November 7, 2015

In a word, WOW!
I’ll admit I was skeptical when I heard Ashley Hlebinsky’s plan for the renovation of CFM. I was wrong, she nailed it. I saw kids (and their parents) having a good time today. I think they also learned something about firearms. IMHO that’s exactly what the museum needed. I had the pleasure of talking with Danny Michael, current curator, and I feel the museum is in good hands. He’s excited about guns and history and quite knowledgeable. Yes, he’s young but I’m fortunate enough to be saying that about a majority of the population these days. Danny is aware that many aspects of the renovation do not appeal to collectors. I’m OK with that. If they wanted to please this collector they’d give me free roam of the archives and the fabled vault. And they’d have a collectors’ lounge so I could rest my tired legs and back every few hours. Not gonna happen, and I’m OK with that.
Glad I finally made it back to the museum. Looking forward to my next trip already!
Mike
November 7, 2015

clarence said
TXGunNut said And they’d have a collectors’ lounge so I could rest my tired legs and back every few hours. Not gonna happen, and I’m OK with that.
For “collectors,” no, for Museum Members, why not?
They did have quite a few benches scattered about that I took full advantage of but I had a long drive up. Feeling pretty old & worn out, need to quit pushing so hard…after I get set up at the show!
Mike
TXGunNut said
They did have quite a few benches scattered about that I took full advantage of but I had a long drive up. Feeling pretty old & worn out, need to quit pushing so hard…after I get set up at the show!
Mike
Are there electric “scooters” available, such as you now see in many grocery stores, or wheelchairs? I’d grab one without hesitation.
Some may not like my comments here, but just my experience this year at the museum. It has been 7-10 years since I last visited the museum/Cody show,used to attend every year. I was dissapointed with the firearms museum. Let me explain….
At the entrance,on one wall, was a notice with bullet points explaining what the firearms museum is etc.. One bullet point particularly got me.. “These items are not considered firearms but are relics” a bit “woke” for my taste. Relics are inoperable rusted guns pulled from rivers,mud/earth etc that are not operable due to rust.99% of the FIREARMS in the Firearms museum are operable and are not relics. Why would the museum feel the need to state these guns are relics not firearms?? Again, seems a bit too woke for my taste.
Also the museum seems to have shrunk the size of Winchester displays from my previous trips- maybe just bad memory, but seemed to have fewer Winchesters on display and quality was suspect in some areas. I saw a 1886 that was displayed missing the front sight,wasn’t some historical gun etc,just an example they were displaying. Same with a 94 rear sight just missing. Please tell me the museum has in its vaults complete examples they could display vs displaying examples missing parts. Again, per the data cards on these two guns, they were not associated with a historical figure or event, just examples of these model rifles.
So I was a bit dissapointed by the firearms museum this trip, actually walked out after few minutes. Rest of my crew stayed and enjoyed for an hour so so. Not me…
WPO said
At the entrance,on one wall, was a notice with bullet points explaining what the firearms museum is etc.. One bullet point particularly got me.. “These items are not considered firearms but are relics” a bit “woke” for my taste. Relics are inoperable rusted guns pulled from rivers,mud/earth etc that are not operable due to rust.99% of the FIREARMS in the Firearms museum are operable and are not relics. Why would the museum feel the need to state these guns are relics not firearms??
Why? To assuage the anxiety of gun-haters, perhaps? But do a lot of gun-haters patronize firearms museums? Utterly contemptible, & whomever is responsible for it should be asked to find employment where they will not risk the embarrassment of being associated with firearms.
clarence said
WPO said
At the entrance,on one wall, was a notice with bullet points explaining what the firearms museum is etc.. One bullet point particularly got me.. “These items are not considered firearms but are relics” a bit “woke” for my taste. Relics are inoperable rusted guns pulled from rivers,mud/earth etc that are not operable due to rust.99% of the FIREARMS in the Firearms museum are operable and are not relics. Why would the museum feel the need to state these guns are relics not firearms??
Why? To assuage the anxiety of gun-haters, perhaps? But do a lot of gun-haters patronize firearms museums? Utterly contemptible, & whomever is responsible for it should be asked to find employment where they will not risk the embarrassment of being associated with firearms.
In addition to the comments made, of interest to me is how misleading and erroneous the statement is. The post-1898 firearms in the museum are legal firearms and to suggest they should not be considered firearms is a falsehood. Does anyone know if this sign remains on display? Hopefully someone picked up on this and saw to its removal.
I am recently home from my visit to Montana and was fortunate enough to visit the Cody Museum, The Little Big Horn, and the WACA Cody Show.
All three were magnificent.
The Cody Museum has so much to see, read and absorb, that I will need to make another visit.
The Little Big Horn was amazing to walk, absorb the geography and history. Lots of unanswered questions, thus more reading is needed on this event.
The WACA Show was well done, lots of items on display and available.Truly worth the time and effort to make the trip. I’m looking forward to the next event.
steve004 said
In addition to the comments made, of interest to me is how misleading and erroneous the statement is. The post-1898 firearms in the museum are legal firearms and to suggest they should not be considered firearms is a falsehood. Does anyone know if this sign remains on display? Hopefully someone picked up on this and saw to its removal.
I wish I had taken a picture ,but I can attest that it was up during the WACA show dates. This was part of the entrance to the FIREARMS museum..I know there are WACA board members who are on this forum, these positions,I would hope, would give you the “ear” of the Museums curators/board members. Someone should inquire for an explanation. I would love to see how this response is worded…
The world we live in…………..
November 7, 2015

