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
Dornaus and Dixon Bren Ten Pistol
The Bren Ten pistol was designed to be the perfect combat handgun, but faltered in production. The original manufacturer, Dornaus & Dixon, had relied on a subcontractor to provide magazines. When pistols started coming off the production line and magazines were not immediately available - purchasers were very unhappy. Italian substitute magazines were unreliable and the company went out of business.