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    From The NRA Museum Blog

    Get the latest museum updates as they occur. The blog includes news and information on gun shows, gun collecting, the museum store, Curator's Corner segments, museum curators and much more.

    Colt .38 Special made for Army, Bankers and Postal Workers

    Mon, 17 Jun 2013 16:52:00 -0400

    1920s era snubnose, Colt Banker's Special, available in three calibers

    NRA Senior Curator Philip Schreier holding out a .38 caliber Colt Banker's Special for Curator's Corner on NRANews & Sportsman Channel

    Fairfax, Virginia - Sometimes you get caught on a tangent.

    Listen to nothing but Nirvana, playing Angry Birds non-stop or a week-long pizza binge. It can happen in any facet of life. If you're a gun collector, for example, you might start focusing on a particular make or model. Over the next few weeks, you'll see such a tangent on Curator's Corner.

    "The snubbies, the belly guns, the 2-inchers," proclaimed Philip Schreier, Senior Curator for the National Firearms Museum.

    Kicking off the obsession is the Colt Banker's Special. Based off of the classic Detective Special design, the Banker's Special has about a 1/4 smaller of a frame.

    "They were looking for a small gun (for bank employees) to protect themselves in the teller cage," said Schreier.

    Manufactured between 1926 and 1943, the Banker's Special was available in .38 New Police, .38 Smith & Wesson and in .22 ... find a .22 version and you've got yourself a real find. This particular gun, that of the .38 variety, also has a special story.

    "The Army purchased 2,500 Banker's Specials for the Post Office," explained Schreier. "You can tell Serial number on the butt of a Colt Banker's Special by the serial number and the stamped cartouche on the side. They were carried, up until the late 1970s, by the Railway Mail Service's Postal Police."

    And that's just a portion of Schreier's Banker's Special tale. As always, with Phil, there is more.

    To hear the whole story, turn on the Sportsman Channel later this afternoon. That's where you'll find Phil, around 5:40 this afternoon, on his latest appearance on Curator's Corner. The first in a month's worth of snubbies.

    Military Times taps National Firearms Museum for Civil War special

    Wed, 12 Jun 2013 13:39:00 -0400

    150th Anniversary of the Battle of Gettsyburg reviews the firearms and munitions of the war

    NRA Museum Senior Curator Philip Schreier talks about the English Made Callisher and Terry breech loading carbine owned by John Mosby

    Fairfax, Virginia - On July 1, 1863, General George Meade's Army of the Potomac met General Lee's Army of Northern Virginia in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It would be the turning point in the American Civil War.

    For three days, Union forces held on as Confederates staged assaults on countless fronts. Hitting strategic points we would come to know as Little Round Top, the Peach Orchard and Devil's Den, they failed to find a way through. In a final push, Lee sent nearly 13,000 men to break Union lines upon Cemetery Ridge. Pickett's Charge. Half of them fell. The battle was lost — the South soon after.

    This July marks the 150th anniversary of Gettysburg. There will be memorials, celebrations, special events and more to mark the battle. Coverage will be vast. The Military Times (MT), for example, is preparing a number of specials surrounding the anniversary. A few of those were filmed at the National Firearms Museum.

    MT's Rob Curtis asked for Senior Curator Philip Schreier. An expert on all things firearm, Schreier spent the better part of the morning discussing the technology incorporated in the firearms and munitions of the day.

    "One of the most popular, certainly the most prevalent, was the three banded infantry rifled musket," said Senior Curator Philip Schreier. "Prior to the Civil War, they were firing the smooth bore muskets that were .69 and .75 caliber less than the length of a football field. You were unlucky if you were hit beyond 75 yards.

    "With the rifled musket, and the development of the Minié ball, the effective infantry range was anywhere up to 250-300 yards."

    The musket and the Minié ball were just the beginning. As the interview progresses, Schreier turned from muskets to Henry rifles, the little known Callisher and Terry breech loading carbine, and a comparison to guns used by today's American Military.

    The NRA Museum centered reports are scheduled to go live on www.militarytimes.com at the end of the month.

    Published by Gannett Government Media, Military Times provides an in-depth look at breaking Military News, the latest in Education and Training, as well as special reports on healthcare and the transition to civilian life.

