The RIA Museum

[RugerFan]

As I mentioned in a previous thread, I recently spent some time on Rock island Arsenal. I got the chance to visit the museum there and what a treat that was. More firearms than you can shake a stick at (U.S. and some foreign). Everything from matchlocks to present day machineguns including some that were in various stages of experimentation. Here are some pics for your viewing enjoyment.

Love the old stone buildings (built in the late 1800s). They just scream history.

http://i331.photobucket.com/albums/l449/wolf913/RIA4.jpg

This wall is looong and about 12' high. hundreds of firearms are hanging on the wall with numbered placards for each. You can look up a particular gun's number in one of the fat 3 ring binders found on small tables and read about it's history. Very cool!

http://i331.photobucket.com/albums/l449/wolf913/RIA21.jpg

http://i331.photobucket.com/albums/l449/wolf913/RIA19.jpg

http://i331.photobucket.com/albums/l449/wolf913/RIA20.jpg

http://i331.photobucket.com/albums/l449/wolf913/RIA16.jpg

Gold plated M60
http://i331.photobucket.com/albums/l449/wolf913/RIA18.jpg
http://i331.photobucket.com/albums/l449/wolf913/RIA17.jpg

http://i331.photobucket.com/albums/l449/wolf913/RIA14.jpg

http://i331.photobucket.com/albums/l449/wolf913/RIA13.jpg

http://i331.photobucket.com/albums/l449/wolf913/RIA15.jpg

[Charlie Two Tracks]

How bad is this! I live just a little over 20 miles from RIA and I have never been there. I just never thought about it. I will have to make a trip soon.

[OBXPilgrim]

I remember diverting a vacation trip to go through RIA, probably 15 yrs ago. We only had about 2 hrs before the place closed. My former USMC FIL was really impressed, we both wished we had a few more hours to spend there.

That Pedersen M1903 looks cool, huh?