The Cody Firearms Museum is located inside of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. In fact, there are five museums within the Center. We were in Cody back in September 2018 and the Firearms Museum was closed for renovation. Jim was really bummed out about that because it was not going to be completed until the following year. In the years since we have traveled all around the country, and we have finally made it back up here to see the museum.
The Museum interprets over 800 years of history with more than 10,000 objects in 40,000 square feet. You are invited to learn how people have used firearms throughout history, in times of both war and peace.
The Museum houses an international collection of 7,000 firearms. It interprets the entirety of firearms history and the roles -- good, bad and indifferent -- that they have played in the history of human endeavor. The history of firearms dates back more than 800 years. Throughout that time span, firearms have been made and used for a wide array of reasons. The artifacts on display tell diverse stories about owners and users, manufacturing and technology, sport and war, personal defense and crime, and presentation and art.
Evolution of Firearms ~~ Firearms development did not happen in a vacuum and has been an integral part of human history for more than 800 years. The innovative ingenuity of designers, prevailing cultural trends, and social needs and wants all influenced firearms design. Firearms technology has also influenced and helped advance other industries, such as automobile production, by promoting increased efficiency. As firearms and other technologies evolved, societies have had to adapt, both taking advantage of opportunities and navigating possible consequences.
In the early days of firearms technology, there was much to learn about military and sporting applications. Additionally, crossovers of technology from the bow to the firearm showed an experimentation in form and function.
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| Crossbow or Windlass, c. 1600-1700 |
The crossbow and its projectile, the bolt, were used on the battlefield for centuries. It provided an opportunity for untrained soldiers to achieve distance without the skill of a long bow.
650BCE ~~ Archaeological evidence of the crossbow is discovered dating to this time. Bow and arrow marksmanship was a highly trained skill, the crossbow permitted unskilled soldiers to wield a distance weapon.
300BCE ~~ Jin Dynasty records gunpowder ingredients (sulfur, charcoal, saltpeter) and its effects.
Mid-1400s ~~ Matchlock, a firearm that works by igniting powder with a burning match, becomes the first firearm with a formal ignition system.
1498 ~~ Rifling, spiral lands and grooves inside a barrel, is invents.
Circa 1509 ~~ Wheellock, an advanced lock mechanism in which a serrated disk is spun slightly against iron pyrites to create a spark, is invented.
1526 ~~ Beretta firearms, oldest firearm company still in existence, is founded.
Circa 1540 ~~ Snaplock, a lock that uses a spring powered cock to strike flint against steel to ignite powder, is developed.
1590s ~~ Miquelet lock, another firearm using a flint, is invented. It was popular in Spain, Portugal, Italy, the Balkans, North Africa, and the Ottoman Empire. The term Miquelet is a more modern one.
1600s ~~ Doglock, another step in flintlock progression and an early example of a safety mechanism, is developed. It features a catch, called a dog, that locks the cocking mechanism back away from the steel frame.
1620-1625 ~~ First true flintlock is invented.
1700s ~~ The first American longrifles, based on German Jaeger Rifles, are made by German immigrants in Pennsylvania.
1750 ~~ Dueling pistols, pair of single shot, usually smoothbore, pistols, become popular.
1753-1763 ~~ Seven Years War breaks out between France and Great Britain. In North America, the conflict is known as the French and Indian War and involves fighting between British America and New France, both supported by their native allies.
1775-1783 ~~ Colonists declare their independence July 4, 1776.
1791 ~~ Second Amendment to the US Constitution is ratified: "A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."
1794 ~~ Springfield Armory (1st Federal Armory) is established by George Washington.
1798 ~~ Eli Whitney, inventory of the cotton gin, secures a government contract to manufacture 10,000 muskets.
1804-1806 ~~ Lewis & Clark Expedition becomes the first American expedition to cross into the western United States. The corps takes several types of firearms, including a repeating air rifle.
1805 ~~ Percussion ignition, which uses a hammer to create an internal spark in the breech of the barrel to fire a gun, is invented.
1824 ~~ Johann von Dreyse beings early experiments with the first bolt action known as the needle gun, a breech loading rifle that uses a needle as a firing pin. The needle passes through a paper cartridge to strike a percussion cap at the bullet base.
1829 ~~ True centerpiece cartridge, a type of ammunition in which a firing pin strikes a priming compound in the center of a cartridge case, is invented by French inventor Clement Pottet.
1833 ~~ U.S. Model 1833 Hall-North Percussion Carbine is the first percussion firearm adopted by the US government. It also utilized interchangeable parts that required no fitting.
