Rare Finds: The Most Expensive Historic Guns Sold At Auction
In recent years, people have used gun shows and local stores as the most appropriate places to purchase and build a collection of antique guns. Serious collectors could place their ads in gun magazines to buy or sell an item.
Although this is not the case anymore, with the internet and large auction houses directing their attention to what is considered collector firearms, these methods are not as frequently used now. Rock Island Auction Company (RIAC) is the largest auction house specializing in collector guns. RIAC was established in 1993, and since 2003, the company has been a leader in sales while increasing records season after season.
Musgrave says their success is based on three types of auctions that allow collectors to quickly purchase the desired guns, regardless of the price range. RIAC’s ascent has also benefited from extolling incredibly, initially smooth, and superb firearms, such as the 9 expensive guns stated below.
Common features in guns on this list of RIAC’s most expensive sales often include features that would excite collectors. They can be beautiful, rare, have historical significance, previously owned, or come from a special limited edition of a common firearms model. Many are in a good state, increasing the stock’s value. They all have commonalities, where they are all unique in how they got to be extraordinary, which specifically got them a high price tag at auction.
1. George Washington’s Saddle Pistols: $1,986,000
This saddle piston set, it was told, was brought to Washington as a gift from his French friend, Marquis de Lafayette, and the one that Washington used in the Revolutionary War. The pistols’ slide also has gold engravings and the flashiest rococo ornaments, making the pistols as symbolic pieces of artwork as they are firearms.
These pistols were passed to President Andrew Jackson, who treasured them for virtually the length of his life and returned them to the Washingtons at his death. 2002 they were bought at Christie’s Americana auction for $1,986,000. The buyer was Richard King Mellon, the Foundation that donated the pistols to the Fort Ligonier site and a museum outside Pittsburg.
2. Simon Bolivar’s Flintlock Pistols: $1,687,500
These are Simon Bolivar’s flintlock dueling pistols, a pair of dueling pistols that Venezuelan military leaders used. South America had revolted against the Spanish empire, which liberated Columbia, Venezuela, Panama, Ecuador, and Peru, where Bolivar was involved actively. He also contributed to the creation of the union of the independent states in Latin America and received the presidency of this union.
Their great contribution to the modern world is immeasurable, and many monuments devoted to his work can be seen in South America. Bolivar was a fire-armed man, and this pair of dueling pistols was some of the best in his collection. These pistols were sold at Christie in New York in 2004 for $1.76 million.
3. Gold-Inlaid Colt Model 1849 Pocket Revolver: $1.1M
The Colt Model 1849 Pocket Revolver was developed from the Paterson model, although it was intended to be slightly less bulky and portable. It was also the most commonly manufactured percussion pistol Colt ever produced. The Model 1849 was very efficient and was even strongly built, which resulted in its being highly demanded.
Of all the models ever made, the particular one in the show was special, primarily because it had gold inlaid. This beautifully crafted Model 1849 had a cross of 75 dollars, and the service, which brought 3600, sold for $1.1 million.
4. Colt Paterson Revolver: $977,500
The Colt Patterson Revolver was the first repeating pistol patented by Samuel Colt in 1836. Its groundbreaking structure used a revolved cylinder to fire many rounds, making it the first repeating firearm. This design sets the groundwork for the modern revolver.
Pistols were known by the name of the city where they were produced, in this case, Paterson in New Jersey. This particular Patterson was in mint condition and was considered the best surviving Paterson known to patrons. Given all these factors, it is unsurprising that Colt Patterson sold for almost $1 million.
5. Texas Ranger Sam Wilson’s Colt Walker: $920,000
The revolver was given to Texas Ranger Sam Wilson in 1847, and while the owner was nice, it’s the only star of this auction. The Colt Walker was designed for a specific organization, the Texas Rangers. The black powder Revolver was perhaps one of the most lethal handguns ever manufactured.
It fired either a. 44-cal Roundball or a 220-grain bullet and was finer than a musket up to a range of two hundred yards. The Walker pistols were specifically manufactured, and 1,100 or even fewer exist. That is why when this particular revolver was taken for sale, it instantly attracted a lot of attention due to its scarcity and overall excellent condition. These factors forced the auction price to shoot up.
6. Teddy Roosevelt’s Double-Barreled Shotgun: $862,500
Teddy Roosevelt was the US president who served in office for 26 presidents of the United States, serving from 1901 to 1909. Teddy Roosevelt loved hunting, and the Fox Gun Company produced this type of shotgun for Roosevelt on the African Safari trip in 1909.
