Cortina d'Ampezzo

[DT Fletcher]

Thank you for an interesting post. Dont take this a a criticism, its just a query as to why it almost certainly predates the M1780 military air rifle. BTW thats a healthy sized cocking lever

It's just that everything about this particular gun is so primitive compared to the Girandoni. That and it's extreme rarity: this is the only known example that I can recall ever seeing. There's nothing like it in Wolff or any other book on the subject. To my eyes, it's screaming, early!

Now, after breakfast and first cup of Joe:

First, you have asked a very fair question. It would be wonderful to be able to point to some reference to provide the answer but no reference for Tyrollean air guns exists.

One thing I may or may not have discussed on this forum is the history of Tyrollean guns, airgun or powder: it simply doesn't exist. One of the biggest reasons being that the guns don't exist. In the museums of Tyrol, usually the most you will see of early guns are blackened locks from guns that had been burnt. The French disarmed the Tyrolleans during the Napoleonic wars, Cortina d'Amprezzo was burnt to the ground in retaliation. Then, at the end of WWII, the American occupying force disarmed the Tyrolleans again and burned all of their guns regardless of age or historical significance. So, today, we have no reference guides when it comes to Tyrollean airguns. Which makes any analysis more an art than a science. So, no matter what, I'm open to being questioned on this stuff and invite alternative (educated) views.

What my education on these ancient airguns consists of is reading all of the known references on these airguns. Plus, as thorough review of available pictures and descriptions of these guns from auctions, museums, etc.

Gauging the era any particular airgun is from is an important element in studying them. In some cases, like the Cortina d'Amprezzo airgun, all we have to go on is how it looks. In reviewing these airguns it becomes fairly obvious that the designs changed with time. Not unlike how automobile cars change over time: there's no genius in identifying any 1920s from a 1950s car or a '50s car from an '80s, etc. It's the same with these airguns: only, of course, we simply don't have the catalogs and pictures to help us out.

With this Cortina d'Amprezzo airgun, I look at the classic Girardoni (either the GIRARDONI INUENIT ET FECIT gun or the English example (Baker/Curri)) and later Austrian airguns (Contriner, etc) and ask the question, "where does this airgun belong on the date line compared to these other examples?" The answer, to my eyes, is before not after.