Autry National Center

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Greg Martin Colt Gallery

GENERAL INFO / BACKGROUND

Location/Dates:

The Autry in Griffith Park
Ongoing Exhibition

The Colt Revolver in the American West, an exhibition in the Greg Martin Colt Gallery, explores the history of Samuel Colt’s revolutionary revolver in the American West. The exhibition looks at the impact the Colt revolver had on the American frontier and the contemporary West, with a special section devoted to the Colt Single Action Army Model Revolver, “the handgun that won the West.”

The firearms featured in the exhibition include pieces of historical significance, opulently engraved specimens, and extremely rare models. Highlights include an early prototype revolver, Theodore Roosevelt’s Single Action Army Model Revolver, and the first modern revolver designed by Tiffany & Co.

A broad array of art and artifacts relating to the Colt revolver are also on display. Highlights include Samuel Colt’s first patent, a lithograph by artist George Catlin, and a Rampant Colt sculpture. All of the artifacts in the exhibition are from the permanent collection of the Autry National Center.

The Autry’s collection of Colt revolvers is one of the finest in the country. Many of the artifacts were generously donated to the museum by Autry members and supporters.