The Girandoni air rifle was an airgun designed by Tyrolian inventor Bartholomäus Girandoni circa 1779. It was used on the Lewis and Clark Expedition in the early 1800s.
It was capable of discharging it's entire 20 shot capacity in less than 30 seconds.
The first successful design for a semi-automatic rifle is attributed to Austria-born gunsmith Ferdinand Ritter von Mannlicher, who unveiled the design in 1885.
Why are these antique weapons suddenly a modern problem?
|