Fetching a price of $1.84 million, a Model 1847 Walker Colt has set a new world record for most expensive single firearm ever sold at auction. Fewer than 100 of these guns are thought to have been produced; this is the only one known to remain in its original case.
The sale is “further demonstration that the art and history in firearms is really catching fire,” Rock Island Auction Co. President Kevin Hogan said. “We value so strongly the aesthetics, history and craftsmanship of paintings, fine automobiles and watches, but firearms that possess these same traits remain remarkably undervalued. It’s an exciting time to see the collector market making that discovery for itself.”
Hogan’s company also set the previous record: A Model 1866 Winchester rifle that had ties to Geronimo and is marked serial number 1 sold for $1.2 million. Kevin Hogan and his father, Pat, who started the business, are quick to credit firearm owners for their success, and they’ve made it their mission to give back—both are members of NRA’s prestigious Golden Ring of Freedom donor society, and have given millions of dollars in support of NRA-ILA.
