Rock Island Auction’s May Premier Auction realized $28 million from its roster of world class guns resulting in several new world records. The total from the three-day sale, headlined by several pieces by legendary engraver L.D. Nimschke, is the third highest in company history.

Black Beauty, a Colt Single Action Army engraved and gold inlaid by Nimschke that displays all of his inimitable talents led the sale. In a tense and muted auction hall, the revolver realized $1.645 million on the sale’s opening morning. It was the second-highest price ever paid for one of the legendary revolvers.

Nimschke’s work was celebrated all weekend, with classic offerings from Colt, Winchester, Marlin and Smith & Wesson to Remington and Moore’s Patent revolvers, and lesser known models like Colt’s Cloverleaf and Lightning Baby Carbine.

This magnificent Colt Single Action Army is Black Beauty, a benchmark of Master Engraver L.D. Nimschke with its engraving and gold inlays. The revolver brought $1.645 million on the auction's opening day.

The sale offered the largest selection of machine guns ever, with some eye-popping results. The record-setting sale of a Cadillac Gage Stoner 63 for $411,250 on the opening day was only topped by an extremely rare FN M240B belt fed machine gun that rocketed to $470,000 on the auction’s second day. Among the 141 Class III offerings that performed well at auction were a DLO M58 belt-fed machine gun that achieved $264,375, a J.C. Benjamin M60 that landed at $105,750, a factory original HK MP5A3 that earned $99,875 and a Colt Armalite 01 AR-15 that collected $94,000. These weren’t alone among the Class III items that shattered their high estimates.

Headlined by Nimschke’s mastery, spectacularly engraved guns filled all three auction days. An engraved and silver plated Henry rifle soared to $411,250, while a pair of Philippe Grifnee engraved J. Purdey & Sons over/under shotguns powered to $440,625. Nimschke’s “Bank Note” engraved Winchester Model 1866 achieved $235,000 alongside a one-of-a-kind Karl Hauptmann triple rifle wickedly engraved with a Seven Deadly Sins theme that earned the same price. A Tiffany shipped and embellished Smith & Wesson Safety Hammerless brought $70,500 while a Colt New Line revolver that served as an unexpected but brilliant canvas with ivory grips and a gold-plated cylinder and trigger, pulled in $64,625 to sail past its high estimate.

This Cadillac Gage Stoner 63 earned a world record price of $411,250 for one of Eugene Stoner's modular machine guns that was popular with Special Forces in the 1960s.

Historic and high conditioned revolvers made their mark on the auction, too. A pinched frame Colt Single Action Army chambered in .44 Smith & Wesson American wowed at $440,625. The D Company No. 81 Colt Model 1847 Walker revolver hammered for $223,250, while a Patent Arms “Baby Paterson” No. 1 crossed the podium for $70,500.

Among the outstanding rifles in the auction, a pair of Winchester Model 1873 “One of 1,000” rifles returned $223,250 and $264,375. The former was a well-documented rifle used in the Jimmy Stewart vehicle “Winchester ’73,” and the latter was a special order shipped to the Browning brothers in Ogden, Utah. A beautifully engraved Nimschke Marlin Model 1889 more than doubled its high estimate, collecting $164,500. A John Ulrich-engraved Winchester Model 1886 carbine achieved $111,625, while a deluxe Winchester 1886 rifle sold two lots later earned $94,000. A modern rifle, a U.S. Marine Corps and Iraq War issued E.D. M. Arms Model 96 Windrunner landed at $64,625 to shoot past its high estimate.

This brilliantly engraved Marlin Model 1889 is among the pieces by L.D. Nimschke that graced the recently completed May Premier. It earned $164,500, more than doubling its high pre-auction estimate.

A World War 1 U.S. Remington-UMC Model 10-A trench shotgun blasted to $52,875, followed by a World War 2 U.S. Ithaca Model 37 trench shotgun that earned $47,000. Among sporting shotguns was a Philippe Grifnee engraved Purdey shotgun nand three-barrel set that reached $44,063.

Rock Island Auction Company would like to extend a sincere thank you to our consignors and clients who made a great auction with memorable bidding on fabulous pieces.