Sunday Gunday: Henry Serial #1 — Most Expensive Rifle Ever Sold

This rifle sold for $5.875 million at a Rock Island Auction in June 2026.

Henry Rifle serial number 1, the first production Henry rifle, is now the most valuable long gun ever made. This historic rifle, Henry serial number 1, recently sold for $5.875 million, the highest price ever paid for a rifle. This wasn’t a rare prototype — Henry Rifle serial number 1 was the very first production Henry, built by New Haven Arms Company in the 1860s.

The Most Expensive Rifle Ever Sold | Henry Serial No. 1 | ($5.875 MILLION)

Technological Innovation — 16-round Lever-Action Rifle
Patented by Benjamin Tyler Henry in 1860, this lever-action rifle chambered in .44 rimfire was a massive breakthrough, allowing soldiers to rapidly fire 16 rounds without reloading one round at a time. This design directly paved the way for the Winchester dynasty. The auction description noted: “Serial number 1 is not merely an early production example but the genesis of an entire technological and cultural legacy. Every Winchester that followed traces its lineage to this [rifle] that launched a company and helped define an era. As the starting point of the Winchester story … this rifle stands at the beginning of a legend, where Oliver Winchester’s vision took form and the repeating rifle that would shape the American West was born.”

The Birth of America’s Lever Action Rifle
It can be argued that EVERY lever-action rifle built in the 160-plus years since Henry serial number 1 was crafted — every model, every maker, every variation on that under-barrel magazine and swinging lever — traces its lineage back to this one gun.

The 1860 Henry was the design that proved a repeating rifle could actually work in the field, and it set the template that the entire lever-action category has followed ever since. Since its creation a century and a half ago, the lever-action rifle has been the rifle of hunters, ranchers, and everyday Americans who needed a dependable repeater they could trust with their lives.

Henry Rifle serial number 1 was presented to President Abraham Lincoln’s Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton during the Civil War. This rifle is part of an exclusive trio of factory-engraved Henry rifles presented by Oliver Winchester to high-ranking Union officials to secure military contracts. The other two include Lincoln’s rifle (Serial No. 6, now in the Smithsonian National Museum of American History) and Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles’ rifle (Serial No. 9, housed at the Autry Museum of the American West).

Henry Rifle serial number 1 is not simply the first Henry rifle ever made — it is arguably the most important lever action rifle in existence. Manufactured during the American Civil War and presented to President Abraham Lincoln’s Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton, this historic Henry repeating rifle launched the era of metallic cartridge repeating long guns in America produced by Winchester Repeating Arms. Every legendary Winchester rifle that followed the Henry — from the Model 1866 to the famed Model 1873 — owes its existence to the Henry lever-action rifle.

This rifle features elaborate engraving and an inscription to Secretary Stanton.

Henry Rifle Serial Number 1

Henry Rifle serial number 1 was awarded a certificate of recognition from the National Rifle Association at the NRA annual meeting in New Orleans in 1970.

Presented alongside other famous “Lincoln Cabinet” Henry rifles gifted to Abraham Lincoln and Gideon Welles, this extraordinary Civil War firearm represents a pivotal turning point in American military and technological history. Featuring factory engraving by Samuel J. Hoggson, with early production features unique to the first Henry rifles, the Henry serial number 1 remains one of the most coveted and historically important American firearms ever made.

This video includes footage from the auction where Henry Rifle Serial Number 1 was sold.

Rifle Was Gift for Lincoln’s Right Hand Man — Secretary of War Stanton
In the 1860s, arms-makers often gave their finest work to key government leaders. After Benjamin Tyler Henry had introduced his lever-action repeating rifle that could fire 16 rounds without reloading, there was good reasons to showcase this for the government. This rifle represented a major breakthrough that could dramatically change how military operations could be conducted. So the company presented engraved Henry rifles to three men close to President Lincoln: Secretary of War Edwin Stanton received serial no. 1, Lincoln himself received serial no. 6, and Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles received serial no. 9.

Engraved brass rifle shown with portraits of Edwin Stanton and Abraham Lincoln.

Today, collectors know these three rifles as the Lincoln Cabinet Guns. Lincoln’s rifle now sits in the Smithsonian, while the Welles rfle is at the Autry Museum of the American West. The Stanton rifle, Henry serial no. 1, was the last of the three still in private hands, and the only one anyone could actually buy. Stanton is best remembered for the words he spoke at Lincoln’s deathbed: “Now he belongs to the ages.”

Henry No. 1 Is Highest Priced Rifle, But NOT the Most Expensive Gun Ever Sold
Is Henry serial number 1 the most valuable gun ever sold? Actually not. It is the most expensive rifle, but a famous handgun, a Colt revolver, represents the most expensive gun ever sold. Sheriff Pat Garrett’s Colt Single Action Army revolver, which he seized from gang member Billy Wilson in 1880 and used to kill Billy the Kid (William Bonney) in 1881, sold at a Bonham’s Auction on August 27, 2021, for a record-breaking $6,030,313 (including buyer’s premium).

Details of Rifle (from Auction Description):
Condition: Extremely fine overall with crisp original barrel address and serial number “1” on the barrel. The engraving and historic inscription are all crisp and of extraordinary detail. 85% plus original vibrant case colors remain on the hammer. 40% of the original blue finish mixed with attractive even brown patina remains on the barrel. Significant patches of original silver plating are found in the protected areas of the frame such as the lower tang as well as on the heel extension of the buttplate, attractively aged patina on the exceedingly attractive brass, a mostly even brown patina on the lever, and generally minimal overall wear consistent with the rifle’s age[.] The stock is also fine and has attractive natural grain and color, with an overcoat of protective varnish, faint flakes at the edges of the wrist, a tight hairline crack follows the grain in the butt, and slight storage dings and scratches. Mechanically excellent.