10 Guns I'd Love to Own

Elmer Keith’s #5 Revolver 

This Colt SAA was extensively customized by R.F. Sedgley, Harold Croft and Neal Houchins around 1928. Keith wrote about this sixgun in .44 Special extensively. A photo of the #5 appeared in the December 1967 issue of Guns & Ammo. It sold in 2021 through Rock Island Auction for $253,000.

Ernest Hemingway’s Westley Richards Double Rifle in .577 Nitro  

Papa’s single-­trigger Westley Richards was built in 1913. Hemingway took it to Africa on a four-­month safari, alongside his wife Mary, in 1953. That trip inspired the novel “True At First Light.” Any Westley double is a treasure, but this one takes that definition to the next level. This great rifle is in the collection of Bill Jones.

Singer M1911A1 

These, the rarest examples of USGI M1911A1s, were built in 1940 by the Singer Sewing Machine Company. Only 500 were produced before Singer shifted to producing aviation components. Some examples survived the war and made it into civilian hands. Serial No. 1 sold for $80,500 in 2010. The finest condition example sold for $414,000 in 2017.

Colt Walker .44 

Produced in 1847 and named after famed Texas Ranger/U.S. Army Captain Samuel Walker, these were Colt’s first six-­shot revolvers. Eli Whitney produced 1,100 of them in Colt’s name, and Samuel Colt sold the 100 overrun guns to finance his manufacturing empire. A cased Walker, known as the “Danish Sea Captain” revolver, sold for $1,840,000 in 2018.

Bob Petersen’s Holland & Holland .700 & .600 Sidelock Ejector Rifles 

These two rifles, both thematically engraved by Phillippe Grifnée, were part of a set of rifles built by Holland and Holland for G&A’s creator. I had the privilege of handling the entire set before they went to auction. This pair sold for $575,000 in 2019.

FG 42 

The Fallschirmjägergewher 42 was a select-­fire rifle designed for use by German paratroopers during World War II. In my opinion, these are among the coolest military firearms ever designed. Few transferrable examples exist, and the demand for them is extremely high. Rock Island Auction sold a Kriegoff for $411,250 in 2023.

Frederick Courteney Selous’ Gibbs

Selous acquired his .461 Gibbs-Farquharson in 1880 and used it extensively during his travels. The stock on it broke under heavy use, leading Gibbs to develop steel side-­plates to reinforce stocks at the wrist. I own a Selous-­plated .461 No. 2, but there’s no reason to believe that it ever crossed his path. Selous’ gun is also part of the Bill Jones collection.

Smith & Wesson Registered Magnum “Club Gun” 

Only a handful of pre-­production Registered Magnums exist. These zero-­prefix guns were among the first factory .357 Magnums ever produced, and they were distributed to shooting clubs for marketing purposes. These are among the rarest of the rare for Smith & Wesson collectors. It’s possible that I could afford one, but I currently refuse to pay the prices they command.

Jim Corbett’s .275 Rigby Mauser 

Corbett, the famous hunter of man-­eating tigers and leopards, received this rifle as a gift after killing the Champawat man-­eating tigress in 1907. Even without the provenance, this would be a $15,000-to-$­20,000 rifle in today’s market. His name would add a zero to those figures. Corbett’s rifle has been in the collection of John Rigby & Co. since 2015.

Lee Harvey Oswald’s Carcano Model 91/38 6.5x52mm 

This rifle, including the scope, sold for $19.95 in 1963. With it, Oswald changed the course of history. The rights to the rifle were sold by Oswald’s widow in 1965. After much litigation, the courts determined that it wasn’t hers to sell. The rifle resides at the National Archives and Records Administration Building in College Park, Maryland. No word on the rifle from the grassy knoll.

Sound Off

Have any guns on your wishlist? Maybe you'd like us to break down one featured in this list? Let us know by emailing gaeditor@outdoorsg.com using "Sound Off" in the subject line.

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