Rock Island Auction Company’s August Premier offers guns of Hollywood legends, historic presentation pieces,  battle-worn sidearms and beautifully embellished sporting arms. The Aug. 15-17 event in Bedford, Texas has a roster not to be missed.

The magnificent gold inlaid, silver mounted and carved flintlock once owned by South American revolutionary Simón Bolívar heads the offerings of fine and historic firearms from each and every genre of collecting.

The cased sporting arm was originally presented to Bolívar by the Marquis de Lafayette, the French military leader of the American Revolution. He is often called “El Libertador” for leading the movement to free the continent from Spanish colonialism. The nation of Bolivia is named after Bolívar who also drafted the country’s first constitution.

The magnificent gold inlaid, silver mounted and carved flintlock of South American revolutionary Simón Bolívar, available this August.

Bolívar's Sporting Arm & McQueen's Mare's Leg

Bolívar’s piece displays numerous gold accents on the barrel and breech along with fine floral engraving and a number of beautifully executed designs. The forend cap depicts Artemis, while the Greek hero Meleager, the host of the Calydonian boar hunt, decorates the trigger guard finial. Artemis returns on the buttplate, firing her bow with a dog by her feet on the upper finial. The carved stock accents the gun’s hunting theme with a detailed boar's head.

Legendary actor Steve McQueen’s Winchester Model 1892 “Mare’s Leg” and holster rig carried by his character, bounty hunter Josh Randall, on “Wanted Dead or Alive” provides some Hollywood stardust amid a galaxy of finely engraved pieces.

The iconic and well-documented Winchester Model 1892 Mare's Leg and holster of Josh Randall as portrayed by legendary actor Steve McQueen, available this August.

Works of Master Engravers

The phenomenal works of master engravers like Cuno Helfricht, L.D. Nimschke, Wilbur Glahn, Conrad Ulrich Jr., Philippe Grifnee and Phil Coggan are led by a trio of Ivo Fabbri 28 gauge sidelock over/under shotguns with photo realistic nude-themed engraving by Italian Master Engraver Manrico Torcoli. The shotguns have bright brush finishes that display feminine forms amid waterfowl, tropical birds, song birds and flowing peacock feathers.

A stunning pair of Brown Brothers signed, master engraved, and relief precious metal game scene inlaid James Purdey & Sons 20 gauge sidelock O/U shotguns with cases.

Engraved European sporting arms from Holland & Holland, Purdey and others, as well as adorned classics from the American west, like Colt, Winchester and Marlin will be available in August. The auction also has a Civil War-themed Tiffany and Co. embellished Smith & Wesson double action Third Model.

Many of these beautifully embellished and historic pieces come from the highly coveted collections of Charles Marx, Brig & Louise Pemberton, Greg Lampe, Andrew Singer, Mac McCroskie, George S. Lewis, Jim C. Eplen, Robert M. Lee, Nick Shannon and Norman R. Blank.

A Civil War themed, Deluxe Tiffany & Co. embellished Sterling silver grip Smith & Wesson .32 DA Third Model revolver.

History Lives Here

Historic arms that populate the sale roster include a presentation cased Colt Paterson No. 3 Belt Model, a Colt Walker A Company No. 74, and a pair of presentation percussion revolvers inscribed from Samuel Colt to the Chief of Ordnance of the Union Army. Among the fascinating rifles are a Civil War era factory engraved and silver plated Henry rifle and a documented 7th Cavalry Troop C U.S. Springfield Model 1873 Trapdoor carbine recovered from the Little Bighorn battlefield.

A historic presentation cased and silver banded, flared grip Colt Paterson No. 3 Belt Model inscribed "John B. Arden 1842".

For Marlin collectors, August's auction features a stunning selection, including a special order gold and platinum inlaid Ulrich factory game panel scene and oak leaf relief engraved Deluxe Model 1893. The highest grade Winchesters are also offered in abundance, including some of the rarest and most coveted variants ever crafted.

A stunning Schuyler, Hartley & Graham presentation cased, L. D. Nimschke engraved, silver and gold plated Winchester Deluxe Model 1866 rifle with ammunition attributed as presented to Railroad Tycoon James J. Hill, "The Empire Builder."

Highlights include a phenomenal fresh-to-market Deluxe Model 1876 with a number of special features including a casehardened finish, .40-60 caliber chambering, octagon barrel, set trigger, a checkered pistol grip stock.

