Elite Gun Collections, Exquisite Offerings

Many start humbly, making a purchase here and managing a sale there, always striving for better, until decades have passed and the collector has amassed an assemblage of beautiful and historic guns.

Then the time comes to pass on their legacies, whether it is encyclopedic, exquisite or both – to a new generation of collectors who can find the same pride and pleasure in a piece they can hold and admire.

Rock Island Auction Company has proudly ushered some of the finest gun collections of historic and high conditioned firearms across its podium with discerning care and expertise, elevating the collecting community to new heights.

A number of outstanding pieces from several prestigious gun collections will be offered in Rock Island Auction Company’s Aug. 15-17 Premier Auction. Take a look at these tremendous arms out of several esteemed collections that will be available over the three-day event.

Robert M. Lee Collection

Entrepreneur, professional hunter, conservationist and philanthropist are just a short list of ways to recognize Robert M. Lee and his many interests. As a teen he designed a telescopic sight and ultra-high-velocity rifle cartridges. He designed the first ecologically sound wildlife management program in Africa in what is now Angola and funded the endowment for the Robert M. Lee Gallery of American Arms at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He also built an amazing car collection as well as arguably the finest firearms collection the world has ever seen.

Among the offerings from Lee’s gun collection in the August Premier are brilliantly embellished sporting arms.

This trio of Ivo Fabbri 28 Gauge assisted-opening pinless sidelock over/under shotguns are engraved by Master Engraver Manrico Torcoli with photo-realistic nude figures. The brushed metal finish of this fabulous triumvirate of guns serve as fine canvases for Torcoli’s work for the nude models, their avian companions and flowing peacock feathers.

This brilliant John Rigby & Co. Best Quality “Gib Game” sidelock dangerous game double rifle chambered in .577 Nitro Express was completed in 1925 intended for the “Maharaja of Kutch.” Lee’s notes indicate this gun was from the collection of William Feldstein who was involved in developing the .700 Nitro Express. This rifle has attractive light scroll engraving and house engraving. It is accompanied by a full complement of cleaning tools, accessories and a leather flat case.

This stunning Purdey & Sons double rifle chambered in .500 Nitro Express bears the brilliant work of Master Engraver Phil Coggan across its coin finish. The action is profusely decorated full coverage deep carved scrolling that spreads across the barrels and are interspersed with gold inlaid accents that extend to the toplever, trigger guard and the extended tangs. The gun has seven wonderfully executed game scenes of Africa’s “big five,” carved in relief gold. Lions downing a wildebeest adorns the left lockplate, a pair of black rhinos are shown on the underside and a herd of elephants decorate the right lockplate. A cape buffalo is featured on the top lever and an elephant decorates the trigger guard.

Brig & Louise Pemberton Collection

The gun collection of Brig & Louise Pemberton enjoyed a huge victory in Rock Island Auction’s May Premier when an engraved and gold inlaid Colt Single Action Army, nicknamed “Black Beauty,” realized $1.6 million. A truly tremendous piece and easily the capstone of the gun collection of this husband and wife collecting team

RIAC President Kevin Hogan was awed when he first experienced the Pembertons’ gun collection a decade ago on a visit to their Maine home. “What they created is the finest collection of the most iconic American firearm to ever come up for public sale and it was built in tandem by a passionate, dedicated and generous couple.”

Many of the guns in their collection haven’t been offered publicly in years, Hogan said, noting that a number of factory letters to some of the pieces date back to the 1960s.

This phenomenal First Generation Colt Single Action Army features Wilbur Glahn factory engraving and relief carved steer head grips. Shipped in 1930 in .32-20 caliber with a blued finish that makes the “B” grade engraving pop. Glahn’s engraving involves scrollwork with a beaded background and floral accents. The top of the ejector rod housing is decorated with a scallop pattern and a wavy line decorates the rear of the cylinder as well as “V” elements that have come to be known as the engraver’s trademark.

Following the evacuation at Dunkirk, the British Expeditionary Force was short of small arms in May 1940 and put out the call for handguns. This “Battle of Britain” Colt Single Action Army revolver was shipped to Winchester and then sent to Great Britain where it is identified by serial number. The factory letter states it was sold to the British Purchasing Commission and shipped to Winchester on June 18, 1940. This revolver from the Pemberton’s gun collection was one of the last manufactured by Colt before production ceased in 1940 as the company ramped up war production.