For instance, in a thank you note to the Fox Gun Company, Roosevelt was compelled to say it was the most beautiful gun he had ever owned. The Roosevelt family offered it for sale in 1974, again in 2000, and astonishingly again in 2010 for $862,500.
7. The 44.-caliber Smith & Wesson That Killed Jesse James: $350,000
Jesse James was a famous outlaw of America, the leader of a brutal gang that committed many bank and train holdups in the mid and late nineteenth century. A lot of legends concerning the Wild West were created during his life.
James and his gang were recognized to have robbed more than 20 banks and stolen a hundred thousand two hundred dollars in their prime. It is said that James was one day shot at his back by one of the gang members to get the bounty placed on James by the government.
This was most likely the gun that discharged those fatal shots. The pistol, however, went to auction in 2003 for $350,000, and the buyer did not reveal his identity.
8. Wyatt Earp’s Colt .45-caliber Revolver: $225,000
Wyatt Earp is one of the most famous law enforcers in history. Earp portrayed a typical Wild West man working as the deputy sheriff in Tombstone, Arizona. Earp had what you’d consider doing today: a wild west existence and job clocking in, but he was more than just Wyatt Earp; he worked as a gambler, bouncer, saloon Keeper, and referee for the boxing ring in his lifetime.
Earp was one of the seven law enforcers involved in one of the most famous gunfights Gunsight in history, O.K. Corral. In this shootout, Earp, with three other law enforcers, shot dead three outlaws within 30 seconds. This Colt .45 revolver had to have been used during this infamous gunfight, which was why it was so costly.
9. Hitler’s Golden Walther PP: $114,000
This pistol was a birthday present to Hitler by Carl Walther on his 50th birthday. He cherished it and stored it in one of the desk drawers in his Munich residence. During the raid on his apartment in 1945, an American soldier took it and brought it back to the USA.
The pistol changed ownership several times before being auctioned off in 1987. It was sold for $114,000, a record price for any military item sold during an auction.
Why Are Historic Shotguns So Expensive Now?
- Verifiable Importance: Guns associated with significant authentic occasions, figures, or fights frequently hold a remarkable worth. For instance, shotguns claimed or utilized by renowned people, like presidents or war legends, will more often than not get greater costs at closeout because of their verifiable significance.
- Extraordinariness: Many antique shotguns are not in production, making them interesting. Authorities search for restricted-version models or shotguns with special highlights that drive up their worth.
- Condition: The state of a noteworthy shotgun fundamentally influences its worth. Well-saved guns with negligible wear, unique parts, and unmodified elements are more important than those in terrible shape.
- Craftsmanship and Plan: Shotguns made by eminent makers, or those with mind-boggling craftsmanship and lavish plans, are profoundly esteemed. The nature of materials and scrupulousness can make specific models significant to authorities.
- Provenance: A gun’s possession history can likewise increase its worth. Guns with factual provenance, particularly those attached to popular or persuasive figures, frequently command higher sale costs.
- Social Interest: Over the long haul, interest in memorable guns as collectibles has expanded. As more individuals become keen on gun history, interest in antique shotguns rises, driving up costs.
Consolidated, these elements make noteworthy shotguns important at closeout interesting to the two gatherers and history devotees.
What Is The Most Expensive Shotgun Ever Sold?
Parker Invincible Shotgun Trio: $5.1M
In 1923, Parker introduced the highest grade of shotgun they would ever make: the Invincible grade. When Invincible grade guns became available for catalog sale they were offered for $1,250 and in today’s money, $20,613. When the everyman could buy a Ford Model T for $300 the parkers were decidedly upmarket.
The first Invincible was produced to celebrate the 200,000 Parker gun, and it has that serial number. In the next three to four years of it being introduced, the US would find itself in the Great Depression. What were once obtainable cheap guns that only the few could afford during better economic times became guns for which no one could afford. Therefore, there exist, to this date, only three Parker Invincible grade shotguns; two of them have a 12-gauge and the third one is of 16-gauge.
Those three were in separate private collections for many years before Robert E. Petersen, do you remember him, finally located the owners of the pair who agreed to sell to him so, you know, he could get the three back together. After Petersen’s death, both rifles were transferred to the NRA Museum’s Traffic.
Since the guns were purchased at different times and from different sources, the price at which each was sold is also unknown. However, we do know that the museum carries GA and AG insurance of $5.1M for the trio. When added up, it amounts to $1.7 million per gun making them the priciest shotguns ever made.
Why Are Double Barrel Shotguns More Expensive?
