Weapons for millionaires: top most expensive firearms (12 photos + 1 video)

Just a few shots can change the course of history, and the weapon itself can acquire truly invaluable status. Today we will plunge into the atmosphere of the famous gangster duo - Bonnie and Clyde. We will also go back to the era of the Wild West. Today we will reveal the secret of the cost of pistols made from a precious meteorite that is several billion years old. And our journey will end with real value - a priceless example of firearms.









Colt 45 caliber

The .45 Colt was the weapon that belonged to Wyatt Earp, the fearless and controversial sheriff of Tombstone. This lawman and gambler became widely known thanks to the Westerns in books and films in which he played the main role. In real life, he was quite an interesting figure, which led to his revolver being sold at auction for US$225,000. This particular Colt was used in the most famous scene of the Old West - the shootout at the O.C. Corral, located near the town of Tombstone. Interestingly, more films have been made about this skirmish than about Napoleonic Battle of Waterloo.

Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday shot the entire Clinton gang in half a minute, including robbers and murderers. Almost all the government agents were wounded except Wyatt Earp, and not a single enemy bullet reached him that day.





Smith and Wesson 44 caliber

A single shot from a .44-caliber Smith and Wesson revolver was enough to mortally wound the legendary robber Jesse James, who was daring and unpredictable. The .44-caliber Smith and Wesson was the weapon of choice for Jesse James, which he gave to Robert Ford as a sign of reconciliation when he joined Jesse's gang.

Few could have imagined that Robert Ford, a seemingly cowardly youth, entered into an agreement with the governor of Missouri to assassinate the leader. As a result, Robert Ford fired instantly when the unarmed Jesse turned his back to him. Despite his status as a robber and murderer, his death caused an unexpected reaction among people. America mourned him as the best son and Jesse James became a hero so significant that there was practically no boy who did not dream of becoming like him.

Because of this story, interest in the guns surrounding his death remained very high. In 2003, this revolver was sold at auction for $350,000.



Colt 38 caliber

The 38-caliber Colt belonged to the most popular gangster duo, Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow. In addition to their mutual love, they had two other powerful passions - robbery and weapons. Even though Bonnie and Clyde had passed away long ago, their trace still remained in the bank accounts.

At one auction, an anonymous buyer paid half a million dollars for two pistols that belonged to notorious gangsters - a .38 Colt that belonged to Bonnie and a .45 Colt that belonged to Clyde. These pistols were with them when they were shot by police. This pair of pistols was the highest bidder at the Nashua auction and sold for $504,000.



Henry 1860 rifle

The Henry Model 1860 rifle became famous not because of its owner, but because of its unique history. This rifle was invented by an engineer named Benjamin Tyler Henry a year before the outbreak of the American Civil War. Its introduction marked a turning point in the history of firearms, as it became the first successful lever-action weapon. This mechanism practically changed the rules of the game.

The Henry rifle was a 16-shot rifle, making it unique at a time when most other rifles were single-shot. This allowed the shooter to quickly reload and fire, while muzzle-loading rifles took much longer to reload. The military even joked that the Henry rifle could be loaded on Sunday and fired throughout the week.

The total number of rifles produced was 14,000, of which 400 were made of iron. Currently, these rifles are among the most valuable for collectors. At auction, one of them was sold for an impressive amount of 603 thousand dollars.



Theodore Roosevelt rifle

This double-barreled shotgun belonged to Theodore Roosevelt and is a collector's dream. The 26th President of the United States was seriously interested in hunting. Soon after the end of his presidency, he began an African expedition, taking this gun with him. Over the course of 13 months, several thousand animals were killed with these weapons, including elephants and white rhinoceroses. Stuffed animals of some of them are still kept in American museums.

In 2010, this gun was sold at auction for eight hundred sixty-two thousand dollars. Another interesting fact: Roosevelt, who as we mentioned was a fan of hunting, carried the bullet in his body for the rest of his life. This bullet remained in him after an unsuccessful attempt on his life, since the operation to remove it was too risky for that time.



Colt Walker revolver

And now we present to you the legendary revolvers designed by Samuel Colt. Among them is the Colt Walker, created in 1846 in collaboration with former Texas Ranger captain Samuel Walker. This captain invited the famous inventor to develop a powerful firearm for horsemen.

Although the Colt Walker did not make it into the military, it became one of the most powerful revolvers of its time. Interestingly, this revolver turned out to be Clint Eastwood's favorite weapon.

