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
Punt Gun: Pound of Lead = One Shot
77 inch smoothbore percussion gun that was used as a punt gun in the Chesapeake Bay. Market hunters supported Washington DC and Baltimore restaurants would charge a gun like this with a massive load of shot and powder, aiming for a flock with the prow of the punt. On discharge, a hundred or more ducks might have been harvested from one shot. Heavy recoil and harsh environmental conditions have impacted on this piece.