Western Frontiers: Stories of Fact and Fiction
Ongoing
The Autry: George Gamble Firearms Gallery
About the Exhibition
This exhibition illuminates the sweep of American Western history through one of its definitive artifacts: the firearm. This display in the Gamble Firearms Gallery features some of the finest specimens of the gun maker’s art by iconic manufacturers such as Remington, Colt, Smith & Wesson, and Winchester, among others. Their history, provenance, and craftsmanship contribute to a museum display of nearly unmatched value.
The exhibition explores the many roles guns have played in the history of the West, from the American “frontier” in the late eighteenth century through Wild West shows at the turn of the twentieth. Themes explored include hunting and trapping, the impact of technology on firearms, the conservation movement, and the West in popular culture.
From the Colt and Winchester firearms Teddy Roosevelt used in the West, to Annie Oakley’s gold-plated handguns with pearl grips, to a Remington revolver once owned by Gettysburg hero General George Meade, this evolving display reflects the real and imagined stories behind the people who owned those guns. The exhibition also features historical documents, artworks, and artifacts, including historic advertisements, colored-glass target spheres used in sharp-shooter demonstrations, and trading cards featuring Oakley, all of which place the firearms in a rich cultural and historic context.
Highlights (Click image for details)

Annie Oakley Gun
Presentation Stevens-Gould No. 37 Pistol, serial number 10951, manufactured by J. Stevens Arms & Tool Company, circa 1891. Owned by sharpshooter Annie Oakley. Autry Museum; 86.23.2.2

Kentucky Rifle
Kentucky Rifle, no serial number, manufactured by Nicholas Beyer, circa 1807. The George Gamble Collection, Autry Museum; 2012.2.35

Meade Presentation Revolver
Cased Presentation New Model Army Revolver, serial number 40113, manufactured by E. Remington & Sons, 1864. Owned by Major General George G. Meade; engraved by Louis D. Nimschke. The George Gamble Collection, Autry Museum; 2012.2.33

Bohlin Single Action Army Revolver
Cased Bisley Model Single Action Army Revolver, serial numbers 239228 and 296248, manufactured by Colt’s Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company, circa 1903. Owned by saddlemaker Edward H. Bohlin; engraved by Edward H. Bohlin. Donated by Mr. and Mrs. Gene Autry. Autry Museum; 91.221.614

Gold-plated Winchester
Third Model 1866 Rifle, serial number 79863, manufactured by Winchester Repeating Arms Company, 1871. Engraved by Conrad or John Ulrich. The George Gamble Collection, Autry Museum; 2012.2.20.1

Roosevelt's Winchester
Third Model 1876 Carbine, serial number 45704, manufactured by Winchester Repeating Arms Company, 1884. Owned by President Theodore Roosevelt; engraved by Louis D. Nimschke. Acquisition made possible in part by Paul S. and June A. Ebensteiner. Autry Museum; 85.5.2