Author Topic: Lewis and Clark Rifle??  (Read 6646 times)

Offline Marcruger

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Lewis and Clark Rifle??
« on: November 15, 2015, 02:04:59 AM »
Hi Folks,

I have a friend that asked me if I knew anyone that made a copy of Lewis and Clark's muzzleloading air rifle? 

He thinks he actually saw a kit for it at one point.  I don't think he is right there, but I have been known to be wrong before. 

I saw one group of folks made a few replicas in the $30,000+ range.  A bit more than he is interested in spending.

Just thought I'd ask and see if I was missing something. 

Many thanks,   Marc

Offline Kevin Houlihan

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Re: Lewis and Clark Rifle??
« Reply #1 on: November 15, 2015, 03:12:00 AM »
http://www.donstith.com/lewis___clark.html
 This may be the one he saw.
Kevin

Offline smart dog

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Re: Lewis and Clark Rifle??
« Reply #2 on: November 15, 2015, 03:40:38 AM »
Hi Marc,
I believe it was Ernie Cowan that created the copy of the air rifle that was carried by Lewis and Clark.  No one that I know is making a copy for sale and if they did it would be extremely expensive.  Your friend is on a fools errand unless he has a lot of money to spend.

dave
"The main accomplishment of modern economics is to make astrology look good."

Offline flinchrocket

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Re: Lewis and Clark Rifle??
« Reply #3 on: November 15, 2015, 04:19:40 AM »
Didn't know they carried a muzzleloading air rifle. I thought the air rifle was a Girandoni style repeating
air rifle!

Offline Daryl

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Re: Lewis and Clark Rifle??
« Reply #4 on: November 15, 2015, 05:43:43 AM »
It was a Girandoni air rifle that the explorers carried with them, with the magazine on the side of the action. It was a breech loader.
The Stith kit, is a ML rifle.
Daryl

"a gun without hammers is like a spaniel without ears" King George V

Offline Hungry Horse

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Re: Lewis and Clark Rifle??
« Reply #5 on: November 15, 2015, 05:09:34 PM »
 Unless you know a lot about what PSI can be contained by what, I'd steer clear of a project like this one. People underestimate the destructive power of compressed air. A local guys air compressors unloaded valve malfunctioned some years ago, and the ensuing explosion shredded his right arm, shoulder, and neck. He was very fortunate to survive. Just because you are hand pumping an air gun, doesn't mean you can't get well into the danger zone.

      Hungry Horse

Offline Kevin Houlihan

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Re: Lewis and Clark Rifle??
« Reply #6 on: November 15, 2015, 06:14:11 PM »
Sorry 'bout that...I guess I missed the word "AIR" in the original post.   My mom still thinks I'm smart though... ;D
Kevin

Offline Monty59

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Re: Lewis and Clark Rifle??
« Reply #7 on: November 15, 2015, 07:12:10 PM »
Hello guys take a look at this side it is very interesting all about the Lewis and Clark Air Rifle

http://beemans.net/lewis-assault-rifle.htm


Monty

Offline jerrywh

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Re: Lewis and Clark Rifle??
« Reply #8 on: November 15, 2015, 08:44:46 PM »
 If he has a limit on the price I would never take the job. If anybody makes money on a project it should be the gun maker not the buyer. You can ge tall the work you want for nothing.
Nobody is always correct, Not even me.

Offline Marcruger

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Re: Lewis and Clark Rifle??
« Reply #9 on: November 16, 2015, 01:39:35 AM »
Thanks for the advice guys.  I passed it along, so at least he knows.   Best wishes, Marc

Offline Captchee

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Re: Lewis and Clark Rifle??
« Reply #10 on: November 16, 2015, 06:10:29 PM »
 There was a smith up in Montana , cant remember his name off the top of my head , but I  have contact info around here somewhere . He  sold a kit which consisted of an action and barrel . No tank and no loading tube   .   The action was also a modern  set up so  while things looked right on the outside ,  the workings were different .
 He at the time offered 3 different  early air rifle action designs , Jover ,Evans and the  Girandoni.
  Prices as I recall, ranged from 500.00 to 1500 . But that was several years ago .

I talked with him a couple  times  concerning a Jover action .  I do remember him telling me he wasn’t going to continue carrying the  early styled actions as there had been no real interests . He however had a lot of work building magnum air actions for modern air rifles  in centerfire  calibers .
 
« Last Edit: November 16, 2015, 06:11:08 PM by Captchee »

Offline Captchee

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Re: Lewis and Clark Rifle??
« Reply #11 on: November 16, 2015, 06:35:38 PM »

 Ok so I did some digging. Can believe its been that long ago  my  the date in my book shows 2004 .
 But it  im thinking it may have been  Dennis Quackenbush  . I see he still has an active web site  and now lists only the Amaranth rifle , which used an liege action  see “liege Lock” on  his  web site ..
 I would give him a call . He would probably know who and were to call to find a kit or action .

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

Offline t.caster

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Re: Lewis and Clark Rifle??
« Reply #12 on: November 17, 2015, 03:06:32 AM »
Dennis Priddy, from Nashville MI, makes a fine reproduction of these air rifles. You may have seen him working on the back porch at Friendship. I have his contact info here somewhere if interested.
These rifles are a sight to behold, and a hoot to shoot!

edited:
dennispriddy@yahoo.com
ph. (517)852-0939
« Last Edit: November 18, 2015, 03:30:24 AM by t.caster »
Tom C.

Offline BOB HILL

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Re: Lewis and Clark Rifle??
« Reply #13 on: November 17, 2015, 04:12:14 AM »
Marc pm sent with info.       Bob
South Carolina Lowcountry

Offline helwood

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Re: Lewis and Clark Rifle??
« Reply #14 on: November 17, 2015, 04:35:08 AM »
My last postings were about the Tumbler Mill.  Let me say that I have made x3 Lukens "DNH" double neck hammer that was previously thought to be the air rifle carried on the Voyage of Discovery.  It was a .32 cal. muzzleloading air rifle.  Also, Just as Martin and I were finishing up those Dr. Beeman's research lead him to believe it was the Girardoni air rifle a .46 cal. breech loader.  The Lukens took us 5 years to make because I was reverse engineering the parts from just a few photos and a few dimensions,published I carved the receiver from wax then we cast it then made a mold and shot 3 receivers cast with the other brass furniture and made the pipes from flat stock.  The Girardoni (this is the correct spelling) Dr. Beeman met with the family that still lives at the same home.  TheGirardoni was made from a book that was published by G.Baker & C.Currie, no longer in print.  E. Cowen & M. Carrick made a couple of them.  I know that he made Dr. Beeman's I don't know the exact number of the others. The Girardonis we made took 4 year to make.  It's a lot slower when you can't order parts from a catalog.  Both guns I took to Bowling Green, we shot the Lukens at Dr. Leepers farm but when I took the Girardoni we were rained out. I thought about trying to post photos about how they were made but I didn't think it would be allowed because they aren't "blackpowder muzzleloading guns".  I tell people that making these was my Voyage of Discover, I met so many people while making them and had help from many people that I would have never come in contact with otherwise and my worst nightmare would be somebody discovering another in the  near future.  Also I am not interested in making any more.  The $30,000 is not an exaggeration.    Henry/Hank Elwood