Other standouts include an L.D. Nimschke exhibition engraved and gold plated Winchester Model 1866, a game panel factory engraved nickel and gold plated Deluxe Model 1892, a well-documented Special Order Deluxe Model 1894 with a scarce matte barrel and casehardened frame and a Model 1886 Deluxe model chambered in .50-110 along with a stunning 1895 Winchester single “W” cartridge board.

A Model 1849 Pocket with extremely rare Charter Oak grips, available this August.

Discover an unparalleled selection of engraved Colts this August, showcasing a virtuoso of engraving from Class A to Class C+. We have meticulously curated some of the finest examples ever produced, each a masterpiece of craftsmanship and a testament to Colt’s legacy.

Outstanding black powder and First Generation examples include a consecutive pair of Helfricht deluxe factory engraved with Bisley triggers and trigger guard has factory gold inlaid inscriptions to Capt. J.R. Hegeman and ivory grips. Hegeman, a National Guardsman and early Colt collector, was the son of the president of Metropolitan Life Insurance Company and oversaw the completion of the Met Life Tower, New York City’s tallest building from 1903 to 1913.

A pair of phenominal consecutive pair of Cuno Helfricht Deluxe factory-engraved and gold inlaid Colt First Generation Single Action Army revovers, available this August.

Another rare SAA is the ATF exempt smooth bore, First Generation revolver with pearl grips shipped to Oklahoma’s 101 Ranch artist and cowboy Emil W. Lenders, whose partner was trick shooter Lillian F. Smith. A magnificent silver and gold plated Helfricht engraved revolver featured in R.L. Wilson’s “Colt Pistols” jumps from the page to the auction in August.

Colt percussion revolvers will be well represented and include an award-winning Model 1849 Pocket with extremely rare Charter Oak grips and presentation “Colt on the Constitution” book case and a two-digit serial numbered Colt Model 1861 Navy with a fluted cylinder. Included in the rare firearms on offer are an exhibition quality Colt New Police “Cop & Thug” Model spur trigger revolver and a Confederate Dance & Brothers revolver.

An intriguing non-firearm item, the historic framed oil painting depicting the Sand Creek massacre – also known as the Battle of Washita -- by artist Frederic S. Remington, will be included in the auction as well as a somewhat related piece, a Colt Model 1851 Navy revolver presented to Major Joel Elliott by the men of the 7th Cavalry in 1868. Elliott was killed the same year at the Sand Creek Massacre.

An original oil painting by legendary Western Artist Frederic S. Remington of the Battle of Washita, showing George Armstrong Custer and the U.S. 7th Cavalry in their assault on Black Kettle's Village in November 1868.

Military Arms and More

From World War 2 is a U.S. Johnson Model 1941 light machine gun from the Winchester Reference Collection. Joining the Johnson M1941 at the top of the Class III offerings are a Rock Island Armory M60 machine gun, a Heckler & Koch MP5A2 submachine gun, a factory original G3 select fire battle rifle and a Group Industries Model 1918A2 Browning Automatic Rifle.

August’s auction showcases some of the rarest examples of military marksman rifles, spanning from early sharpshooters of the Civil War to sniper rifles used in the War on Terror. Highlights include an experimental prototype Springfield Model 1898 Krag Jorgensen bolt action sniper rifle, a Knights Manufacturing Co. SR-25 MK 11 MOD 0, and a documented Remington M24 SWS.

Other military rarities include a recently discovered Singer Manufacturing Co. M1911A1 pistol and a factory documented Spanish-American War Smith & Wesson First Model revolver consecutively numbered to another revolver shipped to Col. Theodore Roosevelt, and a Spanish-American War U.S. Navy Contract Winchester-Lee Model 1895 rifle recovered from the U.S.S. Maine.

A recently discovered World War II U.S. Singer Manufacturing Co. Model 1911A1.

Well-known pistol shooters are also represented in the auction. A rare Colt Model 1905 pistol from gun writer Elmer Keith, and a pair of K-22 Target Pre-Model 17 double action revolver and a single Smith & Wesson K-22 Outdoorsman of fast and fancy revolver shooter Ed McGivern will be available this August.

The roster for the upcoming Premier Auction is outstanding and not to be missed. Please join us in person or online for the Aug. 15-17 Premier Auction in Bedford, Texas with a full day preview on Aug. 14.

A documented "A. Oakley" shipped smoothbore Smith & Wesson New Model No. 3 Special Target variation Single Action revolver with factory letter and ATF exemption letter. Available this August.