A star-studded lineup slated for Milestone’s March 23-24 Premier Firearms Auction

WILLOUGHBY, Ohio – On March 23-24, Milestone will present a Premier Firearms gallery auction whose historical timeline chronicles World War II heroes, the Civil War, and the rough-and-tumble era when Texas Rangers chased bank robbers on horseback. The 1,174-lot lineup includes a spectacular array of early Colts, Winchesters and other premium-quality arms to please any collector seeking something extra special.

Fittingly, top billing goes to a Colt .45 Long Cartridge Single Action Army revolver that was owned by WWII hero Audie Murphy. The son of Texas sharecroppers, Murphy was compelled to enlist in the military after the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. At age 16, using a falsified document stating he was a year older, Murphy tried unsuccessfully to join the Army, Navy and Marine Corps. All three rejected him for being “underweight.” Eventually, he was accepted into the Army, barely 17 years old. Not only did he go on to become the most decorated combat soldier of WWII but also one of the most highly decorated soldiers in US history. At age 19, he received the Congressional Medal of Honor for singlehandedly holding off a company of German soldiers at the Colmar Pocket in France, then leading a successful counterattack while wounded and out of ammunition. He would later star in many Hollywood Westerns. Murphy’s Colt revolver is one of only 244 such guns assembled in 1947-’48 under the direct supervision of Harry St. John, whose personal stamp F appears at rear of trigger guard. The gun was shipped in 1958 to Murphy’s home address. It comes to auction together with a 1989 Colt Archival Letter signed by Colt Historian Emeritus M.S. Huber. 

Of the factory-engraved Colts at the forefront of the sale, a 1908 Single Action Army revolver is highly prized for its gorgeous overall artistry by Colt Master Engraver Cuno A. Helfricht. This exceptional gun features steer-head relief-carved grips with silver pony medallions, and gold-plating on the cylinder, hammer, trigger guard and backstrap. All of these significant details are confirmed by a Colt Archival Letter signed by Colt Historian Emeritus M.S. Huber, which accompanies the firearm. 

Also steeped in WWII history is a first-generation .45 caliber Colt Single Action Army revolver that formerly belonged to Brigadier General Frederick V.H. Kimble, “the man who taught the Tuskegee Airmen to fly.” Known as the “Redtails,” the legendary Tuskegee Airmen were America’s first black combat pilots. Their valor and flying skills during WWII put them in a league of their own. Originally, the auction gun was shipped from the Colt factory on July 11, 1899 to Wyeth Hardware in St. Joseph, Missouri. This is documented in the accompanying 2004 letter signed by Colt Historian Kathleen J. Hoyt. The auction lot also includes a rare Colt factory letter signed by Beverley Haynes of Colt Archive Department stating that the gun had been shipped to them for repair in 1935 and subsequently was paid for and returned to Kimble at his Leavenworth, Kansas address.

The sale also features what is arguably the finest of all known examples of a US Colt Model 1902 .45-caliber revolver. It is one of 4,600 of its type that were produced under a US Army contract to equip the Philippine Constabulary during the Philippine Insurrection. Its frame is stamped on one side with US 1902 and JTT (inspector stamp), and an encircled Colt Pony and RAC stamp on the other side. 

A US Colt Model 1902 .45-caliber revolver – one of 4,600 produced under US Army contract to equip the Philippine Constabulary during the Philippine Insurrection – is deemed the nicest of any that Milestone’s specialists have ever seen. On one side, the frame is stamped US 1902 and JTT (inspector stamp), while an RAC stamp and Colt Pony in a circle appear on the other side. 

Perhaps no other firearm in the sale witnessed as much wild-and-wooly action as the 1912 Colt .41 caliber Double Action Army Special revolver that belonged to legendary Texas Ranger Captain Manuel T. ‘Lone Wolf’ Gonzaullas (1891-1977), who is enshrined in the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame. Formerly a Mexican Army major and US Treasury Department special agent, Spanish-born Gonzaullas became a Ranger in 1920. He was as tough as they come, enforcing the law in Texas oilfields and boomtowns, and all along the Texas/Mexico border. The Colt’s backstrap is engraved (likely at the Colt factory) with Gonzaullas’ name and TEXAS RANGER. 

Civil War buffs won’t want to miss the Benchmark CSA (Confederate)-identified.44-caliber Double Action Revolver made circa 1856-’57 by Tranter (England). This extremely well-made cap-and-ball revolver is of a type that was popular with Confederate soldiers who had to supply their own firearms. Markings appear to say Wilkerson London and Thomas Griswold & Co. New Orleans. It is documented to have been owned by Confederate Lt A.S. Matteson of Arkansas and will convey with an actual antique photo of Matteson.

One might think every last detail of WWII has already been recorded – but what about the 1944 Rolex gold watch that was ordered by an American POW and actually arrived to him at the stalag where he was imprisoned? That Rolex watch, S/N 309040, was factory-shipped from Rolex in Switzerland to B-25 bombardier 2nd Lt. Benjamin Elms at Stalag Luft 3 where, miraculously, he was allowed to keep and wear the watch his father in Texas had paid for. (Side note: Elms and fellow inmates would later inspire the TV series Hogan’s Heroes.) The watch is in running order and is accompanied by extensive original Rolex documentation confirming shipment to the stalag in Hammelburg, Germany, including a receipt actually stamped by the stalag. A remarkable and historically important timepiece.

Many dozens of excellent shotguns, both American and European will cross the auction block, as well as several lots of shotgun shells in vintage boxes. One of the many rarities in this category is a Colt Paterson Model 1839 revolving shotgun, Serial No. 177 of 225 made. It is a 16 gauge and was manufactured sometime between 1839 and 1841. Shotguns of this type are seldom seen on the market. 

Attracting the spotlight in a sale led by something as extraordinary as Audie Murphy’s Colt calls for heavy Hollywood firepower, like the Marlin 1895 lever-action rifle manufactured in 2010 and screen-used in the 2015 film Jurassic World. It is one of three actual-firing Marlin 1895 lever-action rifles that were sent to the Jurassic World set in Hawaii. The auction lot also includes six dummy rounds, photos of the film’s actors with the rifles, and a letter of authenticity from Point Blank Props, Henderson, Nevada.

Milestone’s Saturday/Sunday March 23-24, 2024 Spring Premier Firearms Auction will be held at Milestone’s gallery located at 38198 Willoughby Parkway, Willoughby (suburban Cleveland), OH 44094. Start time: 10 a.m. ET on both days. All forms of bidding will be available, including live via the Internet through Milestone’s own bidding platform, LiveAuctioneers, Proxibid, or Invaluable. For additional information on any item in the auction, call 440-527-8060 or email info@milestoneauctions.com. Online: www.milestoneauctions.com