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February 23rd, 2015
 Here’s your chance to own the guns of an American legend, Elmer Merrifield Keith, one of the best-known gun writers of the 20th Century. Keith’s firearms, including his much-modified Colt SAA “Number 5″, will be auctioned March 15-16 through James D. Julia Auctioneers. “The importance of the Elmer Keith Estate Collection cannot be overstated,” the auction house announced. “This truly represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own a piece of firearms history.”
Born in Missouri, Elmer Keith was raised in Montana, Idaho, and eastern Oregon. He had a ranch on the North Fork of the Salmon River (in Idaho), and was active as a hunting guide. His first article appeared in the American Rifleman in 1924. Over his career he wrote ten books, beginning with Sixgun Cartridges and Loads (1936) and ending with his autobiography Hell I Was There! in 1979. During his long writing career, Keith’s stories appeared in The Outdoorsman, American Rifleman, Western Sportsman, Gun, and Guns & Ammo. Called the “voice of big bore six-gunning”, Keith pioneered handgun hunting and he was instrumental in the development of the first magnum revolver cartridge, the .357 Magnum, as well as the later .44 Magnum and .41 Magnum cartridges.
A Very Unique Colt — the “Number Five”
If you know much about Colts, you’ll immediately recognize that the “Number Five” in the photo above is no ordinary Single Action Army (SAA). This famous revolver started as a Colt SAA in .44 Special, but then was heavily modified. The top strap of the frame was welded up into a flat-top target configuration, with an adjustable rear sight added. The front sight was changed on the 5 ½” barrel to a hi-visibility Patridge style. The hammer was modified with a Bisley-type target spur, and the trigger was curved and moved closer to the back of the trigger guard. The unique grip of the Number Five was created by marrying a modified Bisley backstrap to a Single Action Army trigger guard. Add contoured ivory grips and the resulting is probably the most comfortable-to-shoot revolver grip ever designed. Keith called this handgun “The last word in fine six-guns.”
CLICK HERE for 50+ Other Elmer Keith Guns at Auction.
Dangerous Game Rifles in Collection
Along with famous handguns, the Elmer Keith collection at auction includes prized long guns, including the legendary “Corbett Tiger Rifle”, a Jeffery boxlock .450/400 used by famed hunter Edward James “Jim” Corbett. This rifle was featured in Corbett’s book Man-Eaters of Kumaon. Two of the man-eating tigers Corbett hunted were believed to have killed over 800 humans in the Kumaon Hills of India. Other valuable long guns in the collection include English Best Quality stopping rifles from Westley Richards and Holland & Holland.
June 25th, 2013
AmmoBammo.com, an all-new auction website for guns, ammo, and gear, has just opened for business. This new site boasts “no listing fees ever”. Unlike Gunbroker.com, AmmoBammo has a very simple payment structure. There is no “up-front” listing fee, and no membership fee. If an item sells, AmmoBammo takes 2.5% of the proceeds — no matter what the price. That makes it easy to figure out what it will cost to sell your gun or gear. If nobody bids, or the bids don’t reach your thresh-hold reserve price, you pay nothing. If your product sells, you pay a flat 2.5% final value fee. That seems reasonable to us. Read detailed terms of sale here.
To celebrate its launch, AmmoBammo.com is offering a special promotion. Now through July 15, 2013, AmmoBammo is Waiving ALL Fees on auction listings, including the normal 2.5% final value fee. So, for the next couple of weeks you can sell your stuff, and not pay a penny.
Since this site is brand new, listings are sparse to say the least. As of June 25, 2013 at 12:00 pm, not a single gun was listed for sale (though there were many ammo listings). Hopefully the AmmoBammo site will gain traction as more sellers list their merchandise in the weeks and months ahead.