    Philip Schreier of the National Firearms Museum discusses Civil War firearms with Military Times correspondent Rob Curtis

    1903 Colt Pocket Hammer semi-automatic pistol from NRA Annual Meeting

    Mon, 10 Jun 2013 17:38:00 -0400

    Model 1903 Colt semi-automatic carried by Australian Major during the Battle of Gallipoli

    Colt 1903 semiautomatic pocket pistol

    Fairfax, Virginia - On the final day of the NRA Convention in Houston, Texas, a production crew stole away with Philip Schreier, Senior Curator for the National Firearms Museum, to film a few segments of Curator's Corner. A Monday afternoon staple on Sportsman Channel, Curator's Corner highlights one of the thousands of guns on display at the National Firearms Museum. Or, in the case of this afternoon's offering, a gun brought by a collector.

    The collector in question is a Mr. Ralf Eyster from the Colt Collectors Association. Also a member of the Ohio Gun Collectors Association, Mr. Eyster brought along a Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammer Pistol for the Curators to inspect. Chambered in .38 caliber, there is little special about the Colt Pocket Hammer. Yes, it is Colt's first pocket-sized semi-auto pistol, but where does the value rest beside that?

    In the story.

    The value of a firearm, like the value in most things, resides in more than just the age and condition of the object in question. It also has to do with history ... previous ownership. And this Colt semi-auto, this less than impressive .38 caliber, this gun was carried by an Australian Major during the Battle of Gallipoli.

    An eight month campaign in the Gallipoli peninsula of the then Ottoman Empire, the battle consisted of failed British landings, constant Turkish counter-offensives and the ultimate retreat of Allied forces in 1916. In all, more than 100,000 men fell in the Allies failed attempt to take Constantinople.

    For the full story of Eyster's Colt Pocket Hammer, tune in today to NRANews on Sportsman Channel around 5:40 this afternoon. There you'll see the Colt, the Curators ... the whole shooting match.

    Colt 1903 semiautomatic pocket pistol from the NRA Museum

    The Lightning, a .38 caliber Long Colt revolver from 1877

    Mon, 03 Jun 2013 17:37:00 -0400

    M1877 Colt revolver, first attempt at the double-action design for Hartford based company

    John Wesley Hardin's 1877 Colt Lightning .38 Long Revolver at NRA Museum Fairfax, Virginia - The subject of tonight's episode of Curator's Corner on NRAnews comes with more than just a gun. There are two historically significant events tied into this Colt revolver. First is the double-action design and second is the man who owned — the notorious John Wesley Hardin.

    The difference between double and single action is a simple one. When pulling the trigger of a double action revolver, the hammer goes back, the cylinder rotates and the hammer falls to fire the gun. With the single action, one has cock the trigger before firing the gun. The Lightning, a .38 caliber Long Colt, wasn't all that successful.

    "The action was kind of weak and they were notorious for breaking down," explained National Firearms Museum Senior Curator Philip Scheier.

    So unreliable were these revolvers that The Gun Digest Book of Firearms Assembly once called it "the worst double-action trigger mechanism ever made."

    But that didn't deter Hardin.

    A .41 caliber Colt Thunder double action from the National Firearms Museum

    As explained to NRA Museum Director Jim Supica, by the gun's current owner Kurt House from the Ohio Gun Collectors Association, Hardin was both an outlaw and a lawman in the Old West. Claiming to have killed more than forty men, he met his demise at the age of 42 in an El Paso, Texas saloon following a dispute over the arrest of Hardin's girlfriend.

    But for the whole story, tune in this afternoon to Sportsman Channel as Jim Supica takes the reins of Curator's Corner with John Wesley Hardin's Colt Lightning revolver on Cam & Company.

    Supica & Schreier host Sportsman Channel's Memorial Day Marathon of Guns & Gold

    Mon, 27 May 2013 16:15:00 -0400

    National Firearms Museum Curators share stories and firearms for Memorial Day Marathon

    Civil War era firearms for Sportsman Channel's Memorial Marathon of NRA's Guns & Gold

    Fairfax, Virginia - In preparation for their nine-hour Memorial Day Marathon, Sportsman Channel packed up crew and gear for a special trip to the National Firearms Museum. As the marathon centers around NRA's Guns & Gold, who better to tap for the intros and outros than host Jim Supica and Philip Schreier?

    "They asked us to film some spots for the show," said Supica. "Just me, Phil and a few battle tested rifles, carbines and pistols for color."

    Starting right after the NRANews Memorial Day Special with Lt. Colonel Oliver North, the NRA's Guns & Gold marathon begins promptly at 6:00pm Eastern Standard Time and runs throughout the entire day.

