RIAC Blog

ATF vs The Pistol Brace: Point System

The ATF has invited comments on their newly proposed guidelines after an avalanche of comments that the ATF’s last set of “objective guidelines” was

Garand Model 1924: Before the M1 Garand

General Patton famously hailed the M1 Garand rifle as "the greatest battle implement ever devised." Fielded by millions of American GIs during WWII, i

Historic Powder Horns

If you watch a frontier or military movie set in the mid-19th century or earlier, look at historical paintings, visit a fur trade rendezvous or reenac

Assault Weapons Before The Second Amendment

One common gun control argument is that America's Founding Fathers could not have imagined the repeating “assault weapons” of today. But when the Seco

The 7 Most American Guns

Baseball, hot dogs, apple pie, and M16s. Firearms are an undeniable part of the American identity thanks to the Second Amendment and the nation’s spir

Camouflage 101: Woodland Camo

Alexander Hamilton, the 4th of July, and the free practice of one’s Second Amendment rights are all things that are about as American as the topic of

What is a Matchlock?

In the simplest terms, a matchlock is a firearm that uses a piece of lit slow match (also known as match cord) to ignite gunpowder and thus fire a fir

Hottest Summer Handguns!

Over 5,500 guns are up for bid during Rock Island Auction Company’s June 10th – 12th Sporting & Collector Firearms Auction, including a surplus of uni

What Gun Shortage? Find all the guns you need this summer

2020 saw the hottest gun market on record in the United States. The National Shooting Sports Foundation reported a record 60% growth in firearm purc

Full-Auto to Semi-Auto Conversions

In the American domestic market, many hurdles lie between the consumer and NFA items, especially automatic weapons. The legal barriers, the expense, a

The Sale of the Century Rolls On with an Earth-Shattering $30 MILLION World Record!

The Sale of the Century never ended; it just took a few months off so that Rock Island Auction Company could prepare a record-breaking lineup for our

Nemesis of Theodore Roosevelt: The Marquis de Morès

Alexander Hamilton dueled Aaron Burr. Andrew Jackson dueled Charles Dickinson. For Theodore Roosevelt, the challenge came from North Dakota rancher,

General Ulysses S. Grant's Civil War Appointment: Owning a National Treasure

Rock Island Auction Company is humbled to present this pivotal piece of American History at our May 14th-16th Premier Auction, Ulysses S. Grant’s own

Two Guns Are Better than One: Finding the Perfect Pair of Colt Revolvers

A grizzled gunfighter scans the streets, wary and alert. He's a stranger to these parts, a drifter, but he doesn't walk alone. The two Colts strapped

The "Running Deer" Rifle: An American Folk Art Legend

In the fall of 2004, a cupboard decorated by Johannes Spitler sold at auction for $962,000 that astonished the collecting world. Astonishing is certai

German Guns in the New Call of Duty and How You Can Own Them for Real

The Call of Duty video game series is reportedly heading back to World War II in late 2021, and rare German guns will almost certainly be featured fro

M1 Garand Function Check

Click to view M1 Garands in our next auction. “Does it work?” This is a very popular question we receive often—especially during the approach to auct

The Minister's Winchester 1866

It’s a sunny spring morning as a minister steps out from his humble chapel nestled in a small grass landing outlined by forest. He takes a deep breath

What Is a Flintlock Firearm?

Flintlocks were arguably the most significant gunlocks of the muzzle loading era and were widely used for hundreds of years. In fact, many muzzle load

What Guns Are Featured in Peaky Blinders?

Peaky Blinders Season 6 just began filming in January of 2021, which sadly will be the final season of the show, with rumors of a follow-up movie al

Gold Is Good, Guns Are Better

via GIPHY We have a simple saying here at Rock Island Auction Company: GOLD IS GOOD! If you need further elaboration, this blog post might not be for

The CIA Deer Gun

The U.S. Military had the Liberator pistol manufactured during World War II to be dropped to resistance fighters in occupied territories. However,

Shotguns: Over/Under or Side-By-Side?

“Those of us that have used side by sides and over and unders, when forced to choose one option, will find the choice difficult. Subjectivity will pla

What is the Sharps Rifle in “Quigley Down Under?”

The various Sharps rifle and carbine models manufactured from the Antebellum Era and into the late-19th century during the Indian Wars are some of the