Destiny Family Office works with ultra-high-net-worth collectors, offering services tailored to their investments, families, and passion assets. By understanding what’s most important to you, we can help you navigate complexity, simplify your life, and achieve peace of mind.
If you have a valuable collection you’d like to include in your financial, tax and estate planning, contact our Destiny Family Office team today. And don’t forget to self-assess your planning to date by completing our Collectibles Scorecard.
For collectors, setting a target in your sights takes on a new meaning when talking about antique firearms.
Revolvers, sporting guns, and pistols of varying ages have commanded incredible sums at auction in recent decades, finding an eager audience of collecting enthusiasts who cherish them for their intricate craftsmanship and – in many cases-their status as artifacts deeply connected to significant people and moments in history. From American founding fathers to European emperors to iconic outlaws, many historical giants have seen their firearms cherished by heirs and collectors for generations following their passing.
On the rare occasion that those guns surface at auction, the sale prices are astounding. Here, we’ve chronicled each firearm known to have sold for over $1,000,000 at public auction.
17. E Company No. 120 U.S. Colt Model 1847 Walker Revolver
- Sold for: $1,035,000
- Sold by: Rock Island Auction Company
- Sold in: September 2019
The Colt Walker is among the very most desirable and iconic American arms of the 19th century, with military contract Walkers particularly coveted among collectors. This revolver was reportedly the very last of 1,000 revolvers produced at the Whitneyville Armory to meet an 1847 U.S. government contract. It was touted for its extremely strong condition and its completeness of original parts. All of those factors combined to produce a sales price in excess of $1 million.
16. Two-Shot Superimposed-Load Silver-Mounted Flintlock Sporting Gun from the personal armoury of Tipu Sultan
- Sold for: $1,078,404 (converted at exchange rate of 1.4926 from £722,500 sale price)
- Sold by: Bonhams
- Sold in: April 2015
The Colt Walker is among the very most desirable and iconic American arms of the 19th century, with military contract Walkers particularly coveted among collectors. This revolver was reportedly the very last of 1,000 revolvers produced at the Whitneyville Armory to meet an 1847 U.S. government contract. It was touted for its extremely strong condition and its completeness of original parts. All of those factors combined to produce a sales price in excess of $1 million.
15. Gold-Inlaid and Deep Relief Engraved Colt Model 1849 Pocket Revolver
- Sold for: $1,142,500
- Sold by: Sotheby’s
- Sold in: January 2012
With incredible depth and detail of engraving, these golden pocket revolvers are exceedingly rare pieces produced by Samuel Colt for display in exhibitions and for presentation to state leaders and dignitaries. While there were 22 gold-inlaid revolvers known to be made, only 16 of those came during Col. Samuel Colt’s lifetime, and seven were in public collections at the time of this sale. The rarity drove a remarkable price of $1,142,500.
14. Alexander Hamilton’s Flintlock Holster Pistols
- Sold for: $1,150,000
- Sold by: Rock Island Auction Company
- Sold in: May 2021
The pistols of an American founding father often draw significant demand at auction, and this pair was no different. Hamilton’s father-in-law, General Philip Schuyler, gifted Hamilton the pistols – which Schuyler likely carried in his own service in the French-Indian War and the Revolutionary War – circa 1780. They were perhaps carried by Hamilton during the famous Siege of Yorktown. Remarkably, the pistols remained in the Hamilton family until 1942, when Schuyler Hamilton III sold them. They were accompanied in the auction by Hamilton’s epaulettes from his service in the Continental Army.
A pair of pocket pistols with similar provenance sold at Christie’s in 2024 for $819,000. However, those were purchased in the late 1700s and would have seen no use in war.
13. Napoleonic Silver-Mounted Rifled Presentation Flintlock Pistols
- Sold for: $1,173,600 (converted at exchange rate of 1.20 from £978,000 sales price)
- Sold by: Christie’s
- Sold in: July 2022
These pistols are subject of some disagreement, with some suggesting they were owned by Napoleon himself and were captured during the 1812 retreat from Moscow, while others (Christie’s included) deem it more probable that they were presented by Napoleon to a Russian recipient of the Grand Aigle of the Légion d’Honneur. Either way, their historical significance attracted significant bidding activity. The final £978,000 sales price was well above the £300,000 – £500,000 estimate.
12. No. 1 Engraved Winchester Model 1886 Express Rifle
- Sold for: $1,178,750
- Sold by: Rock Island Auction Company
- Sold in: September 2018
With ornate gold and platinum-inlaid engraving of animal scenes, this 1886 Winchester is the finest in existence. Signed by master engraver John Ulrich, the gun presents in excellent condition, with the engravings of vignettes and game scenes said to be “perfect.” Bidders responded in kind, propelling the rifle well above its $500,000 – $700,000 estimate.