    Jim Supica and Philip Schreier laughing while waiting to film intros for Sportsman Channel's Memorial Day Marathon

    What you'll see in the hands of our very learned NRA Curators are:

    • A British Brown Bess
    • Model 1763 Charleville Musket
    • M1 Garand
    • M1 Carbine
    • Two .50 Caliber Korean War Sniper Rifles
    • Smith & Wesson Schofield Revolver
    • Cole Single Action Army
    • Spencer Carbine
    • 1853 Pattern Enfield Rifled Musket
    • M16
    • Thompson Sub Machine Gun
    • Two 1911 pistols

    Those twelve guns are just the icing on the cake. The real meat in the meal will come from the show as NRA's Guns & Gold travels to places like Tulsa and St. Louis for some of the most intriguing firearms found throughout the United States.

    Supica and Schreier wait with sniper rifles to film intros for Sportsman Channel's Memorial Day Marathon

    So tune in tonight for the Guns & Gold Memorial Day Marathon at 6:00pm on Sportsman Channel — channel 605 on DirectTV, 395HD on Dish, 308 on Verizon Fios and 642 on AT&T U-Verse.

    Oliver North headlines NRANews for a Memorial Day Special inside NRA

    Mon, 27 May 2013 09:47:00 -0400

    Colonel North takes a break from Fox to share Memorial Day stories with NRANews

    Colonel Oliver North and Cam Edwards at NRA Headquarters for a Memorial Day Special on NRANews
    Colonel Oliver North sits down with NRANews host Cam Edwards inside the National Firearms Museum.

    Fairfax, Virginia - Today you're celebrating Memorial Day with family and friends. Maybe there's a cookout, a parade or a visit to a museum on the agenda. Just make sure to get back to you tv set by 5:00pm this afternoon for a special edition of NRANews on Sportsman Channel.

    Kicking off the program from inside the National Firearms Museum will be special guest and NRA Board Member Lt. Colonel Oliver North. Taking a break from his busy schedule, Colonel shares stories from his time in the field with the men and women who serve.

    Follow the Colonel is Monday regular Philip Schreier. Pulling his regular Curator's Corner duty, Phil provides a two-fer of historic Military rifles ... including one from Colonel North's era.

    "We had Colonel North take a closer look at our rifles after the show," said Schreier. "What a thrill."

    To hear from Colonel North, and see what Phil brought to the table, tune in to Cam & Company today at 5:00pm on Sportsman Channel -- a Memorial Day special on NRANews.

    Cam Edwards and Philip Schreier for a Memorial Day Special on NRANews
    Senior Curator Philip Schreier brings out historical military firearms for NRANews' Memorial Day Special

    Sportsman Channel introducing social media feed to airways on Memorial Day

    Sat, 25 May 2013 14:49:00 -0400

    From Sportsman Channel - Sportsman Channel Introduces a Live Social Media Sportsman Channel's Guns & Gold Memorial Day Marathon with Philip Schreier and Jim Supica On-air Ticker Featuring Viewer Dedications this Memorial Day

    New Berlin, Wisconsin – Sportsman Channel, a leader in outdoor TV for the American Sportsman, is pioneering again in the industry launching outdoor TV’s first-ever live on-air social media feed that will populate viewers’ Memorial Day dedication messages from Twitter using #SPORTSMANHEROES. The content will stream on-air live via ticker throughout the network’s eight-hour long NRA Guns & Gold Marathon, which celebrates “Firearms & Freedom,” beginning at 5pm ET/PT on Monday, May 27, exclusively on Sportsman Channel.

    “Because social media has become an everyday platform for many consumers, and complements the TV viewing experience, we wanted to use Twitter to do something unique that allowed our viewers to voice their own tributes and dedications this Memorial Day,” said Gavin Harvey, president and CEO of Sportsman. “This allows our viewers to celebrate and honor memories and loved ones while allowing us to continue to innovate across multiple platforms to provide viewers a more compelling and engaging experience.”

    Sportsman Channel will kick-off the ticker content with the first dedication: "Sportsman salutes America's #SPORTSMANHEROES. We appreciate and honor you this Memorial Day and every day!”

    Sportsman Channel is the social media leader in the outdoor TV space, developing not only more fans and followers but generating higher engagement rates in almost every category, as well as earning accolades along the way. In only a year, the network went from 140k total social media users/connections to 400k to date. This includes Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google+, Instagram and Pinterest. Sportsman was also honored this year as a finalist for the CableFAX Best of the Web Awards for “Best Use of Facebook,” selected alongside some of the best-known brands in television including ESPN, CNBC, and AMC.

