The Most Expensive Guns Ever Sold at Auction

Manufactured in 1891, this extremely rare Colt revolver was sold by Rock Island Auction Company in August 2022. Sold for more than three-quarters of a million dollars, this sale price was more than three times the upper limit of its estimated price. This specific model has never been fired and is in near-mint condition. According to the auction house, it is the finest known example of its kind and includes a gold seal letter of authentication.

Issued to a member of the Seventh Cavalry in 1874 during the American-Indian Wars. This Colt Single Action Army Revolver is believed to have been picked up from the battlefield in the aftermath of the Battle of Little Bighorn, also known as Custer’s Last Stand, where Lieutenant Colonel George Custer was routed by Lakota and other Plains Indians. The revolver commanded a price of over three-quarters of a million dollars when it was auctioned in May 2022.

This particular Smith & Wesson No. 3 Revolver was shipped to Col. Theodore Roosevelt on May 12, 1898, the day he left for San Antonio, Texas, to train with the Rough Riders. Most No. 3 revolvers were not chambered in .38 Long Colt caliber, which was the standard U.S. service cartridge at the time, but Roosevelt’s was.

It has not been establish whether or not Roosevelt carried the firearm in Cuba during the Spanish-American War.

The most sought-after version of the Winchester 1873 lever-action rifle is the One of One Hundred. Between 1876 and 1878 it was shipped from the Winchester factory and is one of only six in that period known to be in existence. This rifle remains in good condition, although it was carried down the Amazon River by its original owner, and when it was sold at auction in November 2018, it fetched over $800,000, which is equal to over $960,000 today.

A Cased Colt No. 5 Texas Paterson Revolver from the Rock Island Auction Company sold for $805,000 in May 2014 (over $1 million in today’s economy). Due to the gun’s rarity, condition, historical significance, and materials – which include silver bands and an ivory grip – it was able to command a higher sale price.

The Texas Paterson is the revolver that immediately preceded the Walker Colt and marked a significant advancement in the evolution of repeating firearms. This specific revolver has a 9-inch barrel, consistent with 180 units purchased by the Republic of Texas to arm its navy.

German-American artist Louis D. Nimschke engraved this lever-action rifle that features components made with Peruvian silver. Bolivian President Mariano Melgarejo received this firearm as a gift from Peruvian President Jose Balta in the 19th century before it was ultimately rediscovered by a member of French President François Mitterrand’s staff in the 1980s during a trip to South America.

It has been slightly restored and brought in nearly $1 million at auction in December 2021.

This Winchester One of One Thousand Deluxe Model 1873 lever-action rifle sold for over $890,000 in 2018 – or $1.1 million in 2023 dollars – and is extremely rare. Of the 54 ever produced, only 10 are known to collectors. This particular example is in good condition with limited wear.

In 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt was given a custom-made, double-barreled, 12 gauge shotgun by the A.H. Fox Gun Company. Roosevelt said it was the most beautiful gun he had ever seen and in 1909 he brought it with him on an African safari. It was sold in October 2010 for $$862,500 and at that time, it was the most expensive firearm ever sold at auction.

The Colt Walker: E Company, No. 120 revolver was built for military use and is one of only a few guns on this list that does not feature ornate engravings or precious materials. One of the most iconic firearms in U.S. history, this extremely rare, Colt Model 1847 was carried by settlers, ranchers, and troops across the West.

This particular revolver was the last of 120 issued to Company E, but an additional 220 were previously issued to Companies A through D. in In September 2019, the gun sold for over $1 million at auction.

Not only is the 1847 Colt Walker Revolver one of the most powerful black powder revolvers ever made, but it is also one of the rarest. This particular Colt Walker was issued to Pvt. Sam Wilson, a Texas Ranger in Veracruz in 1847. After Wilson was killed in battle, the gun was obtained by Maj. Gen. John Reese Kenly, who fought for the Union Army during the Civil War.

Alexander Hamilton, Founding Father and Secretary of the Treasury owned two flintlock pistols that sold for nearly $1.2 million at auction in May 2021. General Philip Schuyler presented them as a gift to Hamilton and they remained in good, working condition. It is believed that these firearms were used at the Battle of Yorktown, where Hamilton led three battalions to capture key British positions, and are inscribed with his initials.

The Colt Patterson shown here is a replica of the ivory-gripped iteration of the 1836 Colt Paterson. The first repeating pistol patented by Samuel Colt, named for Paterson, New Jersey, the city in which it was made – sold for nearly $980,000 in a September 2011 auction, nearly $1.3 million in 2023 dollars. The revolver’s high price is attributable not only to its place in history but also to its mint condition and high quality.

The Winchester Model 1886 was produced from 1886 until 1935 and marked a significant improvement in repeating long guns. This particular model, Model 1886, fetched nearly $1.2 million at auction in September 2018 and is considered to be the finest example of the rifle ever made.