March 13th, 2013
No doubt you’ve heard of CraigsList.com, the hugely popular FREE classifieds website on which Americans sell everything from household appliances to Harley-Davidsons. CraigsList ads are now more widely used in many communities than are newspaper “white pages” classifieds. Unfortunately, however, you aren’t allowed to sell firearms on CraigsList.
ARMSLIST.com offers FREE Gun Classifieds
Now there’s a similar free online classified service, ARMSLIST.com, that lets you list pistols, rifles, shotguns, ammo, and shooting accessories for sale. There are also categories for archery, fishing, and hunting gear, and even a category for vehicles. Just like CraigsList, listings are free*, including Want to Buy (WTB) listings. You can search ads by state or product type — and once within the rifle category, you can filter by manufacturer or action type (e.g. bolt action, semi-auto, lever action). ARMSLIST.com has only been around since 2009, so it doesn’t have as many listings as Gunbroker.com, but we expect ARMSLIST.com to grow in popularity once more gun-sellers realize how much they can save with ARMSLIST’s free listings. If you put a gun up for auction on Gunbroker.com or AuctionArms.com, but you’ll pay $40 or more in auction fees on a $2000.00 rifle. Also, many potential buyers simply don’t like the auction process, given the unpredictable outcomes and the delays involved in “closing the deal”.
As ARMSLIST.com grows in popularity, this service will really benefit both buyers and sellers of firearms. You can’t argue with free classifieds* — they allow you to sell low-price items easily with zero out-of-pocket costs. And as a buyer, in many respects we prefer the ARMSLIST.com listing system to an online auction with its inherent uncertainty.
* ARMSLIST.com does offer Vendor Accounts for “Power Sellers”. The fee is $20.00 per month. FFL-holders and commercial sellers can benefit from having a Vendor Account.
September 29th, 2012
 American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) now offers a Firearms Appraiser Course conducted via audio CDs, DVDs, books, and an extensive course manual. The total package costs $2497.00 (Yikes!). We think that’s a lot of money, but the program does include a large library of materials including thirteen (13) audio CDs from top firearms appraisers such as Jim Supica, Director of the National Firearms Museum, and Steve Fjestad, author of the Blue Book of Gun Values.
The course package also includes three of the best gun valuation books in print: Blue Book of Gun Values, Flayderman’s Guide to Antique American Firearms, and American Gunsmiths (Frank Sellers).
 Experts Share Knowledge on DVDs
Four multi-media DVDs are also included in the Firearms Appraiser Course. DVD One provides a step-by-step course content review with AGI President, Gene Kelly. In DVD Two, gun expert and auction operator Greg Martin shares his extensive knowledge of gun valuation and auctions.
In DVD Three, Master Gunsmith Gene Shuey covers Firearms Restoration vs. Refinishing. The fourth DVD, “Appraising in Action,” features Gene Kelly and noted collector/appraiser Carey Creech who specializes in Colt Single Action revolvers and Winchester® rifles.
Students Receive Certification after Completion of Course
Once a student has completed the material and passes the course exam, he will receive a certification number and documentation to validate his AGI Certified Firearms Appraiser status. The AGI Firearms Appraiser Course is offered through AmericanGunsmith.com for $2,497.00. (Product ID# FAPCOURSE)
August 22nd, 2012
 The CMP Online Auction Programis used to sell very rare or otherwise unique rifles, receivers, and other collectible merchandise/parts. CMP usually has only 6-10 items listed for auction at any time. Items are normally listed for 10-14 days, with the bidding set to close on Sunday afternoons.
Log on to http://cmpauction.thecmp.org to learn more about the auction process and to see the current items up for bid.
June 21st, 2012
 Annie’s grand-nieces got her gun and they got big money for it. About 100 items owned by sharp-shooting legend Annie Oakley and passed down to Oakley’s great-grandnieces were put on auction in Dallas recently. Auctioned memorabilia included Annie’s Stetson hat, many letters, and of course, a collection of firearms. The item bringing in the highest bid — $143,400 — was Oakley’s Parker Brothers 12-gauge shotgun. The total take on the auctioned Annie Oakley collection was nearly $520,000 according to Heritage Auction sources.
