The Galleries
- Robert E. Petersen Collection
- Ancient Firearms - 1350 to 1700
- Road to American Liberty - 1700 to 1780
- A Prospering New Republic - 1780 to 1860
- A Nation Asunder - 1861 to 1865
- The American West - 1850 to 1900
- Innovation, Oddities and Competition
- Theodore Roosevelt and Elegant Arms - 1880s to 1920s
- World War I and Firearms Innovation
- WWII, Korea, Vietnam and Beyond - 1940 to Present
- For the Fun of It
- Modern Firearms - 1950 to Present
- Hollywood Guns
Adams Army Percussion Revolver
This self-cocking double-action solid frame gun provided competition from overseas for Colt's handguns. Adams Revolvers were produced in England by London Armoury Company, but they were also manufactured in the United States by the Massachusetts Arms Company of Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts. This dual production makes the British-patent Adams Revolver unique among "imported" Civil War arms. The Adams was also tested by the U.S. Army prior to the Civil War, but it was not adopted. However, many were purchased privately by soldiers on both sides. sn 10342