In December 2023, Rock Island Auction Company’s gavel echoed across the Texas plains for the first time as we celebrated the grand opening of our new Bedford venue. The groundbreaking $26.7 million event became far and away the largest firearms auction the state had ever seen. While setting records is all in a day’s work for the world’s leading firearms auction house, December’s event felt less like another milestone and more like the dawn of a new era.

The latest trailblazer to set roots in the Lonestar State, Rock Island Auction Company’s Texas triumph was far from a foregone conclusion. Like the industry we spearhead, Rock Island Auction’s story is one of growth and innovation, grit and resilience, and a passion for preserving the treasures of the past. Few could have predicted that the journey of a small auction house on the Mississippi would come to rival the tales behind some of the legendary arms and artifacts the company now presents, or that one man’s side project would grow to define the future of an entire industry.

Heartland Roots and Antique Dreams

Rock Island Auction Company emerged from humble beginnings but with grand aspirations. Born on the South Side of Chicago in 1953, company founder Patrick Hogan’s rags-to-riches story is a quintessential example of the American dream. A Cold War Navy veteran, cancer survivor, and serial entrepreneur, Hogan has yet to meet a challenge that sheer will and dedication couldn’t overcome. Serving as a nuclear trained machinist mate on a fast attack submarine, Hogan developed a no-nonsense work ethic and applied that philosophy to a string of successful business ventures.

Early Days: Rock Island Auction Company's production facility in Rock Island, Illinois, before numerous improvements were made.

Three hours west of the Windy City, Pat Hogan saw fields of opportunity in the historic river town of Rock Island, Illinois. A single car wash/gas station would grow into a chain of five. Expansions to video store and photo development quickly led to Hogan designing catalogs for two auction companies as well as producing two books on firearms. Intrigued by the world of arms collecting, the seeds of yet another venture were sown, and in 1993 Rock Island Auction Company was born.

Rock Island Auction started small, as most great dreams do, with some of the company’s first auctions operating out of a garage. Competition in the market was fierce, with the old lions of the auction industry heavily entrenched. Undaunted, Hogan relied on his production experience and business savvy, with a focus on relationship building, community engagement, and a willingness to embrace new technologies to expand his fledgling startup.

Early Days: Pat and Kevin Hogan in RIAC's Illinois Preview Hall for a pilot episode of Discovery Channel's "Ready, Aim, Sold!" filmed in 2011

And expand he did. Brick by brick, Hogan and his burgeoning team built a dedicated hub for the fine arms community, earning a reputation as curators of the exceptional. Rock Island Auction Company also made a point to innovate in every corner of the process. We were the first to adopt color photography, the first to switch from film to digital, and the first to establish a prominent social media presence, all in the service of storytelling.

Hogan envisioned a space where collectors could connect with the past through rare arms and artifacts, where each piece had its story properly told. That commitment to authenticity elevated RIAC above its peers, and the company became known as a custodian of history and a protector of legacies.

Through meticulous research and presentation, Rock Island Auction Company brings rare firearms to life in vivid detail.

By 2004, only eleven short years after our founding, we surpassed all other competitors and climbed to the top of the firearms auction industry, a position the company has proudly maintained ever since. From one man’s vision to a business approaching 200 employees, Rock Island Auction Company has never lost sight of our passion and drive.

Our company’s mission to elevate what was once considered a somewhat niche collecting genre has met with impressive success, with recent record sales drawing international attention to both the arms collecting world and the auction house Hogan founded, an industry trendsetter with dreams as big and bold as the Texas horizon.

“History Lives Here”

Rock Island Auction Company has brought countless collectors into the fine arms field and broken numerous records in the process. One of the company mottos, “History lives here,” is reflected by recent accolades. Auction records include the top-selling Colt Walker, the top-selling Winchester, the top-selling Smith & Wesson, the top-selling John Wayne gun, and in August of 2022 Rock Island Auction Company earned the Guinness World Records title for the most expensive prop gun ever auctioned with the sale of Han Solo’s blaster from the original Star Wars film.

