Huge Gun Club turnout for the private tour of the Saint Jo International Artillery Museum
Mike Moss
As a club of arms enthusiasts and owners, our Robson Ranch Gun Club is often talking about, studying the history of, or going to the range with the expected handguns and rifles. But we’re also interested in history and in “Big Guns”! Recently, the Gun Club arranged a by-appointment tour of the International Artillery Museum, located nearby on the historic downtown square of Saint Jo, Texas. Just 60 miles and one hour up the road, over 50 Gun Club members were hosted by museum owner Craig Olden for a private tour of what is described as “The Largest Private Collection of Modern Artillery in the USA.”
The museum has taken steps to highlight the items in the collection that are in use today, with special emphasis on those being employed in the war in Ukraine, positioning these items for best examination and affixing descriptions of the items, their function, and even actual pictures of the weapons from news media battlefield photography. In addition to the over 21,000 square feet of artillery and crew-served weapons, the museum presents a full array of rocket-propelled grenades, or RPGs, a powerful contemporary anti-tank weapon.
Taking advantage of the off-campus trip, the Gun Club arranged for a buffet lunch at the Lazy Heart Grill, located on Saint Jo square, prior to the tour. A fabulous, almost unexpectedly generous meal: chicken-fried steak, potatoes, veggies, salad, and a dessert table of pudding, cakes, pies, cookies, and fruit that simply could not be avoided! Before heading into the tour—and to walk off some of those calories—we stopped in the Stonewall Saloon. The saloon was the first permanent structure built in Saint Jo in 1873 to accommodate thirsty trail drovers moving cattle along the Chisholm Trail. The Stonewall Saloon was subsequently converted into a museum showcasing the history of Saint Jo in an authentic saloon setting—an intimate few rooms, jam-packed with antiques, enhanced by the curator who was there answering our many questions. One could not leave that saloon without a genuine greater appreciation for life in late 19th century small-town frontier Texas.
A nice road trip, a great lunch, some local Texas frontier history, and an awe-inspiring artillery museum—what a day!
The mission of our Robson Ranch Gun Club is to provide an opportunity and forum for our members to meet, share their interest in firearms, participate in various forms of shooting sports, and provide a learning environment for all skill levels of firearm ownership and uses. Our monthly meeting is the second Tuesday of the month at 1 p.m. in the clubhouse. Safety is always our primary concern and is a shared responsibility of each member.
For more information, please contact Club President Larry Hampton at [email protected], or Vice President Mike Moss at [email protected].