A Find, a Singer, and a wheellock from French King Louis XIII’s Cabinet d’Armes are among the incredible array of firearms on offer in Rock Island Auction Company’s Aug. 23-25 Premier Auction in Bedford, Texas.

The Find, is of course the Marshfield Find, a Winchester 1886 amazingly discovered in the attic of a colonial era home in Marshfield, Mass. where it sat for nearly a century. The high-conditioned gun, chambered in the desirable .45-90 WCF, and its accompanying shipping crate are a time capsule that includes packing papers, five boxes of ammunition and a leather scabbard.

The Invictus Singer is the Model 1911A1 carried by B-24 Liberator pilot Thomas R. Moss on 35 missions over Axis-occupied Europe. Already a rarity because only 500 were made by the Singer Sewing Machine Company, this pistol occupies truly rarified space because of its history and provenance. Moss kept the Singer in very good condition and only parted with it a few years before his death at the age of 99 in 2020.

Louis XIII could be considered the first gun collector based on his legendary Cabinet d’Armes, and this gold and silver ornamented royal presentation wheellock from that collection is truly an amazing piece and one of the first pieces in his collection. Likely made by Francois Poumerol, the gun is immensely embellished with gold and silver, making it a true piece of art.

Impressive Collections

Offerings from the collections of George S. Lewis, Greg Lampe, Norman R. Blank, Andrew Singer and Mac McCroskie continue to provide historic and highly conditioned firearms from bygone eras. The Lewis Collection has some immensely well-conditioned Colts, and Singer provides prime examples from the late percussion and early cartridge eras of the 19th century. The McCroskie collection is legendary for the well-documented history and provenance of absolutely beautiful guns.

From the Lampe Collection comes amazing holster rigs and scarce vintage ammunition as well as firearms that glisten with blued and casehardened finishes like a cased factory engraved Colt Model 1861 Navy revolver available on Day 2 of the Auction.

Among the awe-inspiring offerings from the Blank Collection, aside from the spectacular Wheellock of Louis XIII, are amazing flintlocks from James Haslett and Joseph Griffin and an award-winning exhibition quality Purdey double rifle that appeared at the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1878 and the Sydney International Exhibition the following year.

Wild West Guns

Recognizable names like Buffalo Bill Cody, Pat Garrett and actor Lee Marvin pop up among the many Wild West guns and other western memorabilia that will be offered at the auction. A Buffalo Bill presentation Winchester 1895 carbine to M.R. “Gold Nugget Mike/Deadwood Mike” hovers at the pinnacle of guns from the American West. A gold Lincoln County sheriff’s badge and an engraved gold washed Colt 1877 Thunderer presented to Pat Garrett offers a glimpse into the hardscrabble and often lawless nature of the West.

A pair of Colt Single Action Army revolvers associated with the 101 Ranch in Oklahoma show the transition of the west from a land of desperadoes and outlaws to hard-working settlers carving out a living as farmers and ranchers. A Colt Single Action Army provides a bit of Hollywood glamour, carried by actor Lee Marvin alongside Hollywood royalty John Wayne and Jimmy Stewart in the film “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. A screen-used Colt Model 1903 Hammerless carried by Gary Cooper in the film “City Streets” is also available.

Classic handguns and pocket pistols from Smith & Wesson, Tranter, Remington and Merwin Hulbert populate the auction catalog alongside the numerous historic and well-conditioned offerings from Colt that range from the percussion era Paterson of the early Texas Rangers to the modern times of the Model 1911A1 that was a military mainstay for the United States during most of the 20th century.

Only approximately 1,000 No. 5 Holster Model "Texas Paterson" revolvers were manufactured by Colt. This example is available on Day One of the August 23-25 Premier Auction. Also available is the Colt Paterson Model 1839 Percussion Revolving Shotgun also pictured at right.

L.A. Huffman’s photographs chronicled the end of the Wild West era, capturing images of horse soldiers and Native Americans alike. Several of his prints, including some that are hand-colored and accompanied by their stencils, are available in the auction. The auction will also offer a number of leather holster rigs and law enforcement badges that are fantastic relics of a bygone era of lawlessness and adventure in the Old West.

Military Collectibles

The Invictus Singer pistol is surrounded by fascinating militariain the auction in the form of handguns, infantry rifles, machine guns and flight jackets from several conflicts like the Brown Bess of the American Revolution, several German machine guns like the MP40 of World War 2, the M60 of the Vietnam War and the U.S. Barrett M82A1 of Desert Storm. Also of interest to collectors are terrific offerings of military uniform patches from World War 2 that come from every corner of the conflict.

Joining a medley of German machine guns are a number of rapid fire hotshots like the Thompson Submachine gun, the Stoner 63A, the Winchester BAR and the Colt M16, and modern classics like Heckler & Koch’s HK53 and MP5.

Sporting Arms

Collectors hunting for upland elegance or hunters aiming for both accuracy and artistry have plenty of options in the auction, with highly embellished examples from Purdey, Boss, Ivo Fabbri and Perazzi dotting the roster alongside guns that are easily their equals but from less-recognized makers like P.V. Nelson, Peter Chapman and David McKay Brown.

Not to be outdone are double rifles and safari rifles that bring the big game feel from makers like Holland & Holland and Winchester. Randall Knives, classic American designs for hunting and survival, and Bowie knives, the legendary large-bladed knives of the American frontier, each have numerous examples available in the auction.

Place Your Bids

Rock Island Auction Company will host a preview day on Aug. 22 at its auction venue at 3600 Harwood Road, Bedford, Texas where all of the fabulous inventory of the auction will be available to swoon over and examine. The Aug. 23-25 Premier Auction has an outstanding roster of fine firearms brimming with provenance, history and beauty that would be outstanding additions to any collection.

Buffalo Bill Cody presented this Winchester 1895 Carbine to his friend and Deadwood, S.D., businessman Mike Russell who had two nicknames, "Gold Nugget Mike" and "Deadwood Mike." Buffalo Bill was known to hunt with the Winchester 1895 and present it to friends. This gun is pictured and described in R.L. Wilson's book "Buffalo Bill's Wild West: An American Legend."