On Friday the 10th, in addition to visiting the indoor shooting range at the NRA Headquarters I took a tour through the National Firearms Museum. While visitors of the museum go through an excellent self-guided tour, I had the privilege of being given a full tour by none other than our very own Jim Supica, the new director of the museum.
Jim led me through each of the unique galleries at the museum and took time to explain the importance of many of the firearms on display. I even got an abridged history lesson on Samuel Colt’s, Horace Smith’s, and Daniel B. Wesson’s beginnings as firearms manufacturers.
The museum has quite a few Confederate-manufactured rifles from the Civil War, which are very rare considering how many were produced. One of the galleries is made to look like Theodore Roosevelt’s study, and displays many guns from his era, including a few he used in Cuba. Another temporary gallery is about the Wild West and how it "was, is, and could have been." There are three sections showing off firearms actually used in the era of westward expansion, ones used in modern times for reenactments and stage shows and current-day cowboy action shooting, and various guns used by Hollywood in western movies. The display even features a gun used by a member of the infamous James Gang. I really liked that exhibit and it is a shame they will cycle it out with something, albeit equally as interesting, in a short time.
As far as something I was not expecting to see, there is an actual shooting gallery from Coney Island set up in a section about boy’s rifles (and yes, both the sound and targets still work).
The set up of the galleries takes you chronologically through the history of firearms in America, from colonial times to modern. It is as much a story of how firearm production and usage evolved in our country as an exhibit of the many fine firearms and their unique histories. Most of all, I was impressed by the sheer number of firearms on display at the museum. I know that sounds like a no-brainer at the National Firearms Museum, but upon entering the westward expansion gallery and expecting to see a couple Winchesters and Colt .45s I was greeted by about thirty of each. That goes for all the other exhibits as well, so don’t get startled by the number of rifles in the case dedicated to Mausers.
And what would the National Firearm Museum be without a .44 Magnum (modified to 9 mm since the blanks were easier to come by) used in Dirty Harry? That case, dedicated to firearms in Law Enforcement, also shows off a couple Tom Selleck and classic gangster guns.
Being a sucker for history, I was disappointed when the tour ended and there was nothing left for me to gawk at, but the great thing about the museum is many of the galleries change to parade something new after a few months. This keeps the exhibits fresh and guarantees I will be returning many times.
Jim led me through each of the unique galleries at the museum and took time to explain the importance of many of the firearms on display. I even got an abridged history lesson on Samuel Colt’s, Horace Smith’s, and Daniel B. Wesson’s beginnings as firearms manufacturers.
The museum has quite a few Confederate-manufactured rifles from the Civil War, which are very rare considering how many were produced. One of the galleries is made to look like Theodore Roosevelt’s study, and displays many guns from his era, including a few he used in Cuba. Another temporary gallery is about the Wild West and how it "was, is, and could have been." There are three sections showing off firearms actually used in the era of westward expansion, ones used in modern times for reenactments and stage shows and current-day cowboy action shooting, and various guns used by Hollywood in western movies. The display even features a gun used by a member of the infamous James Gang. I really liked that exhibit and it is a shame they will cycle it out with something, albeit equally as interesting, in a short time.
As far as something I was not expecting to see, there is an actual shooting gallery from Coney Island set up in a section about boy’s rifles (and yes, both the sound and targets still work).
The set up of the galleries takes you chronologically through the history of firearms in America, from colonial times to modern. It is as much a story of how firearm production and usage evolved in our country as an exhibit of the many fine firearms and their unique histories. Most of all, I was impressed by the sheer number of firearms on display at the museum. I know that sounds like a no-brainer at the National Firearms Museum, but upon entering the westward expansion gallery and expecting to see a couple Winchesters and Colt .45s I was greeted by about thirty of each. That goes for all the other exhibits as well, so don’t get startled by the number of rifles in the case dedicated to Mausers.
And what would the National Firearm Museum be without a .44 Magnum (modified to 9 mm since the blanks were easier to come by) used in Dirty Harry? That case, dedicated to firearms in Law Enforcement, also shows off a couple Tom Selleck and classic gangster guns.
Being a sucker for history, I was disappointed when the tour ended and there was nothing left for me to gawk at, but the great thing about the museum is many of the galleries change to parade something new after a few months. This keeps the exhibits fresh and guarantees I will be returning many times.
If you're in the area, visit in person. Find directions here. The next best thing to being here in person? The virtual tour.
Oh, and don’t forget the gift shop! It's got something for everyone, from T-shirts to books.
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