    NRA Guns & Gold Marathon: Every gun has a story. And these stories mean freedom. This Memorial Day, remember our heroes and the guns they brought to battle during the NRA’s Guns & Gold Marathon on Monday, May 27 beginning at 5pm ET/PT, exclusively on Sportsman Channel. Kicking off this eight-hour marathon is the network’s live ground-breaking new series, NRANEWS Cam & Co, with host Cam Edwards live from the NRA Museum tackling the news of the day with special guests. Following Cam & Co, NRA’s Guns & Gold with hosts Jim Supica and Phil Schreier episodes get rolling at 6pm with a brand new episode at 9:00 pm and 12 pm, where Jim and Phil return to the Wanenmacher’s Tulsa Arms Show. There they encounter more unique firearms with one commonality…a great story.

    NRA’s Guns and Gold is brought to you by America's foremost advocate of Second Amendment rights, the National Rifle Association (NRA). NRA has four million pro-second amendment members, plus millions more interested in shooting and hunting sports and legislation.


    About Sportsman Channel:
    Launched in 2003, Sportsman Channel, and Sportsman HD, is the only television and digital media company fully devoted to the sportsmen and women in the U.S., delivering entertaining and educational programming focused exclusively on hunting, shooting and fishing activities. Sportsman Channel reaches more than 32 million U.S. television households and is available in HD. Visit www.thesportsmanchannel.com, follow on Twitter, @SPORTSMANchnl (twitter.com/SPORTSMANchnl) and Like on Facebook, facebook.com/sportsmanchannel

    NRA National Firearms Museum opened on Memorial Day

    Thu, 23 May 2013 15:17:00 -0400

    The American flag waving over NRA headquarters for Memorial Day on NRAblog

    Fairfax, Virginia - This weekend is more than just a three-day excuse for shopping, over indulgence and carousing with friends. It's about Memorial Day. The day we remember those men and women who fell in the service of our country. While we don't begrudge those who choose to include the shopping and carousing with friends, we do suggest that you spend the day remembering. Visit a Civil War battlefield, stop by memorial, or tour the National Firearms Museum.

    With 15 galleries and almost 3,000 guns on display, the NRA National Firearms Museum covers the history of the United States Armed Forces like no other institution in the United States.

    "Our exhibits tell the story of America through firearms. The wars we fought, the battles we won and the sacrifices made by the men and women of our nation's military. Providing a fun, educational setting for our service members to bring their friends and families is an honor that all of us here at the museum welcome." -Jim Supica, Museum Director

    Located at 11250 Waples Mill Road in Fairfax, Virginia, the museum is located off exit 57 on Interstate 66. Open from 9:30am to 5:00pm, there is plenty of time to stop by before or after any Memorial Day events you have planned.


    View Larger Map

    Accommodating for groups large and small, the NRA Museum is a perfect passageway for families, friends and all to learn more about one of America's essential building blocks and those who defended us all in battle.

    For more on the NRA National Firearms Museum, visit their website at www.nramuseum.org.

    Paterson and Walker Colts Revolvers on Curator's Corner from Houston

    Mon, 20 May 2013 17:24:00 -0400

    The revolvers that cemented Colt's place in firearms history

    Colt Holster Model Paterson Revolver No. 5 at the NRA National Firearms Museum

    Houston, Texas - Did you know that Samuel Colt was out of the gun making business? Sure enough, back in 1843, Sam Colt's Patent Arms Manufacturing of Paterson, New Jersey, declared bankruptcy and closed up shop. If it wasn't for an order from Captain Samuel Walker of the Texas Rangers in 1847 (as well a helping hand from Eli Whitney Blake), then his name would have been lost to the collectors and trivia buffs.

    But Sam Colt persevered. Persevered well enough that his earlier works, the Paterson and the Walker, are kept in the highest regard by collectors like Frank Graves from the American Society of Arms Collectors. It's also the reason why we are able to share parts of Graves' collection with you tonight on Curator's Corner.

    Shot during the Annual Meeting in Houston, Mr. Graves was down in Texas for the annual Gun Collectors competition put on every year by the National Firearms Museum. When he came upon Frank's Colts, our man Philip Schreier (Senior Curator for the National Firearms Museum) knew he had a winner.

    "To see a collection of Colts in such good condition is a rare treat," said Scrheier. "But that's what we've come to expect from Frank."

