On January 27, Milestone’s Historic Military & Firearms Auction offers Smith & Wesson collectors the chance to own John Wayne’s silver-grip Smith & Wesson revolvers, holsters and spurs. (Click here to view the online catalogue.) We’re talking . . .
two 1932 Smith & Wesson matching .38/.44 fixed-sight revolvers — with JW initials on the grips — a hand-tooled leather double holster with gold-overlaid, ruby-adorned silver buckles; stirrups, spurs. How much? The estimate runs between ten and twenty thousand dollars.
Acquisitive Smith Weenies with more cash on hand might want to consider picking up a collection of 19th-century Smith & Wesson revolvers and other items belonging to whaling ship captain Albert Sherman (1849-1914) of New Bedford, Mass.
According to an old National Geographic article, Mr. Sherman was the “probably the boldest and most active of the Arctic whalers.” So now you know. The family provides the provenance if you provide twenty-five to thirty-five thousand dollars.
Milestone’s also auctioning off Confederate General (and Texas math teacher) John Creed Moore‘s 1851 Colt revolver.
And I spy with my little eye an arsenal of Winchester rifles, a boxed, engraved Colt King Cobra (above), 1911 Colts and SA Colts, 1877 and 1862 Gatling guns, Brownings, Remingtons and Mausers.
What tickles your fancy? If you score something be sure to let us know ([email protected]).
Reminds me to get my butt to the local Tandy Leather to stock up for a few projects on the back burner.
Damn, I need cheaper hobbies…
🤠
Tandy leather is not your only option. Unless you get materials on a brother in law discount. Try Zack White leather out of N. Carolina. I still buy some odds and ends at Tandy but ZWL is the real McCoy.
If I had $20k to waste, I’d buy the John Wayne package. Hell yeah!
I could afford that, but pretty sure the bids will go much higher than $20K.
Every so often I see one of these auctions (especially the ones run by Sotheby’s) and, just for a second, think that PowerBall tickets might be a good investment.
Dem scales, tho!
I am betting the Duke’s Heavy Duty pair will go for way more than 20k.
Hell, an engraved HD in pristine condition from a mere mortal would go for 4 or 5k.
Seriously. Unless the provenance is questionable that seems like a $60k setup to me.
I don’t have the cash to play this game but, if I did, I’d be pretty interested in John Wayne’s rig.
I want the Lone Rangers rig
John Wayne’s gear should go in the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum (Cowboy Hall of Fame – https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/) where it can be enjoyed by everyone… not just the lucky bastard that has $30k to blow.
What did the hammer bring down?