Fear & Loading: The Ultimate Colt Collectible?

by
posted on August 19, 2016
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
gatling_lead.jpg

A Colt Model 1883 Gatling Gun, complete with original field carriage and two drum magazines, is one of the items up for bid when Rock Island Auction Company holds its Sept. 9-11 event. Just in case you don’t know much about this amazing gun, here’s a look from American Rifleman TV. It’s the ultimate home-defense backup for someone’s Single Action Army

Out of all the guns and memorabilia offered, though, Herman Goering’s personalized Walther PPK is attracting the most attention. It’s gold plated, engraved from front sight to hammer and has his monogram on one side of the grips with the family crest on the other. A matching ring and cuff links round out his BBQ-gun ensemble. Estimated value/price is from $1/4 million to $400,000. Rock Island Auction has been beating nearly all valuations this year, though, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see it go much higher. 

Not all of the bidding is expected to be in the stratosphere, which makes browsing the auction’s catalog fun for monetary mortals like me. It includes 2,940 items, so liberal use of that search function is highly recommended if you’re looking for a particular firearm.

For example, I don’t own an M1, but would love to have a vintage World War II version in the safe. It’s what my father carried in the Battle of the Bulge and he had nothing but glowing praise for the gun. I did a search, found one with a valuation of between $1,100 and $1,600, and it was made by International Harvester—the very same company that made the 1974 Scout II I should have never sold.

The catalog lists it as “mechanically excellent.” I’d wouldn’t expect anything less from a company that built everything to climb hills, slog through mud, savor the heat, run in the cold, plow fields and, in this case, pound precious-metal-stealing Nazis until they surrender.

It’s not quite the age I wanted, but the price should be reasonable, assuming word doesn’t leak out to the International Harvester Collectors Club. 

Latest

Beretta APX Ported 01
Beretta APX Ported 01

New For 2026: Beretta APX A1 Ported

Beretta first entered the polymer-frame, striker-fired pistol market in 2017 with its APX, and nearly 10 years later, the company has added the APX A1 Ported to the lineup.

CDC Restores Basic Armed Citizen Data

As of Aug. 24, 2026, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s webpage is again providing defensive-gun-use data.

Rifleman Review: Taurus GX4 Strike Bravo

Since Taurus USA joined the micro-compact market with its GX4 in 2021, the company has expanded the line to include a number of different options, and the latest, the GX4 Strike Bravo, incorporates a unique chassis design.

Old (Un)reliable: Finding a Magazine that Works for Your 1911

There have been more than 100 manufacturers of 1911-style pistols and magazines, some more faithful to the original drawings than others.

3 New Shotgun Suppressors for 2026

Just because you're in the field hunting for upland game or busting clays at your local range doesn't mean you can't protect your hearing.

First Breach Begins Trading on NASDAQ Under "FBDT" Ticker Symbol

In August 2026, First Breach Defense Technologies, a producer of ammunition and unmanned aerial systems based in Hagerstown, Md., announced that its common stock had begun trading on the NASDAQ capital market under the ticker symbol "FBDT."

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.