This week at the National Firearms Museum ...

The National Firearms Museum is always a busy place, but Jim Supica's arrival in early October seems to have the wheels turning even faster than usual. The museum played host to several tour groups this week, including the Paralyzed Veterans of America. An international TV crew stopped by for a quick Q&A with Phil Schreier about the history of firearms.

And, as pictured above, NRA News Executive Producer John Popp was on the premises yesterday to film a few segments of the "Curator's Corner," a weekly segment on NRA News featuring NFM Senior Curator Phil Schreier. Schreier chooses a gun to showcase for each segment and gives the piece's history and plenty of context.

The first piece taped Thursday is one of the Museum's central pieces: the moving, spinning, shooting range, pictured at left. It was built in 1903 and actually was used in an arcade at Coney Island. A gun collector in Ohio kept it in his garage, allowing neighborhood kids to plink at the moving rows of ducks every 4th of July.

When the Museum first acquired the panel, it had to be rebuilt, Schreier says, but the Museum itself was being constructed. "The Museum was literally built up around this range," he says. Schreier described the effort to restore the piece to its original lustre.

Listening to him talk reminded me of something the international news producer had told me after hearing Phil tell a few stories from the American Civil War. "You can tell by the way he talks that he is passionate about what he is doing," he said.

Supica seemed to be thinking the same thing. "He can give this much information about every piece in here," Supica told me in awe as Phil was telling the story of the shooting range.

Tune into NRA News every Thursday evening either through NRAnews.com or on Sirius radio to hear what Phil has to say.

Remember to stop by the Museum's Trick or Treat between 4 and 6 p.m. if you're in the area!