    The five and six shot Colts (Paterson and Walker respectively) differ in a number of categories. While the Paterson is lighter and easier to fire, the .44 caliber Walker is a heavier beast that endured as much punishment as it put out.

    But don't take our word for it, take the word of Frank and Phil. They've been around these guns for decades and will be sharing the spotlight tonight as NRANews returns to Texas for this week on Curator's Corner (Monday nights at 5:40 on Sportsman Channel).

    There's a 1850s Samuel Hawken Plains Rifle on NRA News

    Mon, 13 May 2013 17:32:00 -0400

    Dallas Arms Collector brings in .54 caliber rifle to NRA Convention

    The action of an 1850s Hakwen plains rifle at the NRA Museum

    Houston, Texas - While on the road the Annual Meeting in Houston, the boys from NRANews kidnapped Philip Schreier (Senior Curator for the NRA National Firearms Museum) for the better part of a Sunday afternoon. With Phil hitting the road for an extended stay at your better Best Westerns and Holiday Inns for the better part of two months, there was a need to get a few episodes of Curator's Corner in the can. All they needed was a handful of guns and a quiet corner of the George R. Brown Center. Guess which was easier to find.

    As luck would have it, there's a Gun Collector's Competition at every NRA Convention. Handpicking a favorite or two, Phil was about to convince collectors with the top displays to come on camera with a gun and a story. This week's entry comes from Dallas Arms.

    Cletus Klein from the Dallas Arms Collectors Association to be specific. Seems Cletus got his hands on an 1850s era Plains Rifle made by a Mr. Samuel Hawken of St. Louis, Missouri. Just what Phil was hoping for.

    "To see the exceptional work on such fine guns is a real treat," said Schreier. "There are a lot of people out there with a Hakwen's rifle, but there aren't many people out there with a Hawken rifle like that."

    Unfortunately, we weren't able to get a shot of Cletus' rifle, so we're share shots of a similar rifle here at the National Firearms Museum. But that doesn't mean you have to miss it too.

    Just make sure to tune in to Sportsman Channel tonight around 5:40pm as Cam & Company presents the latest edition of Curator's Corner from Texas.

    An 1850s Hakwen plains rifle at the NRA Museum

    National Firearms Museum finds Elvis (or his revolver) at the NRA Convention

    Mon, 06 May 2013 17:02:00 -0400

    From Tennessee to Texas with Elvis Presley's 357 Magnum

    The King, Elvis Presely, purchased this 357 Magnum Revolver from the California Gun Shop in 1970 Houston, Texas - There was plenty to see during the 142nd NRA Annual Meeting in Texas. Celebrities like Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck and Ted Nugent, manufacturers like Otis, Marlin and Colt along with plenty of shotguns, rifles and pistols for all. But unless you sneaked into a closed set filming of Curator's Corner, you probably didn't see this gun.

    What we have here is the gun of royalty. The King. Elvis himself.

    "Mr. Tom Morgan, from Whiteville, Tennessee brought in a Smith & Wesson 357 Magnum Revolver, serial number 688344," explained National Firearms Senior Curator Philip Schreier. "According to the pictures and provenance, this highly engraved and inlaid revolver once belong to Elvis Aaron Presley."

    As the story goes, Elvis bought the revolver - carved and inlaid with gold and silver designs including a bear, bobcat, moose, mountain lion, puma, deer and antelope - from a sporting goods store in Beverly Hills. The gun, along with a personalized "Elvis" carrying case, traveled with the King everywhere.

    In fact, it was momentarily in the possession of then Vice President Spiro Agnew ... who returned it due to concerns about the King's legal standings. In time the 357 Magnum (along with pictures of the Elvis with the gun and the registration) made it way to Mr. Morgan. He was nice enough to bring it to the NRA Convention.

    Now if you didn't make it to the convention, or you weren't invited to the closed set, that doesn't mean you're out of luck. You can still see it this afternoon on Sportsman Channel around 5:40pm eastern time during another edition of NRANews.

    Elvis Presely's 357 Magnum Revolver from the California Gun Shop in 1970

    Rifles, Pistols and Shotguns flood into the NRA Convention in Houston

    Fri, 03 May 2013 08:35:00 -0400

    Pirate Pistols, Revolutionary Shotguns and Buffalo Rifles at NRA Convention

    A Peugeot Shotgun at the NRA Antique Guns and Gold Showcase opens in Houston, Texas

    Houston, Texas - With great old guns comes great responsibilities. Okay, so that's a touch to close to Spiderman, but the principal is pretty much the same. But let's go a step further. That's accept the face that with great old guns come great old stories. And there there plenty of great stories to be had yesterday at the NRA Antique Guns and Gold Showcase.

