[SkyDancer]

Lewis and Clark carried one on their trip. Fooled the Indians because once they saw it fired they attacked not knowing it was a repeater. On several occasions it fired four or five like a machine gun due to wearing of some part.

[Georgia Girl 2]

Actually I believe that the Lewis and Clark expedition was not ever attacked because when they met up with indians they always brought out the air gun and demonstrated it for them. When the indians saw that it could fire so many times so rapidly they thought better of attacking the expedition.

[JoeProBono]

The Lewis & Clark Girandoni Air Rifle

[fulltlt]

"Lewis and Clark carried one on their trip. Fooled the Indians because once they saw it fired they attacked not knowing it was a repeater. On several occasions it fired four or five like a machine gun due to wearing of some part."

Do you have a reference citation for this?

[MasterGunner01]

The air gun carried by Lewis and Clark probably saved their lives. The explorers always demonstrated the air gun to the tribes they encountered.

At that time, the Indians were using single shot muzzle loaders (few of them who had contact with the French or British) or the ubiquitous bow and arrow. The Indians knew the limitations of the L&C muzzle loading firearms. But, they were blown away by a nearly silent, smokeless, flashless, repeating air gun that was very accurate and killed game. They did not know how many L&C had or how long it took to charge the air flask, but they observed the results and were impressed (and frightened if they had to go up against L&C armed with these guns).