Welcome – This is the first of what we hope will be many, many blogs about the Cody Firearms Museum – or the CFM as we generally call it in-house.
This entry will be short, sweet, and to the point. We hope you will come back many times and take a look at what we do.
Dave K.
November 26, 2008 at 2:39 pm |
where is cody cowboy side arms
November 29, 2008 at 9:06 pm |
George –
I am not sure what you are asking for. Is this a company? Or are you simply asking where the Cody Firearms Museum is located?
For the latter, go to http://www.bbhc.org/ and you will have the answer to your question. For the former, we need more information.
Cheers,
Dave
December 10, 2008 at 11:53 am |
Dear David: Great to see this access to you and BBHC. I have a comment on the Isaiah Lukens air rifle shown and described on page 28 of Points West, Winter 2008. These Lukens air guns are frequently listed as dating to 1803. I believe this date was derived by backing into it because it was long thought that Meriwether Lewis took a Lukens air rifle on the 1803–1806 expedition, therefore, the gun must date to 1803. As stated in the citation, it is now thought that Lewis took a different gun. I have spent some days in Philadelphia studying Lukens. He was an apprentice to his clockmaker father in Horsham, PA, and eventually moved to Philadelphia in 1811. I checked the Phila business directories starting with 1803, but Lukens in not shown until 1813, when he is listed as a “turner, & c., 173 High St.” In 1820 he is listed as a “mechanist” and in 1837 as a clockmaker. A contemporary wrote, “Isaiah Lukens was chiefly engaged in making town clocks, but found time, with never more than the assistance of one or two men, to finish two or three small lathes and an airgun or two in the course of a year, for which there were always ready purchasers.” As to the comment that there were three airguns in the 1847 catalog of Lukens’ estate, I have a copy of the complete catalog, and there were indeed three airguns, as well as 6 unfinished air guns, 12 air canes, 17 unfinished air canes, one cased silver-mounted superior target rifle with telescope made by Lukens for his own use, one English revolving pistol, one shot cane, one cased pair of pistols, one fine single-barrelled gun, among the 694 items listed for auction. Lukens was a remarkable machinist, but a study of his career indicates the shooting and making of airguns was mostly a hobby when compared to his other activities. I believe the date of 1803 for his airguns is much too early. Mike Carrick
December 10, 2008 at 2:59 pm |
Michael –
Thanks for that great information! We have looked to update what we know about the guns in our collection – especially those with such a controversial past.
Cheers,
Dave