    Manned by experts throughout the firearm industry, including Guns & Ammo writers and Blue Book of Gun Values publishers (along with a few cats from the National Firearms Museum), the Antique Guns and Gold Showcase was an opportunity for people to bring in that rifle, pistol or shotgun that's be sitting in the closet for ages and find out what it's worth. Better yet, some even had a story to go along with the guns.

    One great tale came for a young lady who brought in her father's shotgun.

    "We found it when we cleaned out my mother's house. My dad sold truck parts and I'm sure that he traded some part for this gun somewhere down the line. Course we had no idea what it was so we brought it here and found out it's a Darne."

    "Our expert here, Steve I think his name is, said we need to take this to an auction house and we should come back with a tidy sum."

    The NRA Antique Guns and Gold Showcase opens in Houston, Texas

    Another one dates back to the Mexican Revolution.

    "My Grandfather used this shotgun to fight off revolutionaries during the Mexican Revolution," said one Texas native. "They came into town, started shooting things up, and he protected his home and my grandmother with this shotgun.

    "Years later, my mother used it to fight off a robber. So this gun has a very important history with my family. It helped protect generations."

    Others arrived with claims of famous outlaws, legendary movie stars, wild west shootouts and even a pirate tale or two. Frankly, there was so much going on that we probably missed some real treasures.

    A Chicken Street Pirate Pistol at the NRA Antique Guns and Gold Showcase opens in Houston, Texas

    Luckily we weren't the safety net. That job was left to the hosts of NRA's Guns and Gold (Monday nights on Sportsman Channel).

    There with a seven cameras, dozens and lights and all the expertize that one could hope for, all of our experts funneled the truly amazing guns to the Jim Supica and Philip Schreier. There, on camera, they told the owners about the manufacturer of the gun, the history of the gun and finally the price of the gun.

    While we can't go into the details here, trust me when I say they were something to behold.

    But that doesn't mean you're never going to see those guns. In fact, if you tune into Season Three of NRA's Guns and Gold on Sportsman Channel, then you'll have a front row view.

    Until then, here's a look at the wonders we did see:

    NRA National Firearms Museum is coming to Blaze TV this afternoon

    Tue, 30 Apr 2013 13:46:00 -0400

    Five guns from the NRA Museum tell the history of America

    NRA Museum Director Jim Supica with the Mayflower Gun - an Italian wheel lock
    NRA Museum Director Jim Supica holds the Mayflower Gun.
    Fairfax, Virginia - Remember when we told you how The Blaze TV came down to Fairfax for a look at a few of our treasured guns here at the National Firearms Museum?

    Remember how everyone kept asking when that footage was going to hit the air?

    Well we finally have you're answer ... today at 5.

    Closer to 5:40pm according to producers of the show. And we'd like to think they have a little insight when it comes to the schedule.

    Launched by political commentator Glenn Beck (the keynote speaker for the Annual Meeting's Stand & Fight Rally), The Blaze is a news website/television network. An internet bound entity at first, The Blaze is airing on the Dish Network.

    As we told you in the original article, the primary focus of the shoot was the Mayflower Gun. Discovered in a secret hiding place inside original Mayflower colonist John Alden's home, the Mayflower Gun is believed to be the first firearm to reach American soil.

    Other guns that made the list include:

    • A Brown Bess Flintlock Musket
    • A Sharps Rifle
    • Roosevelt's Model 3 Fabrique Nationale Model 1900 Semi Automatic Pistol
    • A 1911 pistol carried by Congressional Medal of Honor award recipient Joe Foss

    Each gun highlights a significant point in American History, be that an important point in American History or an important point in the evolution of firearms. Either way, there are plenty of firearms to choose from here inside the NRA Museum.

    "When we welcome a tour or a film crew to the National Firearms Museum, it's not long before you see their eyes light up," said NRA Museum Director Jim Supica. "Their blown away by the size of the collection and the stories behind the guns. It's a great way to learn more about America's history."

    You will have your chance to learn a little more history by tuning into The Blaze TV at 5:40 this afternoon.

    President Teddy Roosevelt kept this Fabrique Nationale Model 1900 semi-auto pistol in a White House night stand

     

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