(Britain) Rare weapons find new home in city museum

[Drizzt]

Rare weapons find new home in city museum
Joanne Ginley

One of the world's finest collections of working military firearms was yesterday rehoused at the Royal Armouries museum in Leeds.

The 14,000-item Pattern Room Collection includes weapons up to 150-years-old, some of which are very rare. More unusual items include gold-plated machine guns and assault rifles with curved barrels to fire round corners.

The collection was originally kept in the Tower of London before being dispersed and has now been reunited in a new purpose-built display at the Royal Armouries.

Yesterday the working military firearms were officially handed over by the Ministry of Defence. Included are British and foreign military firearms, ranging from concealed weapons to prototypes and the most comprehensive collection of Kalashnikov assault rifles outside Russia.

The collection was set up to manage quality control in the manufacture of small arms, but its role has evolved and it now plays a key role in forensic investigations by civilian police as well as being used as a reference body for weapons research.

It will now form the core component of an international centre of excellence, known as the National Firearms Centre.

Speaking at the Royal Armouries, the Ministry of Defence's Project Leader, Roger Colebrook, said: "This collection is rightly regarded as the best of its type in the world, it is an important national resource as well as being a remarkable historical artefact."

The collection is not open to members of the general public. A spokesman for the museum said the collection was an archive for use by police, the military or other researchers.

Opening it to the public could pose a security risk.

http://www.yorkshiretoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=55&ArticleID=1134233

The collection is not open to members of the general public.

Oh well, there go my vacation plans....

 

[MICHAEL T]

Yes public must not see those EVIL guns. They might remember when they could own one. The flashback would be to much.
Only minitary and police need guns and knives . Plastic spoons for the comman man. England

 

[chris in va]

I was gonna say, Rare Weapons Museum. Bet they have all the modern handguns in there.

You guys remember that movie Demolition Man with the museum? SAPD was using those wand things...

 

[captain obvious]

and the most comprehensive collection of Kalashnikov assault rifles outside Russia.

For the moment, anyway. Give me time.

 

[Standing Wolf]

Opening it to the public could pose a security risk.

Those bleating sheep might get ideas, you mean?

 

[Trebor]

The Pattern Room has never been open to the public. This is not a change in policy. I do know people who have done research there though. You just have to show that your are collecting info for a book or other project and show how the Pattern Room fits into your research.

 

[nomadboi]

Still a cool place to visit, especially for a sword geek like myself.

 

[Hobie]

I went in at 11:00 AM and came out at 5:00 PM without a break and didn't see half of what was displayed. I should have allowed 2-3 days. Great stuff including the demonstrations which my wife really enjoyed (without me... )

 

[Checkman]

If you want to see a really great display of historical and rare firearms go to the Buffalo Bill Museum in Cody, Wyoming. Now that is a HUGE display of ancient and modern firearms. They have everything from a Sharps Coffee Mill carbine to the Winchester 1895 carried by Teddy Roosevelt during his Africa safari in 1909-1910 to the Colt SA used in the old T.V. show Paladin.

It's so big they have two floors and even then only about 10% is on display at any given time.In 1976 Winchester donated it's entire firearms collection to the museum. Since then other collectors have done the same. The best part is that the collection is PRIVATELY owned. Check it out.

 

[darogue1]

weapons in britian....

still pleanty of weapons to see in the london museums. Hit the Imperial War Museum or the National Army Museum. Plenty of stuff there even unique stuff that they had made up in the 40's encase they were invaded. I was over the past two years and saw both places and a few others. The HMS Belfast is there too if you like naval guns/battleships. I was also in one of there "gun shops" If I had lived there I could have walked out with a silenced 22 and no questions. There are plenty of weapons with the security forces at #10 downing street and the houses of parliment. MP5 & glocks too. Got a real close look at their SA80 too. Could have brought home a deactivated PPSH but thought security would have questioned me. It sux the pattern room is not oper to the public though. Lots of drug crime overthere.

 

[Bart Noir]

darogue1, you are absolutely right about the London museums, I've done them all and would do them again if given a chance. <NitPick Ahead> The HMS Belfast is a cruiser, not a battleship. But it is a neat vessel to visit.

The Royal Armories moved to Leeds (up north, west of York, I think) and it is one museum I'd sure like to see. When it was all in the Tower, not near enough of it could be displayed.

Bart Noir