Funny? Or a sign of things to come?

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) sat down with Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan in his office this week during her round of meetings with Senate leaders and proudly pointed to a gun hanging up on his wall.
Here’s the awkward exchange that followed:
“You’re gonna get mad,” Hatch told Kagan. “There’s ‘Man of the Year’ from the American Rifle — National Rifle Association.”
Kagan gazed up at the wall and nodded.
“It’s beautiful,” she said, as Hatch continued to describe his firearm.
“It’s a piece of art, really, it’s a hand-made flintlock,” Hatch explained.
“It’s gorgeous,” Kagan replied.

Yes, I’m sure Ms. Kagan thinks Sen. Hatch’s pistol will look excellent in the Smithsonian, along with all the others. . .

UPDATE: From a reader:

It’s not a pistol. It’s a rifle and custom made by one of the best gunsmiths around.
You can see what it looks like. Just look up the shot of Charlton Heston holding it over his head at an annual meeting of the NRA while he says, “From my cold dead hands.” It was a wonderful moment.
Keep up the good work, but watch out for firearms issues. You look like a Easterner.