The only surviving Han Solo blaster in "Star Wars: A New Hope" set the record as the most expensive prop gun when it realized $1,057,500 in RIAC's August 2022 Premier Auction.

11 of the 20 most expensive firearms ever auctioned have passed the podium at Rock Island Auction Company. The prestigious list includes a grouping of weapons presented to Napoleon Bonaparte, the flintlock pistols of Alexander Hamilton, two different revolvers belonging to Theodore Roosevelt, and a historic pair of Remingtons owned by General Ulysses S. Grant that gaveled for $5.17 million in May of 2022.

A historic pair of Remingtons owned by General Ulysses S. Grant sold for $5.17 million in RIAC's May 2022 Premier Auction.

Other legends to grace the doors of Rock Island Auction in recent years include guns carried by famed Westerners like Wild Bill Hickok, Bat Masterson, Buffalo Bill, Annie Oakley, and Granville Stuart, all garnering six-figure sums. The company’s star-studded lineups have also included guns from Gary Cooper, Tom Selleck, Gene Autry, and Hank Williams Jr., with August 2023 seeing the sale of Elvis Presley’s engraved Smith & Wesson Model 53 revolver for $199,750, a new record for one of the King’s firearms.

This Smith & Wesson Model 53, delivered to the King of Rock and Roll only months before his untimely death, sold for $199,750 at RIAC in August 2023.

Decades of fostering close-knit connections in the fine arms community have led Rock Island Auction Company to four consecutive years of breaking the $100 million mark in annual sales, doubling the sum total of our top five competitors combined.

Rival auction houses have scrambled to play catch up, attempting to emulate everything from Rock Island Auction’s high gloss, history-rich catalogs to the company’s homegrown live-streaming bid platform. But an innovator never rests on their laurels and the world’s number one auction house continues to break new boundaries year after year. RIAC's investment in a new Texas facility may be our company's boldest move to date, and so far the gamble looks poised to redefine the arms collecting landscape for decades to come.

Rock Island Auction Company's new venue in Bedford, Texas.

All Roads Lead to Texas

Expansion has been part of our story since the beginning, with RIAC twice forced to seek larger accommodations during our rapid ascent. While our Midwest location served as a successful hub for the arms collecting community, a truly international venue was needed to elevate the fine arms field to its rightful place on the world stage.

Rock Island Auction Company's Illinois location.

Patrick Hogan’s son Kevin, President of Rock Island Auction Company since 2016, noted that the idea behind the Texas expansion was a dream “conceived years ago over a campfire and a beer.” Many pioneers who’ve heard the call of the frontier can no doubt relate to that tale, including generations of ranchers, oilmen, and adventurers who sought to carve legacies amid the Lone Star State’s vast prairies and winding rivers. For Rock Island Auction Company, Texas offered the perfect bedrock to build a new cathedral to our craft.

Pat and Kevin Hogan.

Located between Dallas, the Wall Street of the South, and the legendary Wild West “Cowtown” of Fort Worth, Bedford provides an accessible hub for jet setters around the globe. The bounty of quality hotels, restaurants, and attractions like the Stockyards National Historic District makes the region an inviting destination for visitors of every background, and the state’s business-friendly nature offers fertile ground for growth.

The historic Stockyards Station in Fort Worth, where the West begins.

By setting up shop in Bedford, Rock Island Auction Company positions ourselves at the heart of a thriving gun collecting culture. With the role firearms played in winning the Texas Revolution and protecting the frontiers as the state expanded into an economic powerhouse, it’s no surprise that the region boasts some of the most historically significant arms collections ever assembled. Couple that with a wealth of aspiring collectors seeking to own a piece of America’s legacy, and the choice of Bedford presented the ideal environment to build the new world-selling headquarters for the fine arms pursuit.

