The Gipper's Gun

Handcrafted by Texan Christopher Scott Hirsch, this .45-cal. recreation of a classic American flintlock long rifle has a 42-inch barrel. This rifle was originally presented to President Ronald Reagan in the Oval Office on Dec. 7, 1981, with a group nicknamed “F Troop of the Texas Army” and NRA officials in attendance. Reagan gave the gun to then-NRA Executive Vice President Harlon Carter to safeguard and display in the NRA museum, and upon Reagan’s departure from office, it was transferred to the Reagan Presidential Library in California. The popularity of this gun among visitors spurred staff to request its return, and today Reagan’s rifle is once again on exhibit in the NRA’s National Firearms Museum.

The NRA National Firearms Museum at NRA Headquarters in Fairfax, Va.; the NRA National Sporting Arms Museum at Bass Pro Shops in Springfield, Mo.; and the Frank Brownell Museum of the Southwest at the NRA Whittington Center in Raton, N.M.; all have fine selections of historic arms on display. Admission to each is free, and donations are gratefully accepted. For more information, visit nramuseums.com, phone (703) 267-1600 or email nfmstaff@nrahq.org.