1835 ~~ Colt receives revolving patent in England. A successful telescopic sight is invented by Morgan James of Utica, New York; originally sights only consisted of iron notches and posts. Pinfire cartridge, an improvement on Pauley's design, is patented by Casimir Lefaucheux.
1836 ~~ The race for firearms innovation in America begins with the standardization of the Patent Act. Colt receives two revolver patents in February and April.
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| Eliphalet Remington, 1793-1861 |
The Wild West ~~ William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody first appeared on stage in New York City during the 1870s. During this time, he realized that urban America was fascinated by both the real and imaginary west. A decade later, he debuted his first performance of the Wild West in May 1883. It brought together a cast of characters. Audiences were thrilled by acts representing buffalo hunting, attacks on stagecoaches, famous Native Americans, trick shooters, and of course Buffalo Bill.
Myth & Reality ~~ Creating the Wild West ~~ Legends that have shaped our views of the West. When you think of the American West, what comes to mind? Buffalo Bill? Annie Oakley? John Wayne? Changes are your perceptions of the American West are shaped by the characters associated with western popular culture. While entertaining and impactful, these stories often make it difficult to distinguish the reality behind the myth.
Annie Oakley aiming a rifle backwards over her shoulder and looking in a mirror in wild west arena show.
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| Annie Oakley |
William F. Cody, cowboys, and Native American men on the back lot of the Wild West.
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| Bill Pickett |
Bill Pickett was a cowboy, rodeo and Wild West show performer. He joined the 101 Ranch Wild West Show in 1905 and went under the name, "The Dusty Demon." He was admitted into the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame in 1989.
Actors from some of the most popular Westerns on television during the late 1950s. From left to right: Will Hutchins, Sugarfoot; Pete Brown, Lawman; Jack Kelly, Maverick; Ty Hardin, Cheyenne; James Garner, Maverick; Wade Preston, Colt .45; John Russell, Lawman.
By the turn of the 20th century and the rise in modern consumerism, gun companies marketed to female consumers as well as male.
President Franklin Roosevelt signing the 1934 crime bill into law, May 18, 1934. This major firearm regulatory act made it more difficult to acquire fully automatic firearms, short-barreled rifles and shotguns, and silencers, now known as suppressors. Owners of these items were required to register them. In addition, the owners were and still are subjected to an extensive background check and a $200 tax stamp. The act also established that firearms made before 1898 were no longer considered firearms at a federal level and were simply antiques.
Firearms and Westward Expansion ~~ Guns shaped the west in many ways. Firearms greatly shaped the American western experience. People used firearms as tools for sport, self-defense and subsistence, as well as enforcement and crime. Hunting wildlife provided western residents with food and money. The movement toward commercialism encouraged hunters to pursue vast herds of bison for hides to make leather belts, which drove the nation's factories. On the other hand, the desire to hunt for various personal and collective gains put wildlife species at risk for extinction, creating the birth of conversations around conservation and preservation.
Different styles of firearms also gave individuals, nations and militaries tactical advantages. Firearms were used to win and lose territorial wars between Native peoples and US troops, dictating the political boundaries of the American West.
Firearms appear on the Frontier ~~ The boundary of the American West constantly pushed further into the country as time passed. Migration westward had a profound cultural effect on Native Americans through land disputes, cultural clashes, and disease. European explorers and homesteaders also brought with them new technologies. They used firearms on the frontier for defense, war, and hunting. While Native peoples were initially at a disadvantage, they too successfully adopted firearms.
As individuals and expeditionary forces came out West, they originally used single-shot, muzzle-loading firearms made by artisan gunsmiths or armories. In addition, many of these firearms, known as Indian trade guns, were used during trade with Native populations.
Modern weapons on the battlefield ~~ In the latter half of the 19th century, disbanded Civil War Union soldiers and US troops moved west to secure land, clashing with Native Americans who already lived there. While firearms originally gave American settlers and soldiers an advantage, many Native peoples also adopted military arms. In some cases, Native American tribal nations even had more advanced weapons technology.
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| Rhea Richard on Upper Clark's Fork with the Absaroka Mountains in the background |
Firearms in Western History ~~ The "Gun that Won the West" myth. There are many firearms that people associate with western history, but there was no single gun that "won" the west. The concept is more romantic than realistic. The expression "Gun that Won the West" was created to market and capitalize on nostalgic mythology after World War I rather than to incite a critical examination of the many types of firearms that were used during America's western expansion.
Buffalo Bill originally owned this pair of Colt Frontier revolvers that he gave to William F. Schneider in 1890. Cody rarely used pistols during arena performances but was often photographed with revolvers, and, in most instances, he is pictured wearing pistols "cross-draw," the preferred method of his friend Wild Bill Hickok. In the background image his hand is on a revolver in a "cavalry draw," where a pistol worn butt forward was drawn with the same hand.
