Cool air guns here,
http://www.topairgun.com/girandoni
“I’m going to counter that with rate-of-fire and nominate a Winchester Lever Action...maybe model 1873 or so as the first true “assault rifle.””
It was long preceded with a greater rate of fire by the 22 shot rapid fire Girandoni System Austrian Repeating Air Rifle, Circa 1795. Used by the Lewis and Clark Expedition to overawe the Amerinidan nations with its rapid and noiseless fire, no other firearm of the time could even approach its firing capacity. The Austrian Army found it necessary to abandon the firearm after Austria’s enemies threatened to execute Austrian soldiers captured with the weapon. The weapon was considered by them to be a violation of the laws of war due to its unfair advantage in noiseless rapid rate of fire.
Ironically, a weapon that was deemed to be too lethal for military use in the 18th Century is now an antique which may be exempt from the latest so-called firearm and assault weapon banning laws.
Look up the Cookson repeater and Kalthoff repeater. Both pre-date even the Girandoni air rifle. The Kalthoff does by a century, along with the Lorenzoni repeating pistol. Can’t say I knew that before this morning.