What's the true value of your guns? Rock Island Auction Company gets sellers the best gun prices in the business, and the sales results posted after each auction provide a comprehensive guide for estimating your highest possible gun values.

Find the true gun value of your firearms by examining recent prices at Rock Island Auction Company.

At auction, an item's true gun value emerges in the heat of competition between passionate bidders, and the number of new arms enthusiasts entering the market ensures no shortage of demand. As the number one firearms auction house in the world since 2003, Rock Island Auction Company has brought more new bidders into the market than anyone else. While future price trends are always difficult to predict, Rock Island Auction Company’s past results demonstrate a clear surge in value for most collector firearm models.

The average price realized on all lots from the most recent auctions were used to calculate the numbers provided in the graphs throughout this article. Extremely rare examples and multi-gun lots that would skew the dataset have been excluded. These figures estimate the final amount of cash a gun seller receives, so even after factoring in Rock Island Auction Company’s commission rate, RIAC still gets you more money for your guns by an impressive margin.

The true gun value of the Colt Python revolver at Rock Island Auction Company since 2013. To most accurately represent the average Colt Python price, this dataset excludes rarities and special variations like Combat Pythons, Elite models, first and second year production Pythons, collector’s editions, and engraved Pythons.

What is the True Gun Value of Antique Firearms?

Old guns are in greater demand than ever, and the reasons are as varied as the firearms genre itself. The antique gun genre, or those firearms made in or before 1898, covers thousands of models, patterns, and styles dating back to the sixteenth century.

The true gun value of the Second Model LeMat revolver at Rock Island Auction Company.

The most valuable antique firearms exhibit a combination of history, original condition, and rarity. Like classic cars, make and model is also a critical factor. A Winchester or Colt is most likely going to hold a higher true gun value than other firearms of the era. This is mainly due to historic relevance and brand appeal, a trait also carried by names like Sharps, Marlin, Smith & Wesson, and other giants of 19th century gunmaking.

The extensive photography and expert descriptions found in RIAC’s online catalogs help buyers determine the history, condition, factory letter, and provenance of a firearm.

Civil War and Old West arms appeal to multiple generations thanks to popular media continuing to represent the genre. With millions of antique guns manufactured across countless models, patterns, and variants, the field offers options for a wide range of financial aspirations, and the values in nearly every segment have been steadily on the rise.

High end 19th century Colt and Winchester examples garner some of the highest prices in the collecting pursuit.

What is the True Gun Value of Curio & Relic Firearms?

The market for curio & relic guns has surged as collectors recognize their superior craftsmanship, increasing scarcity, and connection to significant events. Defined by the ATF as firearms over 50 years old with historical or collectible value, C&R guns span military, sporting, and target shooting categories.

The true gun value of the M1941 Johnson rifle in Rock Island Auction Company's Premier Auction events. From 2015 to 2024, Johnson rifle values at RIAC saw a more than 200 percent increase.

Classic military rifles such as the M1 Garand, K98 Mauser, and Mosin-Nagant remain highly sought after, while sporting arms like Parker Bros. shotguns and pre-64 Winchester Model 70 bolt action rifles continue to climb in price. Semiautomatic pistols from the early decades of the 20th century like the the Luger, the C96 Broomhandle, and the iconic 1911 have become particularly valuable on the auction block.

Even the chance to own an iconic 1911 pistol seems to have spurred a persistent growth in the genre that continues to trend upward.

Rarity and popularity, though seemingly opposite, both drive demand for these vintage classics. Famous models from well-known manufacturers have seen their true gun value ticking upward. From high-condition investment pieces to range ready working arms, guns from the first half of the 20th century are hotter than ever before.

What is the True Gun Value of Modern Collectible Firearms?

The true gun value for collectible modern arms has experienced a notable uptick as well. Limited production runs, special editions, factory upgrades, new-in-box items, hard-to-find examples, and discontinued models have been garnering higher prices on the auction block thanks to enthusiastic new collectors and firearm fans who prefer modern innovation.

The true gun value of a SPAS 12 shotgun at Rock Island Auction Company from 2016 to 2024. The dramatic price uptrend presents an intriguing case for the SPAS 12 shotgun as a collector's arm.

Film used arms or models that have simply been popularized by the silver screen can become sought-after as well, like the SPAS 12 shotgun, the Bren Ten pistol, and the mighty Desert Eagle. Sporting rifles from Blaser and Weatherby are popular for precision engineering, merging vintage artistry and craftsmanship with with cutting-edge performance. There are no shortage of modern classics in the making that have seen their values soar.

Rock Island Auction catalogs can be used alongside resources such as the Blue Book of Gun Values and Flayderman’s Guide to Antique American Firearms to find the true gun value of your collectibles.

As with any emerging collectible category, provenance, condition, and rarity play a crucial role in determining true gun value. The popularity of modern gun collecting with a younger generation ensures that today’s finest firearms will be tomorrow’s most coveted treasures. Those seeking a new experience at the range or some bragging rights among friends are willing to pay when the right gun hits the podium.

What is the True Gun Value of Machine Guns?

The soaring prices of machine guns in the collecting world are no accident. With a finite supply capped by the 1986 Hughes Amendment, demand has continued to outpace availability, leading to a dramatic appreciation in the true gun value of this popular genre.

