Prior to the Civil War, the US Army sought ways to alter its existing muzzle loading arms into breech loaders. The Army had even been rather forward thinking when it adopted the Hall rifle in 1819, but the Hall had its own problems, and in the four decades between the adoption of the Hall and the […]
“God created all men, Samuel Colt made them equal.” Born on July 19, 1814 near Hartford, Connecticut, Samuel Colt was the son of Christopher and Sarah Colt. His mother died of tuberculosis in 1821 and Samuel took the loss extremely hard. When his father remarried, Colt moved away to work with a farmer in Glastonbury, Connecticut. He […]
Early Ignition Systems Since the introduction of black powder around 1250, cultures have been finding ways to create and improve firearms. The very first firearms that have been discovered are hand cannons that date back to 1364. These hand held devices would work by means of a wick that would be connected to a touch hole, […]
The Sharps name has been popular in firearms since the 19th century. Christian Sharps has a huge impact on the history of firearms and the history of the American West. He began at Harpers Ferry Arsenal as an apprentice in manufacturing and learned a lot during that time. By 1848, Christian was able to obtain […]
Samuel Colt and Colt Manufacturing are very familiar names when it comes to firearms and their history. They are responsible for making some of the most iconic firearms. The Colt brand has been credited with manufacturing weapons that were involved in various wars. Although, Colt passed away in 1862 and never saw the end of […]
Originally featured in Points West magazine in Fall 2014 James Burnie Beck’s chair from the House of Representatives A few treasures from our vaults reflect some remarkable national connections, including this chair used by U.S. Senator James Burnie Beck (1822 – 1890). It was manufactured circa 1856 by Bembe and Kimmel of New York for […]