Smith & Wesson introduced their J-frame revolvers to the world in 1950. The Chief’s Special – later, the Model 36 – became a popular gun for concealed carry because of its small size and lightweight design. Over the decades, other models have evolved from the original Chief’s Special design, including the lightweight Model 360 in […]
By the middle of the 19th century, arms production in the United States was changing. The concept of interchangeable parts had become the primary goal at the Federal armories. If this was to be achieved, then a set of agreed upon design parameters had to be established. Unfortunately, production standards varied widely in previous decades. […]
When Smith & Wesson introduced the now-legendary Registered Magnum in 1935, the United States was in the middle of the Great Depression. Even so, that didn’t stop them from offering what was their most expensive revolver to date. The entire gun was a custom order. You chose the barrel length (anything between 3 1/2″ and […]
“Dr. Coult of New York, London and Calcutta.” That’s how the up-and-coming firearm inventor billed himself while exhibiting the effects of nitrous oxide in the 1830s. Traveling the country as a “practiced chemist,” Colt used the nitrous demonstrations as a way to raise money for the development of his firearms. In October 1833, an ad […]
In the waning days of 1928, John C. Garand filed a patent application for a “High Speed Firing Mechanism.” At the same time, he was working diligently at Springfield Armory in Massachusetts, developing the rifle that would soon bear his name. The patent, which was granted in November 1930 and assigned to the Lyman Gun […]
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) […]