Very few original Colt Walker revolvers remain, and only one survives to this day. This rarity was sold at auction for a record amount for such a weapon - nine hundred and twenty thousand dollars, which emphasizes its historical value.



Revolver Colt Paterson

At auction, an even higher price was offered for one of the most famous models of Colt revolvers - the Colt Paterson. This revolver became a hero of American westerns and was nicknamed “The Conqueror of the Wild West.” It was put up for auction and sold for nine hundred seventy-seven thousand five hundred dollars.

At the time the revolver was developed, it was the first operational primer-ignition revolver. The Colt Paterson design, patented by Samuel Colt on February 25, 1836, had the significant advantage of being able to reload the weapon without disassembling it. This gave hunters and shooters the opportunity to reload their weapons without dismounting, which was important in the Texas open spaces.

Revolvers such as the Colt Paterson and Colt Walker were popular with the Texas Rangers due to their firepower and reload speed. These revolvers, beginning with the 1839 design, were highly regarded and considered an important weapon for hunters and defenders.



Pistols for riders

Of great interest is a pistol that belonged to one of the most important figures in world history - Simon Bolivar. Bolivar initiated the struggle for the independence of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama and Bolivia from the Spanish crown. This father of Latin America always carried with him two unique pistols, which were made by one of the most famous gunsmiths of the 19th century - Nicolas Noel, the official gunsmith of Napoleon Bonaparte.

This pair of flintlock pistols has an impressive history. One of them shows traces of the blood of the Spanish Viceroy, which emphasizes their participation in the events of the struggle for independence. In 2004, these pistols were sold at auction for an impressive amount of 1 million 680 thousand 500 US dollars. These pistols, associated with the era of revolution and independence, have also had famous owners, including the 7th President of the United States, Andrew Jackson. However, the first owner is believed to be George Washington, who is considered by many to be a key figure in American history and a symbol of the Revolution.

Today these historic pistols can be seen in the Pennsylvania Museum and are important testaments to the struggle for independence.



Big Bang.

It is worth noting that among the most expensive and unique pistols, alien firearms from the Kubo company have found their place. This company introduced the world's most precious set of weapons called "Big Bang". The name "Big Bang" is not accidental - it is due to the fact that the material used to create these pistols is truly cosmic. The items are made from a meteorite, to be precise, from the Gibeon meteorite, which fell in what is now Namibia about 500,000 years ago. Pieces of this cosmic body weighing 26 tons and about 4.5 billion years old were discovered in 1836. These unique specimens have found their place in scientific museums.

The Kubo weapons company purchased 77 pounds of this rare meteorite and made only two pistols from it, which are unique in nature. Designed to resemble the iconic Colt 1911 pistols, these unique pistols are being offered as a pair and are valued at an impressive $4.5 million.



Carcano rifle

Judging by the rumors, the cost of this unique rifle is certainly enormous. After all, it is associated with an event that changed history - it is the rifle that was used to assassinate John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States. The only official suspect in this tragic case was Lee Harvey Oswald. The Commission of Inquiry found him guilty and stated that all three shots were fired from an Italian Carcano .38 caliber rifle.

The guns that belonged to Oswald were later sold by his wife. A Denver collector named John King purchased this rifle. Ultimately, the weapons were handed over to the authorities. King even sued the government, demanding five million dollars in damages caused by the government. As a result, he received only three hundred and fifty dollars in compensation.

However, the real cost of this rifle is many times higher than these amounts. It is a site of historical and cultural significance and is associated with one of the most significant events in US history. It is difficult to estimate the exact cost of such an artifact, but it is likely to be far beyond five million dollars, emphasizing its priceless value.



Lincoln pistol

The Lincoln pistol is a weapon whose value cannot really be determined. This pocket pistol was originally sold for just twenty-five dollars. However, after it was used to assassinate the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, in 1865, the weapon became invaluable. Actor John Wilkes Booth killed the President with this pistol, changing the course of history forever. Lincoln was a slave liberator and national hero.

The gun used in Lincoln's assassination was manufactured by a Philadelphia company and was a derringer, the name of which is sometimes associated with Lincoln. Today this pistol is officially considered the most expensive weapon in the world. However, its value is so high and special that experts conclude that it is actually impossible to determine. No matter what price might be quoted, it will always seem insufficient to appreciate the priceless historical and symbolic value of this pistol.