This one-of-a-kind piece noted for its craftsmanship as much as its historical significance, features ornate engravings and gold and platinum inlays done by John Ulrich depicting a cougar, a deer, a grizzly bear, and two hunting dogs. It also features an octagonal barrel and wood stock carved with floral patterns. Despite its age, the rifle remains in near-mint condition.

This pocket revolver is one of only six ever made and features gold inlays and ornate engravings, depicting a bear, dog, leopard, pheasant, and fox, as well as a hammer engraved with a wolf’s head (one was gifted to the Russian Czar Nicholas I, and two others to the kings of Sweden and Denmark).

Several factors contributed to its high selling price. The revolver’s craftsmanship, historical significance, and good condition played a significant role in fetching $1.1 million in a 2012 auction (equal to about $1.5 million in today’s dollars).

The first ever Winchester Model 1886 lever-action rifle, marked with the serial number “1,” sold for nearly $1.3 million at an April 2016 auction. Not only notable as the first of its kind, this particular rifle was presented to Capt. Henry Lawton by cattle barons in New Mexico after he accepted the surrender of the famed Apache leader Geronimo.

The firearm’s connection to Lawton is perhaps its most valuable asset, as Lawton ended the Apache Wars, fought in the Spanish-American War, and was awarded the Medal of Honor for his service in the Civil War, before being killed in action during the Philippine Insurrection.

President Theodore Roosevelt owned three firearms that are on this list. Of the three, this silver-plated Colt Army revolver sold for the most at auction, bringing in nearly $1.5 million in December 2020, or $1.7 million in 2023 dollars. This firearm was ordered for President Roosevelt four days after an assassination attempt was made on Roosevelt’s life when he vowed to never leave home unarmed again. This particular gun features ornate engravings by Colt Master Engraver Cuno Helfricht and an ivory grip depicting a steer head.

The Millikin Dragoon series of Colt revolvers were ivory-handled presentation pistols – three of which were gifted to Russian Czar Alexander II and his family. This particular example, which sold for nearly $1.7 million in a May 2019 auction, once belonged to Union Army Col. John Minor Millikin Jr. When Millikin was killed in battle, his son, Paul Minor Millikin, who went on to serve in the Spanish-American War and as chief of police in Cincinnati, inherited it.

The gun’s value is due not only to its historical connection and pristine condition but also to its fine scrollwork by the well-known engraver Gustave Young. The firearm features an octagonal barrel and etchings that depict the heads of an eagle, dog, and wolf.

This firearm was rare from the start as only 100 civilian Colt Walker revolvers were ever made. This particular model remains in its original casing, adding to its rarity. It was first purchased by a Danish sea captain named Neils Hanson on an 1847 visit to New York City. Nearly a century later, during the Nazi occupation of Denmark, the gun was buried in a garden to avoid discovery by German troops. It brought in $1.8 million in an April 2018 auction and was the most expensive gun ever sold to date.

Napoléon’s gunsmith, Nicolas-Noël Boutet, created these two flintlock pistols. They once belonged to Simon Bolivar, a revolutionary who is credited with leading the liberation of six South American countries from Spain. Gifted to Bolivar in 1825 by Marquis de Lafayette at the request of George Washington, these pistols are ornately carved and engraved and feature gold inlays and silver mounts.

During the French Revolution, Napoleon was gifted a rifled carbine, two rifled carriage pistols, and two pocket pistols, as well as a sword and scabbard. The weapons are gold-encrusted and feature carvings of Greco-Roman symbolism. Napoleon himself gifted the weapons to Marshall Junot, Duke of Abrantes, and is said to have been wearing the sword when the French government was overthrown in 1799. This collection of weapons sold for nearly $2.9 million in a December 2021 auction.

The Marquis de Lafayette gifted General George Washington these two flintlock pistols during the American Revolution. Washington is believed to have carried the pistols at Valley Forge, Monmouth, the Battle of Yorktown, and the Whiskey Rebellion. They were later inherited by Andrew Jackson during his presidential campaign. In a January 2002 auction, they sold for nearly $2 million, equal to over $3.3 million in 2023.

These two Remington revolvers, with 8-inch octagonal barrels, are thought to have been gifted to Gen. Ulysses S. Grant during the Civil War after his troops took Vicksburg on July 4, 1863. Engraved by L.D. Nimschke, the two guns feature the likeness of Grant etched into the ivory handles.

Notable for their artistry as well as their historical significance, the pair of revolvers sold for over $5 million in a May 2022 auction – over $2 million higher than the upper limit of their estimated price.

The gun used to kill Billy the Kid is said to be the most desirable, significant, and most documented firearm. Also known as the Billy the Kid gun, this notorious weapon was used by Pat Garrett to take out the infamous gunfighter in New Mexico in July 1881. Drawing a bid of over $6 million in 2021, it is the most expensive firearm ever to be sold at auction.

This revolver, similar to the one shown, is unlike many other firearms on this list and is not engraved nor made of valuable materials, though it is in very good condition. Garrett is said to have taken the gun off Billy Wilson, another outlaw in the Old West.