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Air Gun for Sale | Girandoni .22 Caliber
Girandoni Rifle
A friend of mine sent me a link to a site awhile back that showed a man taking down a full-grown hog using only a pellet gun. I thought: “this can’t be real…”
How can something that isn’t much bigger than a grain of rice take down a massive feral hog?
I started doing a little bit of research on my various options in the air gun shop, turns out, it is completely true if said pellet is traveling at 1250 feet per second (many .22 caliber rimfire rifles only reach around 1100-1200 fps). I decided to pick up one of these air rifles and give it a test.
But where do I begin?
I spent months of researching and talking with manufacturers before finding the “right one.” But today I think I have found it.
It’s called the Girandoni.
There are multiple calibers and velocities these things come with. I want the .22 caliber, for the ease of access to ammo and the higher knockdown than the .177 (at the sacrifice of a little velocity, which I think is a fair trade-off).
Air Gun Price
With prices ranging from $80- $800, I did everything I could to make sure I got the best price, without sacrificing quality. I spent countless hours negotiating with the manufacturer to get the price down…
Once I finished all of that, I picked up my prototype and headed out to my grandparents’ home for a little target practice.
After several hours of testing, here is what I have found about the Girandoni.
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Pros
- The synthetic stock is rubberized and has a good grip; since this is a break action style rifle, it is an incredible asset to not slip when you are loading it.
- It’s also lighter than wood and won’t split or rot.
- Cheap ammo (roughly $.003 per round!)
- A large variety of ammo. I found at least 10 different varieties of .22 caliber ammunition sitting on the shelf.
- Low maintenance. This gun does not actually “fire,” and as such, there is little to no residue and not much requirement for maintenance. The only thing you will need to do is add a couple of drops of oil every 100-200 shots fired and the occasional cleaning out of the barrel.
- No waiting period. This is about the best pro I can think of, you can pick this rifle up off the shelf and buy it without any type of registration or waiting period (Check your local laws to verify this). There are currently no laws requiring a background check on airguns, at least not here in Texas.
A Few Minor Cons
- Accuracy. The first 75-100 shots have very bad accuracy. This is a normal break-in period for just about any air rifle and can be frustrating. BUT just stick to it and fire through your “testing” period and you will be amazed at how accurate this thing is even over 100 yards!
- Stiff cocking mechanism. It takes about 30lbs of pull in order to break over the barrel and load the pellet. Make sure your hands are out of the way when you cock it. I was unfortunate enough to catch one of my knuckles several weeks ago (my own fault) and it’s still sore.
- Single Shot. Unless you go with the more expensive PCP (Pre-Charged Pneumatic), your normal break-action gun will only hold one pellet at a time. This can be very taxing on your morale when you are trying to take down a few squirrels and are forced to reload after each shot. (again a little practice goes a long way)
What is Pre-Charged Pneumatic? Guns that use air pressure to fire ammunition. The air is charged from a separate device.
Check out this video about the Girandoni air rifle by the NRA National Firearms Museum:
An air rifle like the Girandoni I purchased is great for practice and small game. Once the gun has been sighted in, you should be able to kill any small game with no problem.
Just bear in mind that most small game has a successful kill spot of around 1”. This means you need to practice.
If you have the right ammo and a well-placed shot, you could potentially take down larger game like a hog — but please do so at your own risk.
Even if you do have other rifles for larger game and self-defense, the inexpensive and highly available ammo will make this an extremely useful gun to have on hand in a survival situation — and a perfect training rifle for children.
Would you say the Girandoni rifle is a must-buy for gun owners? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below!
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Buy the Girandoni air rifle exclusively through Survival Life and the American Gun Association NOW!
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on June 14, 2015, and has been updated for quality and relevancy.