Machine gun prices are on the rise at Rock Island Auction Company.

Beyond scarcity, the cultural spotlight on machine guns has also contributed to their escalating worth. From their prominent spotlight in video games and movies to social media influencers showcasing full-auto firepower, machine guns have never been more visible or desirable.

Find the true gun value of machine guns at Rock Island Auction Company.

In recent years, rare machine guns from every era have broken the six-figure threshold at Rock Island Auction Company. As more collectors recognize the investment potential of these historic heavy hitters, the competition on the auction block only escalates.

Finding Your True Gun Value with Rock Island Auction Company's Online Catalogs

Rock Island Auction Company's detailed auction catalogs are a fantastic tool for quickly looking up the potential value of your guns. And unlike many gun pricing guides, RIAC’s catalogs are free and don’t require any sort of sign-up or commitment. They’re easy to use, offer numerous sorting and browsing filters, and provide an up-to-date online resource for gun sellers looking for initial price estimates and gun appraisals.

Rock Island Auction Company's past and upcoming auction catalogs give gun sellers an accurate estimate of how much cash they can get for their firearms by consigning with the world’s number one gun auction.

The past sales data available through the RIAC catalogs is a great way to document trends in the gun market, large and small. Knowing when to sell your used or inherited guns is just as important as choosing the best gun seller, and the current market has seen gun prices going up across the board. Even humble models like the SVT-40 and the Mosin Nagant have been experiencing a renaissance of late.

The true gun value of an SVT-40 at Rock Island Auction Company can be estimated based off recent price trends.

Estimating your True Gun Value with RIAC's Upcoming Catalogs

Upcoming gun catalogs are another useful guide for estimating a gun’s value potential with Rock Island Auction Company. For future auctions, the gun price estimates are based on an in-depth analysis of the most recent auction sales data, and that expert research can provide one of the most accurate appraisal tools available when it comes to predicting forthcoming sales trends.

Honest, thorough descriptions by RIAC’s team of in-house specialists translates to more trusting, informed, and confident potential gun buyers.

Variables like condition, scarcity, and firearms history are also taken into account when determining the true gun value estimate at RIAC, and the high level of detail and scholarship provided by each firearm description creates the most compressive and accurate online catalog in the collectible arms industry. At Rock Island Auction Company, over 40,000 guns a year are described and evaluated, offering an unrivaled level of expertise.

In 2024, Rock Island Auction Company's annual sales were up 8.8% from the previous year. In terms of new bidders, new auction types, new world records, and more, 2024 proved to be an industry-defining year for RIAC and the fine and historic arms collecting field.

Rock Island Auction Company's Online Gun Catalogs

Another advantage of Rock Island Auction Company’s online gun catalogs are their ability to be personalized, downloaded, and printed or viewed from any popular device and digital eReader. All the sorting and browsing filters of the RIAC searchable website catalogs are included in the downloadable PDF version, allowing any firearm seller to create a printable guide to gun values that’s as specific or open-ended as they see fit.

No subscription fees, no hidden charges. Rock Island Auction Company’s digital gun catalogs are absolutely free.

Log in with your Rock Island Auction Company account and start customizing. Creating a new account is free and only requires an email address, and an account is only needed to access the downloadable feature of the catalogs. The extensive number of filters offered helps narrow the search results by product type, manufacturer, caliber, era, and individual keywords, allowing users to start comparing specific gun values in seconds.

World's Leading Gun Auction Company

Long gone are the days when a gun seller needs to consider low-quality offers from pawn shops. At Rock Island Auction Company, we utilize online and phone bidding, live-streamed auctions, and email options for sealed bidding to allow almost anyone in the world to safely and confidentially bid on rare guns. This gives firearm sellers the widest reach in the industry and translates to true gun values.

Find the true gun value of rare antique firearms at Rock Island Auction Company.

Whether it's Wild West six-shooters, vintage shotguns, or American and German military rifles from the two world wars, the value of nearly all gun genres are climbing every year. Rock Island Auction Company’s gun catalogs serve as both a valuable reference source and a key driver of growth in the collectible firearms industry, and they make it easier than ever to stay ahead of the game when it comes to appraising and selling your guns.

True Gun Value at Rock Island Auction Company

Most vintage firearms are viewed as a great store of value in the gun collecting community, and when it comes to predicting forthcoming sales trends, Rock Island Auction’s free gun catalogs are one of the finest tools around.

Classics like the Belgian Browning Hi Power pistol have been rising in value, and Rock Island Auction Company’s auction catalogs can be used as a convenient gun price guide to follow those trends.

Judging by the true gun value data presented above, the demand for vintage guns has only increased over the years, and future gun values are likely to continue to reflect this ever-expanding interest in rare firearm models. Whether you’re a greenhorn looking to break into the gentleman’s pursuit, or a seasoned collector thinking about investment potential, the market for classic guns is hotter than ever.

Rock Island Auction Company's catalogs help you find the true gun value of rare collectible firearms.

It’s an exciting time in the world of fine arms collecting, so subscribe to the weekly Rock Island Auction newsletter to receive new gun blogs on the latest prices and trends. We look at the values of popular guns like the SKS, M1 Garand, the Johnson rifle, the 1911 pistol, the LeMat revolver, and more.