By Orme Dumas | Published on December 24, 2025
A look at firearms as thoughtful holiday gifts in early Oregon. Learn how revolvers like the Colt 1902 Philippine and S&W .32 Safety Hammerless symbolized trust, responsibility, and domestic tradition under the Christmas tree.
Read MoreBy Orme Dumas | Published on December 16, 2025
Oregon’s winter of 1883–1884 tested settlers’ endurance. From snowbound homesteads to frozen livestock, small revolvers like the Smith & Wesson Model Number One quietly aided survival and daily life.
Read MoreBy Orme Dumas | Published on December 10, 2025
Explore the oversized charm of Allen & Thurber’s Norwich Dragoon Pepperbox, a rotating-barrel percussion pistol built for close-quarters bravado. With etched engraving and walnut grips, this 1840s oddity blends firepower, craftsmanship, and frontier ...
Read MoreBy Orme Dumas | Published on December 02, 2025
Before Oregon's National Guard, local militias in the Willamette Valley carried an eclectic mix of revolvers—often self-supplied or county-issued. Their sidearms reflect a forgotten era of regional readiness and practical improvisation.
Read MoreBy Orme Dumas | Published on November 27, 2025
In frontier Oregon, Thanksgiving wasn’t store-bought turkey and trimmings but venison, wild fowl, and salmon hunted with the firearms of the day. From Lincoln’s 1863 proclamation to frontier feasts, discover how gratitude and grit shaped the holiday ...
Read MoreBy Orme Dumas | Published on November 18, 2025
A deep dive into Smith & Wesson’s Model No. 3 revolvers and the curious .38-44 Gallery cartridge. Orme reflects on their role in American marksmanship and the pursuit of elegance in controlled recoil. Includes notes on examples in the collection and ...
Read MoreBy Orme Dumas | Published on November 11, 2025
Discover how revolvers served as collateral and trade goods in early Oregon pawnshops and general stores. A glimpse into frontier economics, survival, and the understated value of a trusted sidearm.
Read MoreBy Orme Dumas | Published on November 04, 2025
Explore the printed world of firearms advertising in early catalogs and handbills. See how period marketing framed revolvers as practical tools, gifts, and symbols of personal taste in the American West.
Read MoreBy Orme Dumas | Published on October 28, 2025
In this reflective piece, Orme Dumas explores the quiet role of the shopkeeper's revolver — a utilitarian tool of the early 20th-century general store. Far from ornamental, these worn sidearms offered reassurance in uncertain moments, embodying a cul...
Read MoreBy Orme Dumas | Published on October 21, 2025
From folding triggers to pepperboxes, curious compact revolvers reveal a world of ingenuity, discretion, and mechanical creativity in the frontier. Explore the clever and unusual firearms that reflected personality and practicality alike.
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