Firearms Research Center 2025 Fall Conference

Sparking the Revolution: Flintlocks, Gunpowder, and Policy in America’s War for Independence

The Firearms Research Center invite you to its 2025 Fall Conference, a two-day gathering of legal and historical experts, at the Springfield Armory National Historic Site. This year’s conference, done in partership with the Springfield Armory National Historic Site, will explore the pivotal themes of the American Revolution and their enduring legal and historical relevance.

Panels will examine colonial disarmament, the role of militias, and the development of the early arms and munitions industries, while scholars of material culture and technology will discuss Revolutionary firearms, early ballistics, and the founding of the Springfield Armory. Combining rigorous scholarship with interactive engagement, this conference offers a distinctive exploration of history, law, and policy in the context of America’s fight for independence.

Panels and discussions will be avilable virtually.

Info: November 20th event will be held at:

Springfield National Armory Historic Site
1 Armory St. Suite #2, Springfield , MA 01105

Info: Exercising the Bruen Test: A Study in the Modern-Day Debate on the Second Amendment
Moderator: Ashley Hlebinsky
Speakers: George Mocsary & Megan Walsh
A fireside chat examining Revolutionary War topics and how those topics are debated in modern day court per the Bruen Test.

Info: November 21st events will be held at: Springfield Technical Community College
1 Armory St., Springfield, MA 01105
Building 2 Scibelli Hall

Info: Moderator: David Kopel
Panelists: Robert Cottrol, Gregory Wallace, James Slaughter
A discussion on gun ownership and race regulation in the colonial period.

Info: Speaker: Erik Goldstein, Colonial Williamsburg
A presentation on the arms of the Revolution.

Info: Food and beverages are not allowed in the Springfield Armory Historical Site.

Info: Speaker: Alex Mackenzie, Springfield Armory

Info: Moderator: George Mocsary
Panelists: Jody Madeira, Joyce Malcom, Alexander Cain
A discussion on the role of the Militia during the Revolution and its impact today.

Info: Speaker: Andrew Fagal, Princeton
Fagal will discuss development of the arms and munitions industries during and after the American Revolution

Info: Speaker: Joel Bohy, Archaeologist
Joel Bohy will discuss the archeological investigation of the first shots of the American Revolution

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Springfield Armory National Historic Site, 1 Armory Street, Springfield, United States

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.

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