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
Alonzo D Perry Breechloading Percussion Sporting Rifle
Alonzo Perry received an order for 200 breechloading carbines that were purchased by the US Government in 1855. This civilian sporting rifle is based on the same design as his military carbine. An unusual feature of this design was the automatic percussion cap reservoir in the buttstock, which fed a percussion cap to the cone as the action was operated. SN 488
Alonzo Perry held several patents - #6,945 December 11, 1849 for a breechloading firearm; #7,147 March 5, 1850 for a cartridge design; #12,001 November 28, 1854 for a breechloading firearm; and #12,244 January 16, 1855 for a breechloading firearm.