Unique Guns from the Finest Collections
Firearms development is filled with scarcely produced designs, rare prototypes, experimental arms, and an assortment of fascinating curiosa. When it
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Whether you’re thinking of picking up some gun gifts for the firearms aficionados in your life or looking to treat yourself to something new for your personal gun collection, the exciting selection of arms, accessories, and rare militaria found at Rock Island Auction Company includes something for every gun lover.
From classic guns to historic paintings, bronzes, advertisements, and some of the rarest curio pieces you'll find, Rock Island Auction Company has you covered. And with three auctions coming up before the holidays, that means plenty of chances to pick up something special.
Rock Island Auction not only offers lots of guns to choose from, but a wide range of cool gun accessories are found in the catalogs as well. Scopes are one such gift idea that’s sure to hit the mark for the gun guys and gun gals you know who enjoy target shooting, varminting, or hunting large game.
For fans of James Bond gadgets and unique collectible firearms, novelty guns shaped like flashlights, credit cards, canes, and pens can often be found at Rock Island Auction Company. Palm guns were popular with gamblers in the Old West, and nothing illustrates the desire for a covert concealed firearm more than this Lebeda Engineering LLC. Elgin pocket watch percussion pistol.
Ammo is one of the go-to gifts for gun lovers since you know it's going to get used. It's one of the few gifts you can never have too much of, and Rock Island Auction offers a wide selection of modern ammo to choose from in our Arms & Accessories Auctions, as well as vintage ammunition in our Premier and Sporting & Collectors Auctions which makes for a fantastic display piece.
For many firearms fans, guns and edged weapons just go together, and Rock Island Auction offers a cross-section of knives, daggers, and swords for every area of collecting. It's no surprise that gun lovers who appreciate artistry and craftsmanship look for the same qualities in their knives and blades. Prized pieces such as Randall knives add depth to any weapons collection and can be obtained at a price that won't break the bank.
Like fine firearms, knives can be a steel canvas for a talented artisan, a functional piece of high-end art. For those seeking the aesthetics of an ornamental blade, an impressive selection of embellished Zlatoust knives can be found at Rock Island Auction. Located in the heartland of the Russian steel industry, the town of Zlatoust has a reputation for craftsmanship. When it comes to Zlatoust knives, think detailed inlaid floral scrolls and intricate geometric engraving that complements the elegant lines of the blades, hilts, and handles, the perfect gifts for gun lovers with an eye for artistry.
If there’s one thing vintage weapons collectors appreciate, it’s a piece with a story to tell and a legacy to share. A historic blade can be an impressive addition to any arms assemblage and a fine display piece that can help to paint a more vivid picture of the soldiers, hunters, and frontiersmen who carried them. As with antique guns, owning a vintage knife can be a great way to connect to the past and preserve a piece of that legacy.
When it comes to the non-gun items featured at Rock Island Auction Company, swords are among the most popular. These historic blades vary from battle-tested war swords to the finest presentation pieces, like the Tiffany & Co. knight pommel officer's sword of Civil War veteran Daniel Sickles. Needless to say, Japanese swords are another collector's mainstay and a welcome gift for anyone interested in historic weapons, and many are offered at an attainable price point.
Firearms-related decorations are another ideal gift option for the gun lovers in your life, especially for the person with a den or gun room used to store their valued arms. Vintage gun ads and vintage calendars are the perfect wall art for a gun enthusiast’s man cave and can go with a variety of design styles, including the classic trophy-room theme. This December, Rock Island Auction Company features an expansive selection of quality period artwork from the George Gamble collection.
Whether a gun lover prefers more of a modern design or a classic game room look, vintage gun ads will complement their tastes. Gun room gift ideas are a creative way to contribute to someone's firearm hobby and help spruce up their favorite space with something more aesthetically pleasing than a movie poster or a piece of Amazon wall art.
Thanks in part to more than a century of Hollywood movies, the Wild West continues to captivate collectors across the globe. Owning a real-life relic of the Old West is a dream well within reach of the average budget, including iconic guns like the Colt Single Action Army. A wheelgun on everyone's bucket list, the Colt SAA served as the choice sidearm for countless lawmen, desperados, and cowboys who braved the frontier
Nothing captures the spirit of the Old West quite like an L.A. Huffman photograph, and these prints make perfect gifts for gun lovers and history buffs alike. Through his portraits of the peoples, wildlife, landscapes, and industries of late 19th century Montana Territory, frontier photographer Laton Alton Huffman documented an authentic vision of the West that few of his contemporaries equaled.
Winchester rifles and the Old West go hand-in-hand. From James Stewart's Winchester '73 movie to Paramount's recent 1883 series, the Winchester lever action continues to see action on screen, and the legendary rifle remains as popular as ever today with arms collectors, cowboy shooters, and fans of frontier history. Though a highly competitive genre, authentic Wild West Winchesters can be found in a range of price points at Rock Island Auction Company.
