firearms museums
- Thread starter longeyes
- Start date
The J.M. Davis Arms & Historical Museum , 333 Lynn Riggs Blvd. (U.S. Route 66) in Claremore, Oklahoma is definitely worth a look if you are ever in northeastern Oklahoma. A 40,000 sq. ft. building houses over 20,000 guns and gun-related items, sculptures, Western, Native American and Civil War artifacts, knives, and, oh, yeah, the graves of J.M. Davis and his wife.
Check out the website at http://www.state.ok.us/~jmdavis/index.html.
I have no affiliation with the museum other than being an enthusiastic repeat visitor.
Check out the website at http://www.state.ok.us/~jmdavis/index.html.
I have no affiliation with the museum other than being an enthusiastic repeat visitor.
Swamp Yankee
New member
The Springfield Armory in Springfield, Mass. has a lot of historical pieces on display. As I understand they have a tremendous collection not displayed due to a lack of funding. Your tax dollars at work.
I do not know what ever happened to the Colt Museum in Hartford. I seem to remember some of it was auctioned off and some of it wound up in the Wadsworth Antheneum in downtown Hartford.
Its truly a shame what has happened to the great collections of the firearms companies here in Ct. Most are no longer open to the public or sold off. I can remember years ago taking off on rainy Saturdays and visiting Winchester in New Haven and Colt in Hartford to view the collections with my Dad.
As a lifelong "Nutmegger" it really pains me to experience what has happened in this state. The once proud gun manufacturing center of the world has become a state leading the charge against the RKBA.
Take Care
I do not know what ever happened to the Colt Museum in Hartford. I seem to remember some of it was auctioned off and some of it wound up in the Wadsworth Antheneum in downtown Hartford.
Its truly a shame what has happened to the great collections of the firearms companies here in Ct. Most are no longer open to the public or sold off. I can remember years ago taking off on rainy Saturdays and visiting Winchester in New Haven and Colt in Hartford to view the collections with my Dad.
As a lifelong "Nutmegger" it really pains me to experience what has happened in this state. The once proud gun manufacturing center of the world has become a state leading the charge against the RKBA.
Take Care
Browning arms museum in Ogden, Utah. Has a display of the old workshop and tools that John M. used and hundreds of examples of his work, mostly displayed so that you can walk around and see both sides of each. (It is housed with a car display and a fairly creditable railroad museum, and only about 10 min. from a very good air force museum.)
Dfariswheel
New member
The Texas Ranger museum at Waco. Those Rangers really liked engraved guns.
They have Bonney and Clide's guns and many famous lawmen/outlaw guns, and gear.
Also, the Alamo in San Antonio has some Billy the Kid and other famous guns.
I've heard that Springfield Arsenal in Illinois has a good collection.
They have Bonney and Clide's guns and many famous lawmen/outlaw guns, and gear.
Also, the Alamo in San Antonio has some Billy the Kid and other famous guns.
I've heard that Springfield Arsenal in Illinois has a good collection.
The Patton Museum at Ft. Knox. It's mostly tanks and armor. (which I love!) But they also have some really excellent examples of small arms, including Gen. Patton's ivory-handled revolvers.
Definately worth going to if you can get down there.
They also have an excellent 4th of July WWII re-enactment, too.
Definately worth going to if you can get down there.
They also have an excellent 4th of July WWII re-enactment, too.
DialONE911
New member
The Art Institute in Chicago has an extensive collection of early firearms. They have a hall devoted to medieval weaponry and ornate european firearms.
Tennessee State Museum
When in Nashville, don't forget to stop into the Tennessee State Museum (in the TN State building) and it's Military Museum in the adjacent War Memorial building. There are plenty of older guns from the antebellum period (Daniel Boone's trademusket given to him in exchange for his rifle by the Indians) including many of the tools used to fabricate them (including an old fashion rifling machine) and bullet molds. It features an excellent display of Civil War weapons including a scoped Whitworth rifle, LeMat revolver (w/20 ga shotgun barrel slung beneath the pistol barrel).
Across the street is the War Memorial and the TN Military Museum. It covers Spanish American War (plenty of Moro weapons & a few Krags) up to Vietnam and has quite a few guns on display including Chinese 45 cal Broomhandle, WW I German Mauser 13 mm anti-tank rifle, uniform coat and hat of Sgt. Alvin York (including his medals). Excellant models of the battleship Tennessee both pre-WW II (cage mast) and WW II (torpedo blister hull, dual 5/38 gun turrets) are displayed along with some artillery. Didn't realize that the Paris Gun had a separate sleeve to contain the gas in the breech. The 280 mm shell would reach upwards to 24 miles into the stratosphere before plunging back to earth towards Paris.