An Austin, Texas shipped factory engraved antique black powder Colt Frontier Six Shooter documented as an early service revolver belonging to legendary Texas Ranger Frank Hamer.

The Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex represents a fusion of tradition and innovation, a bustling community rich in both modern amenities and old-time Texas charm. In terms of shared culture, values, and reverence for our nation’s pioneer spirit, Texas provides a natural partner for Rock Island Auction Company’s long-term aspirations.

The New Cathedral of Arms Collecting

Rock Island Auction Company’s recently completed venue at 3600 Harwood Rd., Bedford, Texas brings the pinnacle of fine and historic arms collecting to the Dallas–Fort Worth area and all the economic advantages that come with it. Job opportunities abound as the company expands, and each auction event sees an influx of collectors, investors, and arms enthusiasts from around the globe, benefiting local commerce.

Rock Island Auction Company’s Bedford venue is conveniently located near the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.

A true cultural attraction, Rock Island Auction’s Bedford facility offers an experience unlike anything Texas has ever seen before. The 90,000-square-foot building, the most advanced brick-and-mortar auction venue in America, will appeal to anyone who appreciates artistry, engineering, craftsmanship, history, and the evolution of arms technology through the ages.

Rock Island Auction Company’s new facility at 3600 Harwood Rd., Bedford, Texas serves as a true showplace for the industry’s largest firearm auctions.

Collectors have dubbed the Rock Island Auction experience “the museum you can touch.” Each preview day ahead of live auction events provides a chance for visitors to actively participate in the fine arms discipline. Guests are invited to examine any of the thousands of items displayed in the company’s 19,000-square-foot preview hall and walk in the footsteps of soldiers and presidents, lawmen and outlaws, and some of history's larger-than-life legends . Most of the offerings can be inspected, handled, and shouldered, and unlike your typical museum, the items exhibited at Rock Island Auction Company change with every auction.

RIAC’s preview day events are great places to expand your collection and meet new friends along the way.

Serving as a true showplace for the scarcest firearms in existence, every era, genre, and collecting niche is featured in force, including an abundance of Texas treasures. Over the last few years, Rock Island Auction Company has presented arms belonging to famed Texas Rangers, outlaws, statesmen, and saddle bronc champions. With legends like Frank Hamer, Charlie Miller and “Lone Wolf” Gonzaullas leading recent lineups, it’s little wonder that the company’s inaugural year in Bedford made such a Texas-sized impression.

Rock Island Auction Company's first auction in Bedford, Texas proved a smashing success.

One of Rock Island Auction Company’s goals has been to bring back the classic gun show experience from days gone by. For those dipping their toes into the fine arms field, preview days at Rock Island Auction’s Bedford venue are chances to rub shoulders with a welcoming crowd of seasoned veterans and aspiring collectors. Swap stories, ask questions, and enjoy the camaraderie of one of the most passionate and knowledgeable communities around.

Preserving the Past, Presenting the Future

From the heartland of Illinois to the rolling Texas prairies, Rock Island Auction’s journey has been defined by passion and perseverance. Through growth and expansion, the world's number one auction house has maintained a clear vision: to elevate gun collecting and provide fine arms a worthy showplace to present their history, artistry, and legacy. That home is now Bedford, Texas, a destination in the heart of cowboy country that combines the latest innovations with the company’s Midwest hospitality.

Rock Island Auction Company’s new Bedford facility has quickly become the foremost international venue to buy and sell collector grade firearms.

Rock Island Auction Company’s new world-selling headquarters is a bold investment in the future of firearms collecting and a testament that the spirit of the pioneer still lives strong in the Lone Star State. As a new chapter of Rock Island Auction Company’s journey begins, collectors from every corner are poised to saddle up and make some history of their own. The market for fine and historic arms has never looked more inviting, and opportunities are as boundless as the Texas skies.

The Hogans welcome arms enthusiasts from far and wide to Rock Island Auction Company.