Easy-to-conceal palm pistols were all the rage during the last quarter of the 19th century. Numerous companies produced countless variations of very similar designs. One design was, however, quite different from the rest. Enter the “Little All Right” by the Wright Arms Co. of Lawrence, Massachusetts. Patented in 1876 by Edward Boardman and Andrew Peavey, […]
Horace Smith and Daniel Baird Wesson officially began Smith & Wesson on November 18, 1856. Company records in possession of Smith & Wesson historian Roy Jinks reveal what it cost to get the company up and running. Mr. Smith contributed $1,663 and Mr. Wesson contributed $2,003.68. Why the amounts are odd numbers is anyone’s […]
Rock Island Auction Company is no stranger to record-setting Garand rifles with big histories and impressive serial numbers. In 2015, they sold “Shop Model” Garand s/n 7 for $97,750 and President Kennedy’s rifle for $149,500. The following year, Garand prototype T3E2 s/n 15 sold for $172,500 which, at the time, was the highest price ever […]
It is said that General George S. Patton called the M1 Garand rifle “the greatest battle implement ever devised.” That may very well be true. If it is, then M1 Garand rifle serial number 1,000,000 should be considered “THE greatest battle implement ever devised.” Why the emphasis? Simple: that gun belonged to the inventor himself – […]
Perhaps the most famous duel of all time occurred between former Secretary of the Treasury and retired two-star Army general Alexander Hamilton and the then-current Vice President Aaron Burr. The Albany Register published a letter believed to have been written by Hamilton in which Burr was referred to as “despicable.” Burr took offense and challenged […]
The town of Harpers Ferry, Virginia (now WV) was a quiet and quaint little place located at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers. It was regarded as little more than a trading post, boasting only a handful of residents. Once the new federal armory opened in the late 18th century, things changed dramatically. […]
Last week, TTAG writer Logan Metesh was interviewed by Cheryl and Dan Todd of Gun Freedom Radio. The focus of the interview was about the importance of firearms on display in museums. Because they’re a “hot button” item, firearms are guaranteed to trigger (no pun intended) an emotional response from visitors. That response leads (hopefully) […]
I’ve always been a fan of “Antiques Roadshow” on PBS. From time to time, a firearm will pop up on the program, but they are few and far between. That’s why I jumped at the opportunity to take High Caliber History LLC on the road to Top Gun Shooting Sports in Taylor, MI, for an event I call “Gun-Tiques […]
Known as “The Oldest House in St. Augustine,” the González-Alvarez House dates to 1723. It’s an impressive yet simple structure that blends its original Spanish architecture with English influences as it changed hands over the years. Being both an enthusiast of historic homes and antique arms, I had hoped to be able to combine both of my interests at […]
When the United States entered World War I in 1917, we were woefully under-prepared (read, under-armed) for what was to come. Spurred on by the need to do their part at home to support the troops overseas, wartime production ramped up exponentially in a short period of time. Newton Baker was the Secretary of War, […]
The American Revolution was already well under way when the delegates to the Continental Congress officially declared independence on July 4, 1776. Months before in the spring of ’76, a shortage of arms was apparent. This was caused by a variety of factors including lack of maintenance, a shortage of field armorers to make repairs, […]
I’m lucky enough to have a day job where I’m constantly learning new things about guns. Sometimes it’s a brand new product; other times, it’s an old gun that I knew nothing about, or thought I knew something about only to be proven wrong. I’m not too proud to admit when I’m wrong, so here’s […]
