Exhibiting Legacy at SHOT Show 2015

Jan 30, 2015
It's impossible to see everything at SHOT Show. The whole week is a whirlwind of activity that can tire even the most focused of minds. But amidst all the new and exciting products to see, there's some "Easter Eggs" that show off the legacies that have helped build the industry into what it is today. And the Winchester Ammunition Booth embraced that legacy. Partnering with the Cody Firearms Museum, Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Winchester Ammunition is displaying two one-of-a-kind rifles. President Ronald Reagan's Winchester Model 64
Reagan's Winchester Model 64
Winchester began manufacturing the Model 64 in 1933 and while this particular firearm was made in 1937, its second life made a substantial mark on American history. Frank Pachmayr, a noted gunsmith who was known for beautifully embellished firearms and as the first person to improve the military 1911A1, customized this .30-30 WCF lever action rifle with a Circassian walnut stock and gold inlay to be presented to President Ronald Reagan in 1993. World's Fair Winchester Model 1866
World's Fair Winchester Model 1866 Yellow Boy
This rifle is almost 140 years old and it has never been fired! It is a Winchester Model 1866 commonly referred to as a "Yellow Boy". This particular model is the first lever action to have used the name Winchester. This .44 caliber deluxe sporting rifle was displayed at the 1876 Philadelphia Exposition- the first World's Fair held in the US. It has one of the finest examples of semi-relief engravings done by master engraver, Conrad Ulrich. The firearm was manufactured and customized in 1873 for display at the Fair and returned to the Winchester factory until it found a home in Cody, Wyoming. Remembering Our Roots
Cody Firearms Curator, Ashley Hlebinsky, with National Shooting Sports Foundation CEO, Steve Sanetti.
Olin Corporation helped the Cody Firearms Museum get its roots. In 1975, Olin loaned the entirety of the Winchester Collection (4,000 firearms and archival records) to the museum, which operated as the Winchester Museum. In 1988, they gifted the collection and as a result, the Cody Firearms Museum was built in 1991. Since then we have grown to a collection of 7,000 firearms. The Cody Firearms Museum remembers its heritage with Olin and was excited to display some truly beautiful and historically-rich firearms in their booth for the first time at SHOT Show 2015. --Ashley Hlebinsky Hlebinsky is Curator of the Cody Firearms Museum