Smith & Wesson Museum

Guns Magazine, Oct, 2005

Smith & Wesson opened the new Smith & Wesson Museum this past June. The museum will house a variety of artifacts and photographs gathered from collections owned by the company and on loan to the Museum from the Connecticut Valley Historical Museum, Cinema Weaponry, private collectors including long-time company historian Roy Jinks, and former and current employees. Several items belong to the Smith & Wesson Historic Preservation Charitable Trust, which was created by Smith & Wesson to insure the preservation of its collection.

Highlights from the museum collection include:

* Rifles manufactured by D.B. Wesson prior to the company's creation.

* A collection of Smith & Wesson's first firearms, many used in the West.

* Several historic, prototype firearms, designed in the mid-to-late 1800s.

* Revolvers engraved by Tiffany & Co. for global exhibitions, circa 1893-1900.

* A series of top-break hinged revolvers developed prior to the Civil War.

* A variety of Smith & Wesson revolvers from World Wars I and II. * The .44 Magnum used by Clint Eastwood in the Dirty Harry movies.

* A step-by-step model showing construction of the company's new Model .500 Magnum.

The museum will be available for group tours scheduled in advance, by appointment only. For information call S&W (800) 331-0852x259.--Courtesy S&W