Annie Oakley used a wide variety of firearms throughout her shooting career. This Belgian made Francotte was built to order for Oakley and imported by the then well-known firm of Von Lengerke & Detmold based in New York City.
Winchester built this rifle with a custom length of pull and comb, an unusual request for their rifles. Annie Oakley used this rifle in shooting exhibitions after her time with Buffalo Bill's Wild West.
Success & Failure in a New Age ~~ During times of experimentation of emerging technology, there are often more failures than successes. In the post-World War II period, many designers began experimenting with materials such as plastic and aluminum with varying results. Some guns became popular, like Glock pistols. Others, like the Whitney Wolverine, were unsuccessful yet became collectible oddities of the past.
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| Native American man holding a 1873 Winchester rifle |
As Native peoples adopted firearms, they used guns they could acquire including Winchester models in the 19th century. They used firearms for hunting, sport and war, however, tribal nations were vulnerable to periods of firearm confiscation by the US government, notably at Wounded Knee and also during the early reservation period.
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| Gatling, Model 1875 Battery Gun |
While the Gatling Gun is often portrayed as being a main arm of US troops on the Western frontier, they only saw major action three times and fire more shots in anger in the Spanish American War than they had in decades of frontier duty.
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| A large group of Colt employees stand outside the Colt Armory, undated |
Subcontracting in the 19th Century ~~ Nearly all the larger American arms makers subcontracted out to produce firearm components. They contracted specialists to make barrels, frames and stocks. The contract employees earned a set amount for each piece they made. However, skilled mechanics owned and maintained the equipment and were supported on the factory payroll.
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| Double Spindle Lathe Barrel Driller, c. 1931 |
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| Samuel Colt |
Although producing arms was labor intensive, the introduction of specialized tooling allowed the completion of multiple operations on one machine. Samuel Colt also increased productivity by using inline factory floors where workers assembled components in the order of their final production.
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| Spindle metal lathe No. 2, c. 1930 |
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| Women grinding barrels of .45 caliber automatics, between 1914-1918 |
Company towns, where a sole company governs everything, appeared in the U.S. in the 1800s. Coltsville, Colt's Harford facility, was not exactly a company town but provided housing and amenities for some workers. Colt also did not discriminate against employees' ethnicity, religion or race. Although many scholars are critical of company towns and paternalism as a form of social engineering, research is underway on Coltsville and those associated with it.
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| Workers packing Garand rifles for shipping |
During the 19th century, a factory employee worked ten hours a day, six days a week. While some employees cared little about the well-being of their staff, others were keenly interested. Samuel Colt offered continuing education programs that allowed his workforce the opportunity to learn new skills.
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| Employee time clock |
Henry Lion (1900-1966) Lewis & Clark and Sacagawea ca. 1963 bronze cast by Roman Bronze Works, Inc. New York.
Marketing to Women ~~ In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, firearms manufacturers marketed to many types of consumers, including women. They appealed to women's interest in self-defense and sport shooting. While the tone of the ads are an example of the culture at the time, the fact that they were selling products and marketing to women in an industry perceived as strictly male was ahead of its time.
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| A family poses with their wagon on their way to their new homestead, c. 1862 |
What could you afford in the West? ~~ The average homesteader owned a firearm for self-defense and hunting. However, it might not be the gun that you think. For many, the cost of a Winchester was out of reach. In the 1870s, the basic retail price for a Colt or Remington cartridge revolver was approximately $18-$20, while Winchesters started at $20. For many, that was a month's salary or more. Therefore, the most popular gun in the West had to be utilitarian and affordable.
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| Freund's gun store, Laramie, Wyoming |
Famous gun designers who lived and worked in the West. The names Winchester, Colt, Smith & Wesson, and Remington meant something in the American West. But these major players were not the only game in town. Individual gun designers, like John Browning and the Freund brothers, sold their products in little shops in the West. Sometimes their designs were purchased by major manufacturers and turned into popular models sold worldwide.
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| Browning Brothers' Store |
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| The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River, Yellowstone National Park, c. 1883 |
Hunting the Frontier ~~ Firearms transformed the hunting experience in the American West for Euro and Native Americans. European demand for pelts established the fur trade and market hunting throughout North America. As wildlife populations declined, sport hunters like Theodore Roosevelt organized the Boone and Crockett Club to lobby for conservation policies that established a more sustainable use of wildlife.
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| Elk Shoulder Mount |
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| American Bison |
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| Ernest Hemingway |
President Theodore Roosevelt, along with others, led the modern conservation movement. Author Ernest Hemingway was recognized for his part in conservation in 1959 when he was named Winchester Outdoorsman of the Year.