11. Henry Lawton's Winchester Model 1886, Serial Number 1
- Sold for: $1,265,000
- Sold by: Rock Island Auction Company
- Sold in: April 2016
A Winchester Model 1886 of a different stature claims the next spot on our list. This Winchester, carrying serial number 1, was presented to distinguished Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, Captain Harry Lawton, following the surrender of Chiricahua Apache Leader Geronimo. That 1886 surrender ended 25 years of conflict with the Apache in the Southwest, with Lawton credited for his leadership. Lawton served in the Civil War, Indian Wars, Spanish American Wars, and Philippine Insurrection.
10. Theodore Roosevelt Factory-Engraved Colt Single Action Revolver
- Sold for: $1,466,250
- Sold by: Rock Island Auction Company
- Sold in: December 2020
“The Bull Moose Colt Single Action” was a special order birthday gift for Theodore Roosevelt in 1912, late in his candidacy for a third term. It was ordered just five days before Roosevelt was shot while campaigning, though the assassination attempt was unsuccessful; Roosevelt famously delivered a campaign speech with the bullet lodged in his body before going to the hospital. The ornate, engraved Colt single action was a recent discovery due to a factory clerical error.
9. G. Young Engraved Colt Millikin Dragoon Revolver
- Sold for: $1,667,500
- Sold by: Rock Island Auction Company
- Sold in: May 2019
A classic of Colt collecting, presentation-grade Dragoons command significant demand for their fine artistry, even without the associated historical significance of esteemed ownership. This Dragoon, however, belonged to Union Army officer, Colonel John Minor Millikin, Jr. Millikin was killed in battle against Confederate forces at Stones River, where he was cited for gallantry. Millikin’s son inherited the Dragoon and went on to have a military career of his own, serving as a colonel during the Spanish-American War. Sister revolvers in the serial number range of presentation-grade Dragoons were presented to Russian Czar Alexander II, Colt’s chief engineer E.K. Root, and Secretary of War John B. Floyd.
The “Milliken” (his name was misspelled in the engraving) Dragoon previously sold at Heritage Auctions in 2011 for $805,000. Over eight years, it more than doubled in price, appreciating at a rate of 10% annually gross of fees.
8. The Black Beauty: Nimschke’s Masterpiece Colt Single Action Army
- Sold for: $1,685,000
- Sold by: Rock Island Auction Company
- Sold in: May 2025
The engravings on some revolvers are so ornate that they entirely blur the line between antique firearm and work of art. The Black Beauty, this Colt Single Action Army, engraved and inlaid with gold, is considered the masterpiece of Louis D. Nimschke, a true Van Gogh of firearm engraving artistry. The lot was accompanied by pulls (prints), drawn by Nimschke himself in recognition of the work’s intricacy. Revolvers of this caliber were often produced as presentation pieces, and this one is no different; Nimschke engraved it for Mexican President Jose Manuel del Refugio Gonzalez Flores.
Far surpassing its $650,000 – $900,000 estimate, the Black Beauty is the most recent addition to the ranks of the most expensive antique firearms sold at auction.
7. A Cased Pair of Flintlock Pistols by Nicolas-Noel Boutet, Gifted By Simon Bolivar
- Sold for: $1,687,500
- Sold by: Christie’s
- Sold in: November 2004
These pistols were produced by Napoleon’s official gunsmith Nicolas-Noël Boutet, a man responsible for many of the arms of French origin on our list. They were owned by Simon Bolivar, known as El Liberator for his role in freeing six Latin American countries from Spanish rule: Venezuela, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Panama and Ecuador. On Bolivar’s behalf, Manuela Saenz gifted the pistols to Richard Illingworth for his role in handling Bolivar’s finances and debts after his departure from Bogota.
Even in 2004, they handily outperformed their pre-auction estimate of $600,000 – $800,000.
6. Simon Bolivar's French Silver-Mounted Rifled Flintlock Pistols
- Sold for: $1,800,000
- Sold by: Christie’s
- Sold in: April 2016
These pistols, also made by Napoleon’s official gunsmith Nicolas-Noël Boutet, belong to a class produced as diplomatic gifts. However, in this instance, it was Bolivar receiving the pistols, not gifting them. Marquis de Lafayette presented them to Bolivar, a man Lafayette called “The George Washington of Latin America,” in 1825. Lafayette met Bolivar in his return trip to the United States that year at the invitation of President James Monroe. It’s not the last we’ll see of Lafayette-gifted pistols in our rankings.
The strong provenance and historical significance propelled these pistols to a result that was, at the time, the second highest ever, supplanting the other pair of Bolivar-owned pistols.
