Autry’s Pathway to the Past

Without a doubt, firearms were among the most important tools used in the settling of the West. To quote Jeffrey Richardson, the Autry National Center’s Gamble curator of Western history, popular culture and firearms, “Firearms were used in all aspects of life on the American frontier, and they were featured prominently in the re-creations of the West that took place on stage and screen. Firearms are thus a means to tell the story of the West—its history, its myths, its captivating pers