NAPOLEONIC WARS PART 1

Hi, I’m Chris! Welcome back to Mission94’s Educational Video Series. Today we’re going to hop across the pond and see what was happening with firearms in Europe in the early part of the 1800s. Before we do, let’s check out our education center here at Misson94, where you can learn about different eras in history, and experience originals & replicas from these times in our training bays. 

Our classrooms are the heart of Mission94 Firearms Education Center. We believe that all firearms owners are better off being well-informed. Our certified instructors provide instruction on the history of firearms and their evolution, as well as safe usage and storage practices, and day-to-day carry strategies and proper techniques. To learn more about our classes, including our history-based classes, visit mission94firearms.com/training. 

Back to Europe during the Industrial Revolution. What was happening during this time? The Napoleonic Wars. Spanning from 1803 to 1815 they are named after Napoleon Bonaparte, the firebrand who gained control of France after the Revolution and ruled first as Consul of the First Republic then Emperor of the French Empire. These wars were fought throughout Europe involving most countries including Russia, Austro-Hungary, Britian, France, Portugal, Prussia, Spain, and Sweden. As with most conflicts, the reason for them simple: territorial dispute and a balance of power.  

Interestingly, as war raged in various parts of Europe, firearms did not evolve significantly to improve the efficiency of warfare. The one exception to this was the invention of the Girardoni Air Rifle.  

The Girardoni Air Rifle was invented in 1779 by Italian inventor Bartolomeo Girardoni. The rifle was about four feet long and weighed ten pounds, which was about the same as infantry muskets of the time. It fired a .46 or .51 caliber ball and had a tubular, spring-fed magazine with a capacity of anywhere between 20 and 22 balls and had a gravity-fed magazine. Unlike its contemporary muzzle-loading muskets, which required riflemen to stand to reload with powder and ball, the shooter could reload a ball from the magazine by pulling a chamber bar out of the breech supplying a ball and then rebounding back to its original position with the aid of a spring. All of this could be done while lying down. 

This firearm was way ahead of its time. Despite its many advantages, the Girardoni Air Rifle didn’t see widespread battlefield use to the difficulty of operating it. In the early 1800s, many soldiers came from humble backgrounds and the complex mechanisms of the air rifle precluded its widespread military use. However, a Girardoni Air Rifle did accompany Louis and Clark on their exploration of the Louisiana Purchase in 1804.  

If firearms innovation remained relatively stagnant, what changed? Find out in part 2 as we explore the tactics of the Napoleonic Wars.