When was the pellet gun invented?

1800s or so

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Everyone thinks that Daisy invented the BB gun in the late 1800's, but this is not so: The credit goes to Bartholomaus Girandoni of Vienna. He developed the air rifle for the Austrian army about 1780. Around 1500 were produced and were used until 1801. The bore was 11.75 mm. The butt of the rifle was the air tank and a pump was used to fill it up.

Foot note: The Lewis and Clark expedition carried an air rifle with them on the expedition across the Unites states.