Taking Teddy to a gun show – President’s guns on display at West Virginia show

NRA Museum Curator’s display Guns of Teddy Roosevelt at the Martinsburg Gun Show

Martinsburg, West Virginia – Four hours ago, the Martinsburg Gun Show opened their doors for business. With more than two hundred tables of guns, ammo, antiques and Gatling Guns, the show is sure to thrill the thousands of firearm enthusiast expected to attend this weekend. One table sure to garner a great deal of excitement is the one manned by Philip Schreier, Senior Curator of the NRA National Firearms Museum.

“We brought something special for the good people of West Virginia,” said Schreier. “The guns of a President.”

Four from the collection of President Theodore Roosevelt to be specific. A highly engraved Adolph double rifle with the Presidential seal stamped on both barrels, a .405 caliber Model 1895 Winchester rifle, a Smith & Wesson new model 3 revolver and a mother-of-pearl paneled Fabrique Nationale Model 1900 semi-auto pistol.

It’s the FN semi-auto that had them buzzing around the Museum offices earlier this week. Not because of the event, the gun or the travel, but because of the case. The case for the FN Model 1900.

“I was looking for the Dwight David Eisenhower shotgun case and there it was,” said fellow Senior Curator Doug Wicklund.

Embroidering inside the case reads:

Fabrique National de Guerre

Societe Anonyme

Herstal-Liege (Belgique)

“Apparently, this particular case has been back in the (museum) archives since we moved to Virginia in 1993. So the people who make it out to the Martinsburg Gun Show are in for a real treat because the case hasn’t been part of the museum’s display since that point.

“Phil is taking it on the road to put it together for the first time in almost twenty years.”

To see it for yourself, you’ll have to find a way out to the Martinsburg Gun Show (we’re not going to spoil it here). Located at 54 Dupont Road in Martinsburg, the show is open from 9am to 5pm today and 10am to 4pm tomorrow. Law Enforcement, Military Personnel and kids under 8 get in free.

Once you arrive, be sure to make it over to the National Firearms Museum display. The Presidential Reunion, thanks to Phil and Doug, is something to see.

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PUBLISHING:
NRA Executive Director: Kyle Weaver

CONTRIBUTORS:
Lars Dalseide. E-mail him at LDalseide (AT) nrahq.org.
Kyle Jillson. E-mail him at KJillson (AT) nrahq.org.
Justin McDaniel E-mail him at JMcDaniel (AT) nrahq.org.