This pair of Merwin Hulbert revolvers are factory engraved and presentation inscribed are two of three presented in 1885 by the mayor of New Orleans to three Philadelphia police officers who guarded the Liberty Bell during a visit to the Crescent City for the World’s Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition. They were each inscribed to the officers and one reads “”SERGt. E.W. MALIN” and the other to “JOHN PATTON” each followed by “FROM MAYOR OF NEW ORLEANS 1885.” The floral engraving that nearly covers the guns has accents of colorful enamel. A small bird is engraved on the left side of each gun frame and the gun inscribed to Malin has a gold plated cylinder and pearl grips.

Charles Marx Collection

Charles Marx’s astonishing collection of Colt revolvers was built over 75 years and is so remarkable in its depth that many of his guns have been featured in a number of books.

“Simply put the Marx Collection is the most complete collection of Colt firearms in private circulation; from every model of the Colt Paterson to the most advanced collections of the Colt Single Action Army, the New Service, the Model of 1878, the evolution of the revolving rifle, of the variations, incredibly scarce barrel lengths, calibers, gold inlays, factory engravings, casing and holster rigs,” said RIAC founder and CEO Pat Hogan. “The collection is a marvel and testament to the man who built it.”

This extraordinary pair of Colt Single Action Army revolvers from 1901 feature factory engraving on its highly unusual “browned finish,” ivory grips, gold bands at the base of the barrel and the name “CAPT. J.R. HEGEMAN” in gold inlay on the back straps. The engraving, from Master Engraver Cuno Helfricht’s shop, is near full coverage with a variety of patterns and designs. These special order, consecutively serial numbered guns also have Bisley triggers and trigger guards.

This nickel-plated Colt Single Action Army revolver is chambered in .22 rimfire in the .44 rimfire/.22 rimfire serial number range making it rare and highly desirable.

This rare Patent Arms Mfg. Co. Colt Paterson First Model No. 1 Ring Lever percussion revolving rifle is pictured on pages 186-187 of R.L. Wilson’s “The Paterson Colt Book” and is one of 200 made 1837-1838.

George S. Lewis Collection

George S. Lewis’ interest in guns began at a very young age and as a collector, he focused on Colts from the 1840s to the 1940s before branching out to Remington and other makers of Derringer pistols. His collection was accumulated over 65 years until his death in 2020, leaving a collection of primarily early Colts that one collector called “…one of the classic Colt collections of all time.”

This Cuno Helfricht deluxe factory engraved and presentation inscribed Colt New Police Cop & Thug spur trigger revolver bears the Hartford coat-of-arms on its pearl grips was presented to Morgan G. Bulkeley, Hartford mayor, Connecticut governor and senator who also served on the Colt board of directors and first president of the National League.

This Colt Model 1849 Pocket percussion revolver has an extremely rare and desirable Charter Oak grip and presentation “Colt on the Constitution” book case. The grips are from the Charter Oak in Hartford, Conn., the tree where the Connecticut Charter of 1662 was hidden to prevent it being seized by the King’s governor. The tree fell in a storm in 1856 and because of its significance to the community the wood was made into presentation pieces, including furniture in the state capital and the governor’s desk.

This outstanding Colt Model 1848 Baby Dragoon was featured in “American Arms Collectors, Percussion Colts and Their Rivals, The Al Cali Collection,” by R.L. Wilson. Only about 15,000 Baby Dragoons were manufactured from 1847 to 1850, compared to 350,000 of the Model 1849 Pocket made from 1850 to 1873.

Norman R. Blank Collection

Norman. R. Blank was a collector of fine things, from automobiles and wine to antique European firearms that often had a connection to royalty or nobility. A piece from his collection, Simón Bolívar’s flintlock double barrel shotgun, is a cornerstone of the August Premier, but he gathered many other amazing arms that will also be on offer.

This exceptionally documented and award-winning Purdey & Sons double rifle in .450 Black Powder Express was displayed at the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1878 and the Sydney Exhibition a year later and was owned by the 3rd Baron Keane in July 1884. Three of the four guns displayed by Purdey at the Exposition Universelle are housedin the Royal Gunroom at Sandringham after being bequeathed by Baron Keane to the Duke of York in 1901, leaving this gun as the only one in private hands.

This engraved Wheellock sporting rifle by Johann Georg Dax of Munich is beautifully embellished by Court Engraver Johann Christoph Stengl with scrolls and an engraved foliate finial and a hunter with his hounds is on the breech end. The flat lockplate details scenes of falconry and the trigger guard bears a portrait of Diana, goddess of the hunt while the stock has horn inlays with pearl accents.

This gun by Benjamin Griffin has a Spanish barrel from Francisco Antonio Baeza y Bis who was a royal gunsmith in Spain. The side plate is engraved with floral, trophy and bird motifs while the escutcheon has an eagle with its wings spread at the top with a bow and quiver of arrows on the sides surrounding a Pegasus crest.

