Petersen Family Completes Firearm Donation to NRA

by
posted on March 29, 2012
** 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. **
201232914446-petersen_donation_pic_feature.jpg

The Margie & Robert E. Petersen Foundation has completed the largest donation in the history of the National Firearms Museum, providing the final gift in a three-year program that added nearly 500 firearms and countless other exhibits to the museum’s galleries.

Foundation President GiGi Carleton and Trustee Ted Calleton presented NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre with the final stage of the donation on March 27 at a reception at NRA Headquarters.

The gift is the largest firearms donation to the National Firearms Museum in its 77-year history, and will become part of the Robert E. Petersen Gallery that was established at the beginning of the donation process in October 2010.

Included among the historically important pieces are the world's largest collection of Gatling Guns on public display, Hermann Goring's Merkel Shotgun, which was a present from General Eisenhower to General Pershing in 1945; a shotgun from Colonel Buffalo Bill Cody to Annie Oakley; the three Parker Invincibles, considered the finest and most valuable American made shotguns extant; the only 8-gauge shotgun made by Colt which was presented to President Grover Cleveland; President John F. Kennedy's Colt New Frontier revolver and the finest double guns made by Boss, Purdey, Holland & Holland, Westley Richards, Winchester, Galazan and many others.

Also among the gifts was the famed 1876 Harrington & Richardson "pinwheel" revolver board, thought to be the only intact exhibit from the Centennial Exposition. Other items included priceless examples of sporting art and bronzes and memorabilia from the incredible life of Robert E. Petersen, founder of Petersen Publishing—the parent company of Guns & Ammo, Petersen's Hunting, Sports Afield, Hot Rod, and more than two dozen other monthly magazines.

The personal firearms used by Mr. and Mrs. Petersen were donated, including favorite hunting arms, commemorative guns that were gifted during Mr. Peterson’s tenure as Commissioner of Shooting Sports for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games and a variety of firearms he received from his close friends Robert Stack and William B. Ruger.

Ms. Carleton also presented Mr. LaPierre with a pair of Stevens Favorite .22 rifles that once belonged to the Petersen's two sons, Robert and Richard.

Shown above from left: NRAGeneral Operations Executive Director Kayne Robinson, NRA President David Keene, and Margie & Robert Petersen Foundation President GiGi Carleton.

Latest

Hammerli Arms Force B1 Rifleman Review 1
Hammerli Arms Force B1 Rifleman Review 1

Rifleman Review: Hammerli Arms Force B1

The Hammerli Arms Force B1 is one of the most versatile rimfire rifles on the market, providing room for accessories, allowing for a personal stock fit and even offering caliber-interchangeability.

New For 2025: CZ Scorpion 3+ Magpul Edition

CZ-USA has enhanced its Scorpion 3+ pistol-caliber carbine yet again with a slate of factory-installed Magpul components and accessories.

Summer Suppressor Deals On Now

Whether it is a BOGO deal from SIG or free tax stamps from Guns.com and Silencer Central, there's plenty of hearing-safe savings to be had this summer.

Rifleman Report: Defending Freedom For 250 Years

"Anyone who claims not to understand the plain and simple intent of the Second Amendment—especially if that person happens to be a constitutional law professor, Supreme Court justice, congressman, senator or president—is likely hiding nefarious intent: to strip individual liberty from American citizens for the express purpose of making them susceptible to a tyrannical government."

Book Review: 2025 Traveler’s Guide To The Firearms Laws Of The Fifty States

Newly updated for 2025, the 29th edition of the Traveler’s Guide To The Firearm Laws Of The Fifty States is packed with all the need-to-know information for cross-country trekkers seeking to bring their arms along with them and remain legal in all localities.

Springfield Kuna: A PDW For The Masses

Small, yet fierce, the namesake of Springfield Armory’s latest large-format pistol is a revered forest dweller in the land of its Croatian manufacturing partner, HS Produkt. The new Kuna is poised to be just as welcome in America.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.