French King Louis XIII’s wonderfully embellished wheellock sporting arm topped Rock Island Auction Company’s recently completed August Premier, crossing the podium for $881,250 and propelling the three-day sale to over $23 million realized.

Along with King Louis’ wheellock, Pat Garrett’s gold-splashed Colt 1877 Thunderer and gold Lincoln County Sheriff badge soared to $528,750 and $235,000 respectively, and the compelling story of the “Marshfield Find,” a Winchester Model 1886 discovered in its original packing crate after nearly a century in a Massachusetts attic, hammered for $352,500 on the weekend.

Other eye-catching moments from the Premier included a cased Colt Third Model Dragoon with an 8-inch barrel that rocketed to $440,625 and a Knight’s Armament Stoner 63A that collected $223,250, both powering past their high estimates.

The “Marshfield Find” drew a crowd on Preview Day at the company’s Bedford, Texas venue where amazing fine antique firearms from the Norman R. Blank and Greg Lampe collections as well as a beautiful array of Colts, Winchesters and beautifully engraved sporting arms also gleaned interest.

Day One

The back-to-back sale of the gun and badge of Wild West lawman and killer of Billy the Kid, Pat Garrett, drew spirited bidding, and the “Marshfield Find” found a warm reception within the first hour of the auction, easily cruising past its high estimate.

Nineteenth century carriage guns performed nicely on the auction’s opening day. A U.S. Navy Mark I 1900 Gatling Gun with its carriage and caisson outperformed its high estimate for $211,500, while a U.S. Navy Maxim-Nordenfelt five-barrel volley “machine” gun collected $141,000 to coast past its high estimate.

Colt revolvers did well on the day as a Single Action Army Cavalry model, part of the only known pair shipped by Springfield Armory in 1922 and featured in “Cavalry & Artillery Revolvers: A Continuing Story” by John Kopec and Sterling Fenn earned $164,500 to surpass its high estimate, and a factory engraved SAA with pearl grips landed at $99,875. A Savage Navy revolver from the U.S. Cartridge Company’s collection, one of about 20,000 made during the Civil War, fetched $52,875. A pair of beautifully engraved and inlaid Brescian Wheellock pistols crossed the podium and over the high estimate for $52,875. Colt pistols also did well on the day as a Colt Model 1902 with its box earned $41,125 and a World War 2 era inspected U.S. Colt Model 1911A1 collected $22,325 to slip past its high estimate.

Class III items really made a splash in the auction as an Erma MP.38 earned $82,250 to soar past its high estimate while A Colt Model 63 and a Portuguese BSW MG-13 each crossed the podium for $55,813, topping their high estimates. The extremely rare World War 2 German MKb 42(H) carbine landed at $164,500.

This Erma MP.38 gaveled for $82,250 on Day One of RIAC's August Premier Auction.

Italian sporting arms hunted strong returns on Day One as an engraved Perazzi MX28 SCO/C two barrel set brought $38,188, while an engraved Perazzi 28 gauge SCO/C three barrel set and a Perazzi 28 gauge SCO/C over/under shotgun with a two-barrel set each collected $32,313 as all of them went over their high estimates. An engraved P.V. Nelson .410 over/under returned $152,750.

Other highlights of Day One included a Union Metallic Cartridge Company cartridge display board that roared past its high estimate to $94,000, a Savage Navy revolver that sailed past its high estimate for $52,875 and a historic 1743-dated British Brown Bess flintlock musket that targeted $58,750, foretelling Day Three’s run on flintlocks.

Day Two

King Louis’ flintlock and the Stoner 63A were highlights of Day Two while an Alden George Ulrich factory-engraved Winchester Pre-64 Model 70 chambered in .220 Swift rocketed to a surprising $293,750, more than tripling its high estimate.

This beautiful Alden George Ulrich engraved Winchester Pre-64 Model 70 crossed the podium for $293,750 on Day Two of Rock Island Auction Company's August Premier.

Joining the regal flintlock of Louis XIII with strong results from the Norman R. Blank Collection was the ornate flintlock sporting gun by Joseph Griffin that achieved $94,000 and a half-stock flintlock sporting rifle by James Haslett of Baltimore reached $70,500, both surpassing their high estimates.

At every turn on Day Two was a remarkable result. A deluxe Winchester Model 1885 schuetzen rifle with factory carved stock and engraving with platinum inlays by John Ulrich gaveled for $211,500 to slip past its high estimate, a Boss & Co. 28 gauge sidelock over/under shotgun took $164,500 to overshoot its high estimate and a Winchester Model 1886 in .40-95 Express collected $152,750. A Colt First Model Dragoon marked “2 USD” also got in on the action, landing at $141,000, well past its high estimate.

This Boss & Co. 28 gauge sidelock over/under shotgun with an extra barrel realized $164,500.

Winchesters got the day off fast with several rifles performing well. A First Model 1873 shot to $82,250, while a Deluxe Model 1886 takedown rifle earned $129,250 and a Model 1873 saddle ring carbine brought $41,125, all more than their high estimates.

Along with the Stoner 63A, an Armalite prototype AR-18 grabbed $117,500 and a Czech MG37(T) heavy machine gun reached $49,938, both surpassing their high estimates. The Invictus Singer, one of only 500 of the Model 1911A1s made by the sewing machine company and flown over Axis-occupied Europe on 35 bombing missions collected $323,125.

This Knight's Armament Stoner 63A brought $223,250 on Day Two of Rock Island Auction Company's August Premier.

Day Three

The Brown Bess on Day One and the flintlocks from the Norman R. Blank collection predicted nice opportunities for Revolutionary War era firearms. A Peter Berry Golden Age flintlock American long rifle realized $35,250 while a John Twigg flintlock swivel breech sporting gun went for $12,925, and a Bedford School flintlock American long rifle and a British short land pattern Brown Bess each reached $11,750, all surpassing their high estimates.

Other highlights on Day Three included a factory gold-plated deluxe First Model Winchester 1873 that brought $58,750 and a Colt Single Action Army inscribed to T.C. Nunn of Bryan, Texas that drew $55,813, both going over their high estimate. That Colt SAA surpassed the Silver screen Single Action Army that appeared in “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance,” that got its ticket punched for $41,125, topping its estimate.

A German MG81X twin-mount machine gun hammered for $82,250 leading Day Three Class III items that included a Colt M16A1 in the 9 million serial range that reached $44,063 and a SWD Poly Tech AKS earned $35,250, passing their high estimates. An Alltech/IMI micro Uzi brought $29,375, more than doubling its high estimate. Among militaria, a 307th Airborne Engineer Battalion patch landed at $9,400 to exceed its high estimate.

Among sporting arms, a Claudio Tomasoni engraved Ivo Fabbri over/under shotgun three barrel set brought $129,250 and a cased pair of factory engraved Beretta So6EELL shotguns returned $64,625. An interesting 18-shot engraved J.J. Herman pepperbox sailed to $17,625, more than three times its high estimate, while a cased pair of Thomas Williams pepperbox revolvers closed for $9,400, pushing past its high estimate.

Thank You

It was a spectacular weekend of King Louis XIII’s regally embellished wheellock, Pat Garrett, the “Marshfield Find,” and a fabulous roster of items and opportunities for collectors. Thank you to our consignors and collectors for your support and interest in our August Premier that realized over $23 million. We look forward to seeing you back in Bedford for the October 4-6 Sporting & Collector Auction.