Greg Lampe Collection

Greg Lampe’s remarkable gun collection offers a scholarly look at 19th century American firearms. These high conditioned pieces are frequently accompanied by binders of information gathered by Lampe during research on the arms in his collection.

This cased and factory engraved First Model Colt Model 1851 Squareback Navy “Wedge Over Screw” revolver is an early production piece with a three-digit serial number. The gun and its accessories were featured in “Colt Engraving” and “The Book of Colt Engraving Vol. 1” by R.L. Wilson. The scroll engraving along the frame, barrel loading lever arm and trigger guard is attributed to Joseph Delaney.

This Remington Model 1890 Single Action Army revolver is one of about 2,000 manufactured between 1891 and 1896 and this example is in outstanding condition considering the model’s generally heavy use on the frontier, having retained 97 percent of its nickel finish.

This Smith & Wesson No. 3 “American” Second Model revolver is a rare and desirable firearm and difficult to obtain in any condition. This example is outstanding, with 97 percent of its original nickel plating remaining.

Tom Selleck Collection

Star of television and film, Tom Selleck has served on the NRA board and his guns have been displayed at the NRA Firearms Museum. His previous offerings have included screen memorabilia like a Shiloh Sharps Model 1874 rifle from “Quigley Down Under,” but his gun collection is diverse, with fine British sporting arms, lever guns and pistols.

This Marlin Deluxe Model 1881 rifle shows the early work of Master Engraver Conrad F. Ulrich with a stag standing on a hillside on the left side of the frame and a doe lying down in a woodland scene on the right side. Both game scenes are surrounded by scroll engraving. It is chambered in .38-55 WCF.

This stunning Winchester Model 1886 takedown rifle was well-used but actor Tom Selleck commissioned Roger Kurtz to restore the gun to become one of Selleck’s personal hunting rifles. The gun’s scrolling and game scene is the work of Master Engraver John Weyerts. The scroll engraving was inspired by a pattern factory engraved on a Model 1886 pictured in R.L. Wilson’s “Winchester Engraving” while the bear on the left side of the frame is similar to a bear on the stock plate of Theodore Roosevelt’s Winchester Model 1876 that is on display at the former president’s Sagamore Hill National Historic Site. The barrels retain 97 percent of their blued finish and the receiver, lever and hammer retain 90 percent of the casehardening finish. Selleck’s initials are gold inlaid on the bottom of the receiver.

The casehardened finish leaps off this special order Marlin Model 1895 rifle chambered in .45-70. Among the special features is a 32-inch part-octagon barrel and a silver “Rocky Mountain” blade front sight with a smooth forearm, straight grip stock and crescent buttplate.

Nick Shannon Collection

A collector since 1973 whose focus is mostly factory engraved and high condition First Generation Colt Single Action Army revolvers and Paterson revolvers, Nick Shannon served as the president of the Texas Gun Collectors Association and is currently the immediate past president of the organization. His firearms are both embellished and historical with several having been featured in books like “Colt Pistols” by R.L. Wilson.

This stunning presentation cased and silver banded glared grip Colt Paterson No. 3 with flared grips was featured as part of Shannon’s gun collection in the “Fine & Historic Arms Annual” by the Texas Gun Collectors Association. The revolver is accompanied by an original case, matching extra cylinder and several accessories. The backstrap has a German silver escutcheon inscribed “John B Arden/1842.”

This spectacular Colt “Frontier Six Shooter” Single Action Army revolver is beautifully engraved by L.D. Nimschke’s shop and features pearl grips. The gun’s engraving is exceptional with extensive scrollwork and beaded backgrounds as well as entwining scrolls, borders and gadrooning.

This magnificent silver- and gold-plated Cuno Helfricht Master Engraved Colt Single Action Army is a First Generation revolver and was featured in R. L. Wilson’s “Colt Pistols” where the author described it as “one of the finest examples of (Helfricht’s) artistry.”

Andrew Singer Collection

Percussion and early cartridge firearms, high condition Civil War guns and bladed weapons are of particular note within this historical gun collection. That features Colts, as well as long guns from New Haven Arms Co. Winchester and Springfield Armory.

This cased Colt Model 1851 Navy revolver was manufactured in 1860 and presented to Mexican president Benito Pablo Juarez Garcia by Sebastian Lerdo de Tejada, a leading Republican figure in Mexican politics who later followed Juarez as president. The factory engraving of elaborate interlaced foliate scrolling with beaded backgrounds and floral accents. The right side of the grip has a large example of the Mexican coat of arms in heavy gold with a golden eagle clutching a rattlesnake in its beak and claws while perched on a cactus. The left side of the grip in inscribed “Al siste/Lic. Benito/Juarez/respetuosamente/Sebastian/Lerdo de/Tejada.” It is housed in a rosewood presentation case lined with red velvet. The gun was featured in several publications.

