Slideshow

Images of Gun History from Our Archives

July 2026

1min read

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Here are some amusing -- and some very sad -- images we collected from the archives of American Heritage.

The Editors

September/October 2019

6 years ago By Edwin S. Grosvenor

Volume

64

Issue

4

Click on the image below to start the slideshow.

Stories published from "September/October 2019"

The Legend of Mickey Mantle

Authored by: Randy Roberts

He was unlike any other baseball star in America, a blond-haired boy from the heartland whose raw power and mythical purity made him a hero.

What the Supreme Court Actually Said: Opinions in DC v. Heller

Authored by: Antonin Scalia

Here are the original opinion and dissents in the famous Supreme Court case that defined the modern version of the "right to bear arms."

What Did State Constitutions Say About the Right to Bear Arms?

Authored by: Edwin S. Grosvenor

To find out what the Founding generation said about "well-regulated militias" and the right to bear arms, we consulted all the colonial and state constitutions enacted before 1791.

The Dramatic End of the Soviet Union

Authored by: Alexander Burns

Twenty-two years ago, the Soviet parliament suspended the Communist Party after the failure of a dramatic coup attempt to remove Gorbachev.

Papa Hemingway Liberates Paris

Authored by: Edwin S. Grosvenor

Seventy-five years ago, Ernest Hemingway and a historian were among the first Americans to enter Paris as guns were still firing.

A History of Gun Rights in America

Authored by: Patrick J. Charles

After ten years of research into the history of gun rights, it’s clear that most Americans' understanding of the “right to bear arms” is not consistent with historical facts.

The Reasonable Right to Bear Arms

Authored by: Adam Winkler

The Supreme Court left the door open for reasonable regulations of guns, if Congress has the will to act.

Gun Control: Areas for Compromise?

Authored by: Robert A. Levy

One of the best-known advocates of gun rights outlines where he thinks compromise is possible.

What Does the Second Amendment Really Mean?

Authored by: Joseph J. Ellis

To know what the Framers intended, we need to understand the late-18th century historical context.