5. “The Danish Sea Captain Walker” Civilian Colt Walker Revolver
- Sold for: $1,840,000
- Sold by: Rock Island Auction Company
- Sold in: April 2018
Rock Island called this “without question the rarest, most historic, and finest Colt Walker revolver” they ever had the privilege to offer. High praise. One of only 100 civilian Walkers manufactured, this revolver was reportedly purchased in 1847 by Danish Sea Captain Niels Hanson in New York City. Remarkably, it remains accompanied by documentation in Colt’s own handwriting, the only known example that can make that claim. That incredible accompaniment and provenance helped deliver a price nearing $2,000,000 for this preeminent Colt Walker.
4. The Lafayette-Washington Pair of Steel-Mounted “Saddle” Pistols
- Sold for: $1,968,000
- Sold by: Christie’s
- Sold in: January 2002
How do you improve on pistols gifted by Lafayette to the “George Washington of Latin America”? Offer a pair of pistols gifted by Lafayette to George Washington himself.
Lafayette gifted the pistols to Washington during the American Revolution as the two developed a bond strong enough for Lafayette to name his son George Washington Lafayette. As if that lineage was not impressive enough, the pistols were later presented by one of Washington’s heirs to Andrew Jackson, who happily displayed them to Lafayette in his 1925 return to America. Recognizing their importance and the strength of Washington and Lafayette’s bond, Jackson later bequeathed them to George Washington Lafayette. Incredibly, the provenance can be traced from there forward, enabling these history-laden pistols to reach such an incredible price even in 2002.
3. Napoleon Presentation Garniture of Six Arms from Boutet
- Sold for: $2,875,000
- Sold by: Rock Island Auction Company
- Sold in: December 2021
Perhaps at an advantage due to the inclusion of five guns and a sword of significant historical significance, this lot – the “Napoleon garniture”– was once displayed on exhibition as a symbol of the British victory over Napoleon at Waterloo. The arms, all fashioned from the Versailles Manufactory led by Bouter, include a rifled carbine, a pair of rifled carriage pistols, a pair of pocket pistols, and a “glaive” sword and scabbard. The sword was presented to Napoleon by the Directory of the French Republic in 1797 and was the one he carried when he drove the Council of Five Hundred out of St. Cloud and became First Consul, later Emperor.
2. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's Cased Remington New Model Army Revolvers
- Sold for: $5,170,000
- Sold by: Rock Island Auction Company
- Sold in: May 2022
Ulysses S. Grant’s stature in American history is well established, both for his role with the Union army during the Civil War and for his ascendency to the White House. In the midst of the Civil War – in either late 1863 or early 1864 – Grant received these ornately engraved Remington revolvers from two individuals involved in the cotton trade. Some have speculated that the guns were a gift or even bribe of sorts for facilitating or turning a blind eye to illegal trade. Others feel they were gifted in celebration of Grant’s victory at Vicksburg, noting that Grant saw the cotton trade as a distraction to that effort. Whatever the reality, there’s no denying the revolvers’ historical significance and allure.
The revolvers remained in the Grant family until they were used as payment for handiwork during the Great Depression, later being sold to a collector – though at the time, it seemed neither seller nor buyer knew they were owned by Ulysses Grant.
1. Pat Garrett's Colt Single Action Army Revolver
- Sold for: $6,030,312
- Sold by: Bonhams
- Sold in: August 2021
In this case, a revolver’s value can come from who was on the other end of the barrel. Pat Garrett fired this Colt at Billy the Kid in 1881, mortally wounding the infamous outlaw. Garrett confiscated the revolver from one of Billy the Kid’s posse, Billy Wilson, when he apprehended and arrested the gang. Billy the Kid later escaped the Lincoln County Jail but met his end at Garrett’s hand just months later.
The revolver boasts strong provenance all the way from Wilson to the auction block at Bonhams. The power of one of the Wild West’s most iconic stories proved irresistible to bidders, reaching $6 million and establishing a record for any gun.
Honorable Mention
Frères Rochat Pair of Mirror-Image Gold, Enamel, Agate, Pearl, and Diamond-Set Singing Bird Pistols
- Sold for: $5,909,800 (converted at 0.13 exchange rate from 45,460,000 HKD sale price)
- Sold by: Christie’s
- Sold in: May 2011
We didn’t include these “pistols” in our rankings because they don’t and never did shoot bullets. Instead, using the marvels of Swiss watchmaking, Frères Rochat built guns where “shooting” triggered the emergence of little birds from the barrel, before moving, pivoting, and returning inside. Thanks to the luxury materials, the intricate movements, and the craftsmanship, this pair sold for nearly $6 million. Singing bird pistols have been crafted as gifts for royalty and dignitaries, and of the few in existence, many reside in museums.
Destiny Family Office works with ultra-high-net-worth collectors, offering services tailored to their investments, families, and passion assets. By understanding what’s most important to you, we can help you navigate complexity, simplify your life, and achieve peace of mind.
If you have a valuable collection you’d like to include in your financial, tax and estate planning, contact our Destiny Family Office team today. And don’t forget to self-assess your planning to date by completing our Collectibles Scorecard.
