History is something to learn from, to live by, and to admire. We are all shaped and molded by what was. We are driven by what will be. The difference: are we ready to be shaped into something that will impact history?
So is the story of the Springfield muzzle loader. This 1858 U.S. Springfield pictured is a wonderful piece of history! On a photo shoot early in 2013 this prop was something to really think about and appreciate. The Canon T3 camera fell in love with a part of history that so long ago was held by someone forging into new territory. To actually hold a percussion lock firearm that shaped history and be in a time warp where an object spans generations; once held by someone that never knew it would be held in 2013 by someone wanting to let it mold character. A simple piece of history that is driving a whole new generation toward the future because of what was and what can be.
A historic gun that was continually shaped as the creators found new ways to improve it from a .69 caliber to a .58 caliber for improved accuracy. It shaped the history of our nation; a firearm that carved out a legacy in the American frontier. Something that was so apart of the frontier in the 1800s and 1900s as western expansion began.
There are many different guns in the Cody Firearms Museum collection like this one, which shaped our nation by their capabilities, and their primary usage for survival. Whether survival in the greater Yellowstone region is by carving out communities on the frontier or hunting for meat, firearms are history that shaped our nation and have lasting impacts even now, and are driving our future in what will become history.
Interested in more firearms that shape who we are? Visit the Cody Firearms Museum at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, or visit the Facebook page and there will be an interactive tool for you to ask questions and be inspired by what was, and by what can be.