Exhibition
With the arms collection providing the central theme, this permanent exhibition affords visitors an insight into the evolution of the arms industry, from both a historical and technological perspective.
The arms on display are arranged in rooms according to the firing system they employ, and are accompanied by information panels, background material and animated visual displays showing the assembly, loading and firing of the various types of arms.
The tour kicks off with an audio-visual display that recounts the 600-year history of gun-making in the area.
Next, visitors will move on to the exhibition itself, which is divided into three sections.
The first, Industrial Tradition, is composed of two rooms where the origins of the arms industry are portrayed, and how the craftsmen of this era interacted. On display are weapons illustrating the first ignition systems from the fuse (16th century) up to the flintlock of the early 19th century.
The four rooms of the second section, entitled Times of Change, show the evolution of the arms industry as a result of the significant technological developments that took place in the 19th century. The invention of the percussion cap, followed by advances in cartridge-making, caused technology to develop rapidly. This transition period saw the end of the craft trade and the first steps towards industrialisation of the sector.
The last section, Industrialisation, consists of three rooms which take us through the transformation of our arms industry up to the end of the 20th century, by which time it produces mainly commercial weaponry, i.e., hunting weapons, revolvers and pistols for self-defence.
At the end of the exhibition, the Reading Room offers visitors the chance to learn more about our history through a computerised database and a wide range of publications on the subject.