Both museums are must see and free. Park 6 blocks down by the Carousel near the (reconstructed log) fort by the river (less auto burglary since carousel attendants are nearby as witnesses and the Park Rangers & police hang around there.
When in Nashville, don't forget to stop into the Tennessee State Museum (in the TN State building) and it's Military Museum in the adjacent War Memorial building. There are plenty of older guns from the antebellum period (Daniel Boone's trademusket given to him in exchange for his rifle by the Indians) including many of the tools used to fabricate them (including an old fashion rifling machine) and bullet molds. It features an excellent display of Civil War weapons including a scoped Whitworth rifle, LeMat revolver (w/20 ga shotgun barrel slung beneath the pistol barrel).
Across the street is the War Memorial and the TN Military Museum. It covers Spanish American War (plenty of Moro weapons & a few Krags) up to Vietnam and has quite a few guns on display including Chinese 45 cal Broomhandle, WW I German Mauser 13 mm anti-tank rifle, uniform coat and hat of Sgt. Alvin York (including his medals). Excellant models of the battleship Tennessee both pre-WW II (cage mast) and WW II (torpedo blister hull, dual 5/38 gun turrets) are displayed along with some artillery. Didn't realize that the Paris Gun had a separate sleeve to contain the gas in the breech. The 280 mm shell would reach upwards to 24 miles into the stratosphere before plunging back to earth towards Paris.
Both museums are must see and free. Park 6 blocks down by the Carousel near the (reconstructed log) fort by the river (less auto burglary since carousel attendants are nearby as witnesses and the Park Rangers & police hang around there.
The Berman Museum in Anniston Alabama has some excellent gun collections. Col. Berman (IIRC) was an OSS type during WWII and the entire museum is just his souveniers of travelling the planet. And his souveniers manage to fill a really large building.
The Berman had the best collection of WWII infantry guns I've ever seen, including some prototypes of weapons that I had never even heard of.
I spoke with the guy who was incharge of defusing all of Berman's bomb collection as well. Apparently he had also brought home a whole lot of live munitions, land mines, and such. The dude had an interesting job to say the least.
There are also lots of armor, swords, art and other cool stuff.
Speaking of the Browning museum in Ogden, my wife announced that she is taking me there for Father's day. Awesome. John Browning is my hero!
The Berman had the best collection of WWII infantry guns I've ever seen, including some prototypes of weapons that I had never even heard of.
I spoke with the guy who was incharge of defusing all of Berman's bomb collection as well. Apparently he had also brought home a whole lot of live munitions, land mines, and such. The dude had an interesting job to say the least.
There are also lots of armor, swords, art and other cool stuff.
Speaking of the Browning museum in Ogden, my wife announced that she is taking me there for Father's day. Awesome. John Browning is my hero!
OkieGentleman
New member
The National Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City has some nice guns on display and some super artwork to boot.
Killit n Grillit
New member
Ft.Benning, National Infantry Musuem,
Munro Williams
New member
Japanese Matchlocks.....
Check out Nagashino Senjo. The museum is kind of tattered, but the 500 year old shoulder arms are worth a look. Excellent hot springs and hotels in the vicinity. In Shizuoka-ken, near Hammamatsu.
Check out Nagashino Senjo. The museum is kind of tattered, but the 500 year old shoulder arms are worth a look. Excellent hot springs and hotels in the vicinity. In Shizuoka-ken, near Hammamatsu.
There is another thread here in the archives that covers a whole lot of great museums if you search.
The Marine Corps Air & Ground Museum on Quantico Base about 50 miles south of DC has pristine examples of the equipment of the Marines from Spanish American War to Vietnam. Love that all brass Naval Gatling Gun!
The Marine Corps Air & Ground Museum on Quantico Base about 50 miles south of DC has pristine examples of the equipment of the Marines from Spanish American War to Vietnam. Love that all brass Naval Gatling Gun!
Mike in VA
New member
The National Firearms Museum at the NRA HQ is worth a trip if you're in the DC area. It's about a 1/2 hr. out of DC just off Rt. 66 and Rt. 50 on Warple Mill Rd in FAir fax, VA. They also have a very nice indoor range on premise. The have all kinds of small arms, from the first 'hand cannons' to gyro jets. They also have a historical and 'art' guns. M2
Daryl Waldron
New member
Over spring break I went England and spent the day in the British War Museum in London. It was a day will spent.