Double barrel barrel shotguns are many times more costly because of multiple factors:
- Craftsmanship and Intricacy: Because their plan incorporates a double barrel and a more mind-boggling shooting instrument, Double-barreled barrel shotguns require more many-sided craftsmanship. This craftsmanship adds to both creation expenses and, by and large, worth.
- Authentic Importance: Some two-barrel shotguns have verifiable worth, particularly old-fashioned models or those made by prestigious makers. This verifiable significance can increase their cost.
- Sturdiness and Quality: Double-barrel shotguns frequently use more excellent materials and are stronger than single-barrel models. Their capacity to withstand weighty use while keeping up with execution adds to their allure and cost.
- Collectibility: Authorities exceptionally pursue double-barrel shotguns, particularly those with special elements or from esteemed brands. The unique cases and restricted accessibility of specific models drive up their worth.
- Tasteful Allure: Some double-barrel shotguns include stunning plans, etchings, and top-of-the-line wraps. These stylish components, frequently found in premium or custom models, increase their expense, particularly among authorities who esteem structure and capability.
These variables consolidate to make double-barrel shotguns more costly than numerous different sorts of guns.
What Was The Most Expensive Gun Ever Sold?
Pat Garrett’s Colt Single Action Army Used to Kill Billy the Kid — Sale Price: $6.03 million
This revolver links Billy the Kid, one of the most notorious outlaws of the Old West, and Pat Garrett, the mutual man who was both an outlaw and gunslinger and later the sheriff for eternity.
It is, in fact, just a reprint of a photograph of a Colt Single Action Army revolver. Its value is in its history, not the interconnectedness and exchanges that make for a complex global system. In the document signed on February 10, 1906, Garrett stated that they pinned the gun on Billy Wilson, one of the members of Billy the Kid’s gang, during an arrest.
Garrett then started carrying Wilson’s gun, which was with him when he killed the Kid in July 1881. This gun was sold privately for thirty-eight years and had been in a private collection and sale for their entire lifetimes. Bonham’s first listed it in August 2021 for sale to the public at auction. It was initially expected to cost between $2 and $3 million, but it attracted $6.03 million. It is now with another private collector.
What Is The World’s Most Powerful Handgun?
Magnum Research BFR, .45/70 Government
The .45/70 Government cartridge was never intended to be loaded in revolvers, but Magnum Research developed one capable of doing so. Magnum Research’s Big Frame Revolver (BFR) can be ordered in .45/70 and even .30-30 Winchester and there are many other potent calibers.
As usual with revolvers of this type, they are simply called ‘large,’ referring to the holstered gun. At 28,000 psi, the .45/70 cartridge isn’t particularly potent, but it’s more than adequate in a revolver.
At the muzzle, it can take a 500-grain bullet out at 1150 feet per second while generating 1468 fps of energy. It is not the most powerful handgun cartridge, though it is very close with a power factor of 575. In addition, it has the same ammunition capacity as the Marlin 1895 lever-action rifle; it is custom-made for those who love big guns.
What Is The Most Rare Gun In The World?
Nock Gun
British engineer James Wilson made the Nock gun, a seven-barrelled flintlock firearm. It was made as a volley gun, meaning that all fired at once, which was good for ship usage. The Royal Navy thought that enemy sailors would be overwhelmed when attacked from this position of the ship’s mast. While the Army service refused the type, the Navy accepted it and purchased 526 Nock guns in 1780. These guns were used at the Great Siege of Gibraltar in 1782.
However, the Nock gun had problems. It was a powerful weapon that inevitably hit the fire and was hard to manage. Other complaints were that firing could cause sparks to catch sails and lead to fire. For easier handling, the manufacturing company had to upgrade the usability of the software. But they manufactured another set of 655 guns, and the soldiers still felt at ease because of the powerful recoil.
By 1804, the Royal Navy had been discharged from using the Nock gun. Today, only a few can be found, and they are in museums such as the Royal Armouries Museum, the National Firearms Museum, and the Charleston Museum. However, the gun was named after Henry Nock, another gun manufacturer from London who was awarded the contract to manufacture the gun by the Royal Navy.
Conclusion
Why do people love old guns? Because they stand out, they are attractive, and they boast a swell of history. Every single one is used to teach about history or certain individuals in history. Some guns are as valuable as millions of dollars due to the previous owner or simply because they are very, very limited in number.
Weapons used by ordinary people during special periods, for instance, George Washington or Teddy Roosevelt, are irreplaceable. That is why collections of such items cost a fortune to collectors of historical artifacts.
