Everyone knows gold in California was discovered at Sutter’s mill. Well, when we were visiting today, the little lady wanted to see the small museum on Butte House Road in Yuba City, CA and I was surprised that they have Sutter’s 1799 air rifle, among other things.
It is the small one to the right of the 1770, 38 pound, 74” long Rampart Gun. Hope the photos copy correctly.
If anyone wants close up photos, I can return in a few weeks and do my best to get them.
Very cool! Thanks for posting this nifty bit of pneumatic history.
Very cool, bet it was valuable tool for them on homestead & mill.
Very interesting, thanks for spotting this and posting the pic'. More photos would be much appreciated if you ever find yourself there again.
I think there may be some errors in the descriptive label though: A gunmaker named "Carl (or Karl) Pirko", born in 1803, was active in Vienna starting in 1831. He made at least one other airgun, a single-shot butt-reservoir rifle owned by a collector who occasionally posts here. I could find no reference to a Carl Pirto. Also, from your picture I don't see a magazine which is typically on the right side parallel to the barrel on the Austrian repeaters. Either it's a single-shot or has some unusual repeating mechanism.
Regardless, it's pretty cool to think of an airgun being used in the Old West.
Don R.
That does not look anything like the Priko rifle.
The Priko rifle is heavily engraved with gods and goddesses, some of which appear to be in battle with each other on the gun.
The lock is different and the Priko rifle I have never had a covering over the barrel.
It's too bad they wouldn't let you get a clear picture of the makers name on the gun.
