The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History established its National Firearms Collection in 1876, which has since grown to include nearly 7,000 artifacts that reflect American history and experiences.
The Buffalo Bill Historical Center, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, has announced that 64 unique firearms from the collection will travel to Wyoming, where they will be displayed at the Cody Firearms Museum from May 4 through the fall of 2015. Pieces that will be on display include patent models documenting innovations in the field as well as four firearms that are considered national treasures. Visitors can see a seven-foot-long gold Miquelet lock musket that was a gift to President Thomas Jefferson in 1805, given by the Bey of Tunisia after the Tripolitan Wars, plus an embellished Jaeger rifle that belonged to Catherine the Great of Russia.
These and other historically and culturally significant pieces from the collection will be on view in the Cody Firearms Museum’s lower gallery.
The Details
Buffalo Bill Historical Centerwww.bbhc.org
