Joseph Nemetz

[DT Fletcher]

One of the more interesting questions about the original Girandoni is what was the caliber. The oldest texts that address this have 13mm plus there is corroboration from original documents that specify 1 Vienna Pfund made 40 balls which works out to about 13.3mm. But, as we all know, in recent times the caliber has changed to 11mm, e.g. Baker/Currie. Baker/Currie used as their basis for making the change on Hummelberger where, quite rightly, there is a detailed specifications with internal measurements descriptions that come very close to the 11mm gun described in Baker/Currie. So, Girandoni was declared to be 11mm. s

Always figured that this was going to be a hard nut to crack. How to figure out what is what? Found the absolute answer just a few minutes ago. In Hummelberger they describe how a certain Joseph Nemetz, submitted a proposal to Joseph II on September, 1788 and it references note (27) which reads 1788, September 15, Ofen, KA, HKR, I790/6/220, Fal. 21, 21V, 22.

Okay, then Hummelberger goes on to describe in detail the Girandoni and that description starts out with this, The following description is, indeed, been written nine years later, but it gives us the true image of the fully developed and has been a year in the Turkish war (1787 - 1790) used a weapon. In contrast to the already in Haller26 printed instructions for use of air-gun, the description has been previously unknown.

DESCRIPTION. The air gun of 24. Xbris 788 (27). Of the actual construction and use of the air gun their constituents, so now as they exist28

They used the exact same footnote (archive documents!) for both the Nemetz gun and what they described as being an original Girandoni!

Never thought that it would be possible to so conclusively disprove the Hummelberger specifications.

The original Girandoni is once again and always was 13mm.

Oh, and you guys and your "original" 11mm Girandoni's. They're Victorian era fakes. Still, nice guns though and now you know the true story.

[DT Fletcher]

I left the above thread but it is now somewhat inoperative. Forgot that there were two sets of footnotes in Hummelberger, since Hummelberger consists of two separate articles, and it just turns out that both sections referenced above have the same number footnote so there are two different number (27) footnotes. What are the chances of that?

I still think that Hummelberger got something wrong with the description details and perhaps used the description of the Nemetz gun but there is no longer any proof of that.

Note also that Hummelberger has an original archive reference to the caliber being 13mm. That alone makes their specifications questionable.

Time for bed.