This Colt Model 1860 Army revolver is presentation inscribed to Brig. Gen. Robert O. Tyler from the Colt factory. It is high polished blue on the barrel, cylinder and back strap. The hammer, loading lever and frame are casehardened. An outstanding example of the Model 1860, it is shown in “The Colt Engraving Book Vo. 1,” by R.L. Wilson.

This Civil War U.S. Sharps New Model 1863 saddle ring carbine was among 20,000 manufactured between 1863 and 1865 during the Civil War and displays minimal evidence of use.

Jim C. Eplen Collection

Jim Eplen dabbled in a number of collectible fields, ranging from cars, motorcycles, motor scooters and antiques, as well as fine firearms. Among firearms he leaned toward collecting cased percussion Colt revolvers.

This is an extremely rare Colt Model 1861 Navy with a two-digit serial number and is one of only 100 believed to be made with a fluted cylinder according to “The Book of Colt Firearms,” by R.Q. Sutherland and R.L. Wilson. It was featured in Wilson’s “Colt, An American Legend” and “Fine Colts, The Dr. Joseph A. Murphy Collection, both by Wilson. It is also listed in the 1942 Metropolitan Museum of Art’s “Catalogue of a Loan Exhibition of Percussion Colt Revolver and Conversions” by John E. Parsons.

This cased engraved Deluxe Colt London Model 1851 Navy was manufactured by the short-lived Colt London factory in 1855. It is pictured in “The William M. Locke Collection,” by Frank Sellers,” Eplen wrote that “To date, only 6 to 8 Navy Models are engraved to the extent of this one.” The gun is accompanied by a mahogany case and several accessories.

Cam & Deb Cooper Collection

The gun collection of Cam and Deb Cooper features European sporting arms, American lever guns, percussion and early metallic cartridge revolvers. A stunning Smith & Wesson Model No. 1 First issue revolver from this collection will be highlighted separately.

This rare documented special order Winchester Deluxe Model 1876 has nickel trim is chambered in .45-60 with an octagon barrel, checkered pistol grip stock. George Madis, in “The Winchester Book,” notes that the plated finish and checkered pistol grip combination make this a rare Model 1876. Winchester referred to “nickel trim” in its ledgers for the nose cap, frame, dust cover and buttplate having nickel plating.

Gateway Collection

The Gateway Collection offers examples of classic western guns from lever actions and buffalo rifles to Colt, Smith & Wesson and Remington revolvers from a lifelong collector wishing to remain anonymous. RIAC has had the privilege of offering pieces from this outstanding collection for a number of years.

This is an exceptional example of a custom Winchester Deluxe Model 1873 rifle. It has rare Vernier Tang and Wind Gauge sights, with an octagon barrel, checkered stock and pistol grip. The stock and forearm are of highly figured walnut. The barrel, magazine, dust cover and loading gate are blued while the forearm cap, frame, hammer, lever and crescent buttplate are casehardened.

This rare Colt Single Action Army Flattop Target Model chambered in rare .44 Russian is one of only 51 Flattop Target models in this caliber. This caliber was only offered by special order and not mass produced and the flattop variation makes it all the more attractive to a collector.

Pelton Family Collection

Like many collections, the Pelton Family’s assemblage started modestly before growing in size and quality, focusing on variations of western arms like Winchester rifles and Colt revolvers.

This extremely well-documented presentation cased “U.S. DRAGOONS” Colt Second Model Dragoon is the earliest known Second Model with serial number 6293. Only about 2,700 were made with squareback trigger guards and the improved rectangular cylinder stops. The gun with its mahogany case and accessories won an NRA silver medal. The revolver was pictured in “The Book of Colt Firearms” by Sutherland and Wilson as being in Sutherland’s collection.

Mac McCroskie Collection

Mac McCroskie died in 1986 but his collection continues to carry gravitas when his guns come to collection. He was a member of the Texas Gun Collectors Association, the Colorado Gun Association, the Winchester Arms Collectors of America and the Ohio Gun Collectors Association and served as a director of the Buffalo Bill Cody Museum.

This engraved and silver-plated Henry Rifle was manufactured in 1863. Factory engraved Henry rifles are scarce and among the most desirable of all antique firearms by collectors. The combination of silver plating and engraving was a $10 special order that quickly declined as the company discouraged special orders during peak Civil War production.

Gun Collections for Sale

Arms of eye-catching beauty and historic significance will be available from truly elite collections at Rock Island Auction’s Aug. 15-17 Premier Auction. Many of these offerings haven’t been available for years or even decades, making this a fantastic opportunity for collectors.