George Washington's Guns

by
posted on February 10, 2022
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
Washington’s Gun

Washington’s Gun

Feb. 22, 2022, marked George Washington’s 290th birthday, and nearly three centuries on, there are still many surviving artifacts that give us some insight into his life and character. From extant accounts and records, it’s not much of a stretch to say that Washington, apart from being our nation’s first president, was also a gun guy.

He accumulated many personal arms, from sporting rifles to hunting fowlers to finely finished flintlock pistols. At the time of his death, Washington had approximately 19 pistols, three rifles, four muskets and nine fowling pieces, according to Milton F. Perry, the former curator of the West Point Museum. Of these guns, few survive into the present day as known, documented arms with a chain of custody stretching back to the great man.

Of those existing examples, one pair of pistols is highlighted in the February 2022 issue of American Rifleman in the story by Mark Sage titled “Washington’s Pistols At West Point” starting on p. 50. Another striking pair of flintlock saddle pistols known to have been in Washington’s possession is the one shown here. The “Washington-Lafayette Pistols” are so-called because they were a gift from the Marquis de Lafayette to Washington during the American Revolution. These guns, which were profiled by Mark Sage in a previous article can be seen at the Fort Ligonier Museum in Ligonier, Pa.

Latest

Stuart 45 Pistol Pre War Manuevers Web Main
Stuart 45 Pistol Pre War Manuevers Web Main

Guns Of The U.S. Tankers In World War II

Since the end of World War II, debates have raged about the effectiveness of American armored fighting vehicles in that conflict. Despite all the Monday morning armored quarterbacking, American AFVs were war-winners, driven to victory by some the finest fighting men our nation has ever produced.

MidwayUSA Foundation Awards Over $14 Million In Cash Grants In 2025

In honor of National Shooting Sports Month—held annually in August—along with the growing popularity of the sport with new participants, MidwayUSA Foundation announced it has distributed more than $14.2 million in cash grants to support youth shooting sports in 2025.

Making The KelTec PR57 In Wyoming

To make its PR57 handgun, KelTec invested in an entirely new manufacturing facility located in Rock Springs, Wyo. "American Rifleman Television" headed out for an inside look at the company's efficient production process.

Taurus 66 Combat: A New "Fighting Revolver"

First introduced in the 1970s, the Taurus 66 Combat is a medium-frame revolver that has seen several evolutions in its lifetime, and the latest update creates what the company considers "the final word in fighting revolvers."

Review: Taurus GX2

From cars to cellphones, as a product gets more sophisticated, it usually also gets more expensive. And, as modern handguns get more modular and optic-ready, their prices tend to go up.

Rifleman Q&A: A Garand Puzzlement

"We are a father-and-son NRA member tandem in search of an answer regarding the branding of an M1 Garand rifle. We own an M1 rifle that has markings indicating it was a “lend lease to England,” and it also has a .308 barrel/sleeve."

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.