Theodore Roosevelt's Winchester Model 1895 Lever Action Rifle. President Roosevelt was an avid outdoorsman and hunter and was a prominent figure in the conservation movement. He took this Model 1895, which he called his "best medicine" for hunting lions, on African Safari in 1909.
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| President Roosevelt bear hunting in Colorado, c. 1905 |
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| Alaskan Brown Bear |
This Alaskan Brown Bear was poached by a Wyoming resident on Kodiak Island on May 5, 2006. The bear was taken into the custody of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. It is one of the few artifacts in the collection that has a restriction and can never leave the building.
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| American Trap Gun |
Trap guns were popular in the American South in order to protect crops on plantations. This trap gun has four locking lugs. A cord is tied to each and strung across a field. If someone is sneaking through the field and trips the cord, the barrel turns and fires.
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| Sign that reads "Carrying of Firearms Strictly Forbidden" posted in a Western Frontier Town |
Law & Order - gun control in the West ~~ By the late 19th century, civic ordinances and new laws restricting the open display of firearms became more common. Residents had to refrain from carrying weapons, and visitors had to check firearms with local officials. The laws were particularly popular in towns that served as shipping points at the end of a cattle drive. Local officials did not want cowboys who were flush with pay from their drive to start discharging their sidearms after visiting local bars.
While such ordinances were intended to reduce accidents and issues, they did not prevent people from carrying concealed weapons.
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| Cased percussion Deringer Pistols |
The Deringer and colloquial derringer pistols were popular carry guns because of their concealability. They could easily be concealed in towns that had firearms carry restrictions. This cased set also belonged to American comedian Buddy Hackett.
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| Rhode Island Field Gun Double Barrel Breechloading Shotgun |
The expression "riding shotgun" did not emerge during the stagecoach era, but it does refer to it. As companies such as Wells Fargo and American Express traveled across the country, the people who operated the carriages or trains were armed with short-barreled shotguns. Though the double barrel is often the most referenced stagecoach gun, firearms with magazines such as the Winchester Model 1887 were quickly recognized as being a better alternative.
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| Grandfather Clock |
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| Colt Single Action Army Bisley Revolver (Given to Audie Murphy by Gary Cooper) |
The War Hero ~~ Audie Murphy entered the national spotlight at the age of 17. In 1942, he lied about his age to enlist in the U.S. Army. Over the next three years, he fought in nine major campaigns throughout Europe. Murphy became the most decorated US Combat Soldier of World War II, receiving 33 awards, including the Medal of Honor.
The Movie Star ~~ In 1945, Actor James Cagney saw Murphy on the cover of Life Magazine. He invited the war hero to Hollywood. After five unsuccessful years, Murphy finally broke into acting. In 1950, he joined Universal-International and starred in 26 films. He even played himself in a film adaptation of his autobiography, To Hell and Back.
The Veteran's Advocate ~~ After returning to civilian life, Murphy suffered from PTSD, then known as "Combat Fatigue." He did not want other veterans to endure this same struggle and spoke out about war-related stress disorders when few others would. He urged the US government to study these effects and financially support treatment programs.
The Veteran's Advocate ~~ After returning to civilian life, Murphy suffered from PTSD, then known as "Combat Fatigue." He did not want other veterans to endure this same struggle and spoke out about war-related stress disorders when few others would. He urged the US government to study these effects and financially support treatment programs.
Audie Murphy perished in an airplane crash at age 45. Despite his short life, he impacted the world as a war hero, movie star, and veterans advocate. His legacy continues to live on through a veterans hospital named after him. (There is an Audie Murphy Museum in Greenville, Texas, which we visited in 2019.)
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| Yellowstone Observation Wagon |
This wagon, pulled by a four-horse team, toured visitors along the Grand Loop route in Yellowstone National Park. These coaches moved at the leisurely pace of 6 to 8 miles per hour, with the entire trip spanning six days. Today, by car, you can travel the Grand Loop in 4-7 hours.
Drivers and passengers wore light coats called dusters and hats to shield themselves from the dust and dirt while riding the coach. "From the time we left Mammoth Hot Springs, until we returned, we were traveling in one continual cloud of dust. Oh sir! It is frightful! Terrible! Horrible! Dust to the right of you! Dust to the left of you! Dust all over you!" ~~ G.L. Henderson, writing for Harper's Weekly in 1890
By 1886, a fleet of coaches was in operation. Increased automobile travel, first allowed in the Park in 1915, spooked the horses, leading to the discontinuation of these coach tours in 1917.
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