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
Katsenes Custom Side-by-Side Shotgun
The original owner of this gun had it made to her specifications.
Circa 1956 Katsenes Custom Side-by-Side Double-Barrel Shotgun (breech-loading/ smokeless powder/ shot ammunition) By 1950, custom firearms production had returned to form in North America. Still it was not the same in a socially or culturally symbolic way. Anyone who wanted and could afford a fine gun felt it was their cultural right to own one, regardless of their social class.
World War II had been a great equalizer. The Canadian housewife who purchased this .410 custom shotgun had it made to her personal specifications regarding shape and finish. In 1956, $3500 would buy a very nice car. Nevertheless, she was willing to pay this price for a gun because she liked it. - Dr. William L. Roberts, THE AMERICAN LIBERTY COLLECTION; #150