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
Colt M1873 Artillery revolver
Manufactured in 1890-1891, this is one of the last martially marked Colt single-action army revolvers. In 1896, this revolver was called back to Colt for overhaul and reissue as shorter-barreled arms, just in time for the Spanish-American War. About 15,000 revolvers in armory/arsenal storage were so modified by Colt and also by Springfield Armory. In 1900-1903, the guns still in service were again returned to Colt for refinishing.