On July 30th, fifty-six RSA members and guests gathered in Cody, Wyoming to attend the 9th Annual RSA Historical Seminar. This event was hosted by the Cody Firearms Museum, one of five "world-class" museums at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center.

   RSA Seminars are always held at "Remington-related" sites. What brought RSA to the high country of Wyoming this year was to appreciate the new exhibit: The Historical Remington Firearms of Slim Kohler. This special firearms exhibition consists of 217 Remington pistols and revolvers and 53 related historical objects including holsters, ammunition and original paperwork. Slim, Director Emeritus of the Remington Society, has his collection on display in its entirety for the first time ever.


Slim was instrumental in coordinating the acquisition and installation of the first major Remington exhibition of more than 800 firearms at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center back in 1997. Many special pieces make up his collection, including a pair of Remington percussion revolvers made in 1864 for Tsar Alexander II on the occasion of a visit of the Russian Imperial Fleet to the United States during the Civil War. The pair of revolvers is shown in a satellite display in the Embellished Arms Gallery of the Cody Firearms Museum.

   "This collection contains some of the finest and rarest Remington handguns and long guns anywhere in the world," said Warren Newman, Interim Curator of the Cody Firearms Museum. "Especially impressive are the Remington Rolling Block pistols on display. These firearms have some of the strongest handgun actions ever made."

   The Remington Society is no stranger to Cody, Wyoming, as the 4th Annual Seminar was held there in the summer of 1997, primarily to view THE EXHIBIT as former RSA President Leon Wier calls it. A lot has happened to the Buffalo Bill Historical Center since RSA's visit in 1997...    notably the construction of the new Draper Museum of Natural History.

   Attendees said that this year's RSA Seminar was the very best ever with ten historical talks on Remington-related topics:
  • "A Study of Remington-Smoot Revolvers" -- by Dr. Harry Parker
  • "Remington Large Frame Cartridge Revolvers" -- by Don Ware
  • "An RSA Research Team Exclusive: Remington's Experimental 1944 Slide-Action Rifle" -- by Gene Myszkowski
  • "It's all in the name: Early Shipments of .46 Remington Cartridge Revolvers" -- by Herb Houze
  • "Your Collection and Museums: How to Pick the Right Home For Your Treasures" by Herb Houze
  • "Remington Bayonet Manufacture, 1862-1920" -- by Ed Hull
  • "Remington Revolving Rifles" -- by Mike Strietbeck
  • "Remington'ss Early 20th Century Support for the Shooting Sports" -- by Gordon Fosburg
  • "Western Ship ments of Remington Firearms by Schuyler, Hartley & Graham - 1867 to 1882" -- by Herb Houze
  • "The Remington Idea: Remington Model 8 Autoloading Rifles" -- by Bob Creamer

Dr. Parker spoke on Remington-Smoot revolvers and showcased his new book on the subject. Every one of the books he brought to Cody were purchased by enthusiastic attendees and then autographed by the author. The book (see advertisement elsewhere in this Journal) is available from the publisher -- Graphic Publishers -- for only $17.95 plus postage. Dr. Parker's book represents a study that began in the mid-1950s, and he published a series of articles in Arms Gazette in the 1970s. Dr. Parker and his co-authors completed a massive amount of research since then, culminating in this epic study.

Rich Shepler Seminar Coordinator and Roy Marcot with the Remington sheath knife display, one of many items donated by Remington for the event.

   Seminar Coordinator Rich Shepler said that attendees not only enjoyed the firearms museum, but visited the other four museums in the complex. And when not at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center the attendees enjoyed the other sights in Cody, and many traveled 45 miles west to Yellowstone National Park.

   Bob and Sue Creamer (RSA's Treasurer and Secretary) were assisted by son Corey in coordinating the seminar's raffles, live and silent auctions. The attendees and guests donated more than a hundred Remington-related items, and Remington Arms Company donated a Remington sheath knife display and numerous .22 ammo tins and collectibles to the event. No one went home empty-handed, and every penny went into RSA's Operating Fund.

RSA Director Mike Strietbeck was in charge of providing the commemorative give-away for this year's seminar -- an RSA mug -- the first our organization produced for a special event. See the color centerfold of this Journal for a picture of the attractive mug. A very limited number of these mugs are available from the RSA Secretary for $18, plus $4 shipping & handling (make checks out to RSA).

   Those wishing to view Slim's collection should know that the Buffalo Bill Historical Center is open 7 a.m. - 8 p.m. daily through the summer. Five museums are devoted to Western cultural and natural history: the Whitney Gallery of Western Art, Buffalo Bill Museum, Plains Indian Museum, Cody Firearms Museum, and the Draper Museum of Natural History in addition to the McCracken Research Library. For general information, call (307) 587-4771 or visit www.bbhc.org.

   The RSA Journal thanks the following individuals for the wonderful photographs that appear in this issue: Bob Creamer; Jack Heath; Richard Shepler; Mike Strietbeck.


Others photo's from the event. (Very large for detail)