I don’t understand why a firearms museum would find it necessary to state that the firearms on exhibit were relics when in fact many are (by my definition, anyway) in fact firearms. Most will never be used as firearms but a hammer is a hammer, even if it never drives a nail. I didn’t see this particular sign but I did enjoy some of the mural style signs elsewhere. I’m sorry you let an inaccurate choice of words on a sign prevent you from enjoying a top-tier firearms museum, William.
I was told and my rough guesstimate confirmed that the CFM has more firearms on display than in years past. I think the more open design and more efficient displays allowed more guns to be displayed without taking up floor space. The slide-out hanging displays and drawers are very efficient and allow close study of the firearms. The guns that I wanted to take a closer look at were present, easy to locate and I was able to get within a few inches of the details I was interested in.
I believe the current curator and staff is very interested in constructive feedback.
Mike
WPO said
I wish I had taken a picture ,but I can attest that it was up during the WACA show dates. This was part of the entrance to the FIREARMS museum..I know there are WACA board members who are on this forum, these positions,I would hope, would give you the “ear” of the Museums curators/board members. Someone should inquire for an explanation. I would love to see how this response is worded…
The world we live in…………..
Yes, but that doesn’t mean we can’t fight it…and should.
foxfire said
Good point. Why haven’t any of the WACA mucky-mucks weighed in….
Several reasons;
1. I am not in located in Cody.
2. I did not see the alleged sign in question when I was at the Museum a few weeks ago.
3. Unless there is positive proof that the sign exists and is causing great consternation, I will not arbitrarily make any waves over it.
4. The WACA Board of Directors is responsible for the operations of Winchester Arms Collectors Association… not the CFM.
My suggestion is this… if the the chosen text of the exhibit sign is personally offensive to you, then YOU personally need to take the initiative and bring it up with the CFM Curator (or staff). I personally would not have chosen the term “relic”, but I also see no earth shattering issues with that term being used… its all about semantics.
Bert
WACA 6571L, Historian & Board of Director Member
foxfire said
I cannot tell you how much this saddens me. In fact, I’ll be in the area on a fly fishing trip in 2 weeks. Was planning a visit, may now boycott with my wallet.
I think there’s a lot of good reasons to visit the museum. Now there’s one more – you can tell us if the sign is still up. If it is no longer there, issue closed.
Bert H. said
I personally would not have chosen the term “relic”, but I also see no earth shattering issues with that term being used… its all about semantics.Bert
Semantics? Hard to believe the word was chosen randomly or inadvertently, merely a slip of someone’s tongue. I mean, do you often refer to your own guns as “relics,” or do you know other collectors who do? It’s was chosen DELIBERATELY to express PC. When that’s done by administrators of a firearms museum, “earth shattering” is not too far off the mark.
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