with the Austrian army from 1780 to around 1815. The advantages of a high rate of fire, no smoke from propellants, and low muzzle report granted it initial acceptance, but it was eventually removed from service for several reasons. While the detachable air reservoir was capable of around 30 shots it took nearly 1500 strokes of a hand pump to fill those reservoirs. Later, a wagon-mounted pump was provided. The reservoirs themselves proved very difficult to manufacture using the techniques of the period, made from hammered sheet iron held together with rivets and sealed by brazing, and were always in short supply.

In addition, the weapon was very delicate and a small break could make it inoperable. Finally, it was very different from any other weapon of the time and any soldier using it needed to be highly trained.

Importance

The Girandoni Air Rifle was an important first. It was one of the first uses of a tubular magazine, the coil spring, and air compression for firearms. And, although it saw service for only 35 years, it was more advanced in design and mechanical technology than the Henry rifle which arrived fifty years later.

Footnotes

ources

* [http://www.beemans.net/images/Austrian%20airguns.htm Beeman's History on Austrian Large Bore Airguns]
* [http://staff.sunrise.it/polovalboite/giacomel/benemeriti1.htm I Benemeriti Di Cortina D’Ampezzo]
* [http://www.braunschweiger-feldkorps.de/windbuechse.htm Die Windbüchse]