77 years on, and the legacy of WW2 looms larger than ever in the public consciousness. For collectors, owning arms and militaria from the Second World War is a way to honor the exceptional men who carried, wore, and won these items in their fight to defeat the Axis powers. Captured German arms were viewed as valuable war trophies for the Allies, and these “bring back guns” are considered some of the most desirable pieces in the gun collecting community today.
Countless books, films, and video games on WW2 have kept interest on the topic high, and artifacts from the conflict have skyrocketed in demand. Rock Island Auction Company features its fair share of desirable WW2 militaria, including the grouping of metals and patches connected to the 11th Airborne Division and the 511th Parachute Infantry Regiment pictured below.
From the beaches of Normandy to the islands of the South Pacific, few weapons can symbolize America’s valor in WW2 better than the M1 Garand. John Garand's .30-caliber rifle replaced the 1903 Springfield in 1936 as the standard U.S. Army and the U.S. Marine Corps infantry rifle and went on to help turn the tide of the war. When it comes to WW2 collecting, the venerable M1 is absolutely essential, and they’re a blast to fire as well.
Who doesn't love a WW2 flight jacket? First developed in the early 1930s, these comparatively lightweight leather jackets (later combined with rayon and nylon) were intended to provide resistance against the severe conditions aircrews faced mid-flight. While the knitted collars, cuffs, and waistbands give WW2 flight jackets a distinct look, it's the squadron patches and stylized artwork painted on the back of each jacket that tell the stories behind the heroes who wore them.
If you're searching for a fun gift for the modern sportsman in your family, Rock Island Auction Company’s Arms & Accessories catalogs provide an exciting assortment of rifles to fill nearly every niche of the hunting and target shooting pursuits. Some rifles, such as the Remington Model 700 M24, offer the best of both worlds, combining the classic design of one of America’s most prolific hunting arms with features geared more for today’s tactical-minded shooter.
Firearm collectors and history buffs tend to be kindred spirits. Whether it be a U.S. Property marked 1911 or a surplus M17 pistol, a service handgun is a gift any gun lover will be thrilled to receive. Offered here is one of the first M17 pistols issued to the 101st Airborne Division for field testing. Only 3,000 of these pistols were returned to SIG Sauer for sale on the commercial market. If the service life of the M1911A1 and M9 are any indication, the M17 will have a lengthy run as the standard U.S. military sidearm, and early issued examples like this fantastic offering will only gain more collector interest.
For the gun lovers who enjoy spending their evenings wingshooting in the fall or shattering clays, a quality shotgun makes a fantastic gift idea. As the spiritual successor to the Browning Superposed, the Browning Citori finds a graceful balance between traditional and contemporary design sensibilities and has earned a distinguished reputation in the sporting arms community.
For the gun lovers who appreciate the classics, there’s no better venue than Rock Island Auction Company to find an attainably priced vintage firearm. Rare wheelguns are among the most sought-after genres. From the Paterson to the Python, classic Colts rank high on many gun collecting lists, and so do vintage Smith & Wesson revolvers. Smith & Wesson arguably perfected the revolver design and that legendary performance is perhaps best illustrated by the Registered Magnum, a big iron that introduced the .357 Magnum to the world.
You can’t get much more classic than a Springfield 1903. Based on the German Mauser bolt action, the 1903 rifle became a cornerstone of accuracy and rugged resilience. Many early 20th-century rifles like the Springfield 1903 are still carried by hunters and shooters today, including thousands of sporterized examples, a testament to the character and craftsmanship of these timeless designs.
The 1911 genre is more popular than ever today. John Browning’s landmark 1911 design went on to become the longest-serving sidearm in American military history and continues to be produced by dozens of manufacturers across the globe. Whether you’re setting your sights on a classic 1911 pistol or a more recent model from CZ, Ruger, or Sig Sauer, the iconic handgun is prominently featured in every Rock Island Auction catalog and makes a fantastic gift for shooters and gun collectors.
The name Winchester embodies classic American gunmaking, and the Winchester Model 21 has earned a reputation as one of the most elite American boxlock double guns ever produced. From pristine examples to gracefully restored, there’s a Model 21 to be found within reach of almost every shotgun lover at Rock Island Auction Company.
Whether for Christmas, birthdays, or Father's Day, there's never a bad time to shop for some great gifts for the gun lovers in your life. From vintage to modern, from new-in-box pieces to guns marked with honest wear, Rock Island Auction Company offers a vast selection of gun collection must haves that truly span the centuries.
Rock Island Auction's digital gun catalogs always offer an exciting slate of arms, accessories, and rare militaria. Subscribe to the weekly Rock Island Auction newsletter to receive new gun blogs and gun videos on all the firearms genres covered here and more.
Firearms development is filled with scarcely produced designs, rare prototypes, experimental arms, and an assortment of fascinating curiosa. When it
John Mahlon Marlin started with single shot pistols before jumping into lever action rifles that have proved to be some of the most popular ever
Hugh Lowther, the fifth Earl of Lonsdale, squandered a massive fortune through his generosity and out-sized reputation as a womanizer, horseman
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