The Galleries
- Robert E. Petersen Collection
- Ancient Firearms
- The Road to American Liberty
- Seeds of Greatness
- The Prospering New Republic
- A Nation Asunder
- The American West
- Innovation, Oddities and Competition
- Theodore Roosevelt, Elegant Arms
- World War I and Firearms Innovation
- WWII, Korea, Vietnam and Beyond
- For the Fun of It
- Firearms Traditions for Today
- William B. Ruger Special Exhibits
- Freedom's Doorway
Queen Anne Style Pocket Flintlock Pistol
Small pocket arms such as this pistol incorporated barrels that could be unscrewed for loading. They were initially developed circa 1650 and could be carried in a belt and used for close-in fighting by infantry officers. Screw-barrel pistols required additional time to load than did muzzle-loaders, but they were much more accurate and had a higher muzzle velocity due to their rifled barrels.