Historical firearms are deeply entrenched in the theme of collectibles as an alternative asset class. Some people may not like the thought of firearms being considered as collectibles, but the reality is that high prices speak for themselves. There are many firearms that have historical provenance which command tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars at auction. Some guns even occasionally bring in $1 million or more.

Rock Island Auction Company holds itself out to be the number-one firearms auction house in the world. 2021 was a record-breaking year with over $121 million in sales from 21 different auctions in the last 12 months. While the $22 million in last December’s auction was its own best at the time, three more in 2021 topped that: $24 million in September 2021; $25.2 million in December 2021; and $30 million in May 2021.

Rock Island’s announcement indicated that it has developed multiple platforms for viewing and bidding these unique pieces. It also showed to have bidders coming from 26 different countries, as well as all 50 U.S. states and other U.S. jurisdictions. Kevin Hogan, President of Rock Island Auction Company, said in the December release:

“Every year we continue to see more people express interest in collecting historic firearms. People are seeing the value behind investing in a piece of history and are realizing that art doesn’t just hang on the wall. This year was a milestone for our brand, with more than 30,000 firearms and related items selling. In the last 12 months, we had two items sell for more than $1 million and another sell for more than $2 million, which was the Napoleon Garniture that sold in December’s Premier Auction.”

Its most prized auction of 2021 was the Napoleon Garniture. This historic 6-piece collection $2.875 million from a phone bidder. (Photo courtesy of Rock Island Auction Company)

Rock Island also said that more than 50 pieces reached 6-figure price tags.

Rock Island Auction Company’s other top highlights throughout the year 2021 were shown as follows:

• Alexander Hamilton’s Flintlock Holster Pistols and Epaulettes ($1,150,000; May 2021)
• L.D. Nimschke Engraved Solid Silver Winchester Model 1866 Rifle ($977,500; December 2021)
• Jack Crawford & James Barton Adams Presentation Winchester 1873 ($718,750; September 2021)
• J. Ulrich Exhibition Relief Engraved Winchester Model 1873 Rifle ($718,750; May 2021)
• One of One Hundred Winchester Model 1876 Lever Action Rifle ($690,000; September 2021)
• Confederate Columbus Arsenal Bronze 9-Pounder ($661,250; May 2021)
• Bat Masterson’s Colt Single Action Army Revolver and Holster Rig ($488,750; May 2021)
• Presentation Pair of Engraved Remington New Model Army Revolvers ($460,000; May 2021)
• Crystal Palace Exhibition Gastinne-Renette Percussion Pistols ($345,000; September 2021)
• 1911 Production Serial Number 9 Colt Model 1911 Pistol ($322,000; May 2021)
• Colt No. 5 Squareback Model Texas Paterson Revolver ($431,250; December 2021)
• Colt Single Action Army Revolver Owned by General Emory Upton ($345,000; December 2021)

And to make matters more interesting, 2022 looks to already be off to a strong start. Rock Island Auction Company has previewed some highlights coming in 2022:

• Ulysses S. Grant’s Remington New Model Army revolvers, serial numbers 1 and 2.
• Winchester “One of One Hundred” 1873 lever-action rifle, identified as the last of the One of One Hundred

Rock Island Auction Company is not alone in commanding high sales for historical firearms. Witherell’s Luxury Asset Auctioneers and Appraisers had two guns owned by ganger Al Capone which were auctioned off by his surviving family. These were the top two Witherell’s auction items for guns in 2021:

• Al Capone’s “Favorite” .45 Auto. Starting Price: $50,000.00 with an estimate of $100,000.00 to $150,000.00. The gun sold for $1,040,600 including buyer’s premium.
• Al Capone’s Colt Semi-Automatic Pistol. Starting Price: $15,000.00 with an estimate of $30,000.00 to $60,000.00. The gun sold for $242,000.00 including buyer’s premium.