Posted on 05/14/2016 2:17:33 PM PDT by jazusamo
It has a fine walnut stock, a blue finish and a very simple inscription that reads “Albee to Lawton.” But this 19th-century rifle has become the most expensive single firearm ever sold at auction according to the Rock Island Auction Company, which recently sent the historic piece to a new destiny with an undisclosed buyer. The price: $1,265,000.
“Other guns have sold higher as a pair, but no other single firearm surpasses this new world record. It was an honor to be entrusted with an American treasure,” said Kevin Hogan, president of the Illinois-based company.
The rifle itself was a gift from one Congressional Medal of Honor winner to another. U.S. Army Captain Henry Ware Lawton and Lieutenant George E. Albee had been brothers-in-arms during the Civil War. The former continued his military career and saw combat in the Indian Wars, the Spanish American War and the Philippine American War. The latter went to work as a designer for the Winchester Repeating Arms Company.
After Lawton led a grueling but successful expedition which resulted in the capture and surrender of Apache leader Geronimo is 1886, his old friend was inspired to find a suitable recognition for the deed. His choice? The “Winchester Model 1886 Sporting Rifle (serial number 1)” which he obtained by virtue of his standing in the company. The gun survived in excellent condition.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Over a million,
Just Dang!
Nice to have money.
Beautiful gun. Wonder what the original price was.
eh, wouldn’t buy it for $10 personally. But to each their own.
Why not?
Wow. Provenance is cool.
Just dont like the look of it. If I saw something similar at an estate sale I would of walked right past.
Wow.
By todays standards not too much. I bought a Md 1886 around 1960 for somewhere around $50, it was in fair condition and sold it some years later for about $200 if I recall.
They are a large fairly heavy rifle and were chambered for large caliber black powder cartridges, they’re a handsome rifle in my view.
Thanks for posting jazusamo, beautiful rifle, I have a Uberti replica of the 1873 Winchester in 44-40. Fine shooter.
$1.2M is a lot of money - just means that the really rich have a lot of money to burn. If you want a decent '86, choice examples abound in the $4K - 5K range. Browning and Winchester both made good replicas recently and can be had for just over a $1K and occasionally less.
Great post. Thanks!
I love my Winchesters. I have a model 94 I was given when I was 18 and I must have put close to 60000 rounds through it over the last 40 years. I’ve had to replace the action once, the barrel twice, and the stock 4 times, but it feels great to have the same gun for this long.
Yes, that’s quite a history.
WOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hiya, I-M. Love to see and read about things like this.
Years ago I got hold of a Md 1873, there were quite a few around at that time but it was in poor condition. Never fired it because of that and traded it away for something I can’t even remember. Wish I still had it. :)
Don’t know if any of you are interested in this kind of thing but it’s off the wall.
Off the Wall Ping!
Contact to be added.
Thank you for the posting. Fine story and a fine rifle with excellent history. I have had only one Model 1886. It was in .45-70 and had a half magazine.
Me too. I recall reading a couple of years ago that a fine cased specimen one of Sam Colt's first revolvers, the 1836 Paterson, went for over $950,000.
The look of it?
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