As I’m writing this, the Cody Firearms Museum here at the Center of the West has just begun preparing the top floor for its big renovation. A temporary exhibit and some placement of guns throughout the other museums will have to tide us all over until that’s complete. The new museum will open next year […]
In 1854, United States Commodore Matthew Perry finally succeeded in pressuring Japan to reopen itself to trade for the first time in nearly 200 years. Americans coming to Japan discovered, to their surprise, that Japanese firearms still touched a slow-burning match to powder when the trigger was pulled. The western world had long ago replaced […]
Last time, we saw that guerilla action at the battles of Lexington and Concord forced the British military to take colonial resistance seriously. These famous battles set the standard in our collective historical memory. We remember the war as a display of American ingenuity triumphed over bull-headed British shows of force. But the Battles of […]
Mid-way through the interview for this internship, I was asked about my favorite firearm. I answered that if I had to choose, I’d settle on muzzle-loading flintlock muskets. Even now, having worked here for more than a month and increased my knowledge about firearms—from percussion cap to cartridge systems—I still maintain a fascination with flintlocks. […]
Guns are tools built around explosions. When all goes as designed, they redirect the blast’s force away from the user and throw a projectile through the air at high speeds. But sometimes the trigger gets pulled and something goes wrong. For instance, the explosion might happen a lot closer to the user’s face than they […]
It’s the Fourth of July! Happy Independence Day! It’s a beautiful day here in Cody—perfect for the parade this morning and for cookouts this evening. I caught sight of my old state-wide marching band go by, and I cheered my guts out. It’s the nation’s 242nd birthday today and I hope all of you are […]