News Release

Sparking the Revolution

News Release Date: November 16, 2025 University of Wyoming Firearms Research Center to Host 2025 Fall Conference in Partnership with Springfield Armory National Historic Site

Free public event, with virtual attendance and CLE credit available

SPRINGFIELD, MA — The University of Wyoming’s Firearms Research Center (FRC), in collaboration with Springfield Armory National Historic Site, will host its 2025 Fall Conference, “Sparking the Revolution: Flintlocks, Gunpowder, and Policy in America’s War for Independence,” on November 20–21, 2025. The conference is free, open to the public, and available in person or virtually, with select sessions eligible for Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credit.

The two-day program brings together leading historians, legal scholars, and subject-matter experts to examine colonial disarmament, the formation of militia systems, Revolutionary War arms and manufacturing, and the broader technological and industrial foundations of the conflict.

Thursday, November 20 — Springfield Armory National Historic Site5:00–6:00 PM — Welcome Reception (In Person Only)Food and beverages provided.
6:00–7:30 PM — Fireside Chat (In Person & Virtual) — CLE“Exercising the Bruen Test: A Study in the Modern-Day Debate on the Second Amendment”
Speakers: George A. Mocsary, Director, Firearms Research Center; Megan Walsh, University of Minnesota Law School.

Friday, November 21 — Springfield Technical Community College, Building 2
8:45–10:00 AM — Panel 1: Disarmament and the Revolution (CLE)Bob Cottrol (GWU), E. Gregory Wallace (Campbell), James Slaughter (Marshall).
10:15–11:00 AM — To Arms! Weapons of the Revolutionary WarErik Goldstein, Colonial Williamsburg.
11:00–11:30 AM — The Continental Arsenal at SpringfieldAlex MacKenzie, Springfield Armory.
11:30 AM–12:30 PM — Lunch Provided
12:30–1:45 PM — Panel 2: The Colonial Militia (CLE)Jody Madeira (Indiana University), Joyce Malcolm (George Mason University), Alexander Cain (Author/Historian).
1:55–2:40 PM — Creating an Arsenal of LibertyAndrew Fagal, Historian.
2:40–3:25 PM — Arms, Ammunition, and Archaeology: Understanding 18th-Century BallisticsJoel Bohy, Historical Arms Specialist, Antiques Roadshow.
RegistrationRSVP and conference information: Firearms Research Center 2025 Fall Conference | Firearms Research Center 2025 Fall Conference Tickets, Thu, Nov 20, 2025 at 5:00 PM | Eventbrite

 -NPS-ABOUT THE PARK: Springfield Armory National Historic Site is the location of the nation’s first armory (1794 – 1968) and was established by George Washington. The site includes historic grounds, buildings, and the world’s largest historic American military firearms collection. For updates and further information call [phone], check the website at www.nps.gov/spar or go to www.facebook.com/sparnhs.