The collection of Annie Oakley guns and personal items was inherited by Oakley’s great-grandnieces from their mother, Billie Butler Serene, who died at age 95 three years ago. According to AP reporter Chris Sherman, one of the grand-nieces, Terry Holcomb, “remembers shooting the guns for target practice on Sunday mornings in California’s Santa Monica Mountains and wearing Oakley’s Stetson hat — which sold for $17,925 — for Halloween.”
In addition to the coveted Parker Brothers shotgun, two of Annie’s prized Marlin .22-caliber rifles fetched big prices at auction. One sold for $71,700 and the other for $83,650. The high-bidder for one of the Marlins had Annie’s grandnieces sign his catalog, and he told Holcomb that “his kids couldn’t wait to shoot” the historic rimfire rifle.
“Annie Oakley was arguably America’s first female superstar, touring the U.S. and the world in the late 1800s and early 20th century and demonstrating her legendary Wild West sharp-shooting skills.” Tom Slater, Historian for Heritage Auctions.
May 25th, 2012
 You probably know that eBay, the internet’s #1 auction site, forbids sales of firearms, actions, and ammunition. eBay has, in the past, also banned listings of a wide variety of gun components and accessories. However, eBay just issued a new policy allowing sales and auctions of more gun-related products. The “green light” has been given to sales of barrels, bolts, clips and magazines (10 rounds or less), triggers, firing pins, and hammers. In addition, listings of pistol slides and revolver cylinders are now allowed.
Even with the policy changes, “the listing of firearms, replica firearms, ammunition, and other firearm-related items is still prohibited on eBay.” In addition there remain some special restrictions: “You may now show your accessories on a firearm in your photo, as long as it is not an assault weapon and there is no indication in the listing that the firearm is included in the sale. You and all of the items listed must be located in the US and you must only offer domestic shipping on these items.” eBay’s new gun component policies are set forth in the following notice issued to eBay sellers.
New eBay Policies for Hunting Category Listings
 We want to inform you eBay’s Hunting category has expanded to include more items, which could mean more buyers and sales for you. Now you can list the following firearm parts and accessories on the eBay US site (eBay.com) with domestic shipping:
NOW ALLOWED
Enbloc clips
Barrels
Bolts
Choke tubes
Cylinders
Firing pins
Hammers
Magazines with a capacity to accept 10 rounds or less (high-capacity magazines that can accept more than 10 rounds are not allowed)
Slides
Trigger assemblies
Important Guidelines
We take the update to the Hunting category seriously and will monitor these items vigilantly for compliance with the eBay firearms policy and all relevant laws and regulations. If your listing does not meet the requirements of this policy, it may be removed, and you may be subject to a range of other actions, including restrictions to your buying and selling privileges and suspension of your account. Keep in mind these important guidelines when listing any of these firearm parts and accessories:
You may now show your accessories on a firearm in your photo, as long as it is not an assault weapon and there is no indication in the listing that the firearm is included in the sale. You and all of the items listed must be located in the US and you must only offer domestic shipping on these items.
Listing accessories related to assault weapons is still prohibited on eBay. If your accessory is compatible with other weapons as well as assault weapons, you may list it, but may not mention any assault weapon compatibility. The listing of firearms, replica firearms, ammunition, and other firearm-related items is still prohibited on eBay. Please carefully review the site policy that outlines firearm restrictions before listing these items, and be sure your listings—titles, descriptions, and photos—are in compliance with the new update.
October 3rd, 2011
An 1836 Colt Paterson Revolver (with accessories in box), sold last month for $977,500 at a Texas auction. This is believed to be a new world record for the sale of a single American firearm. The very rare, ivory-gripped Texas (Holster Model No. 5) Paterson Revolver was part of the Alfred (“Al”) Cali Collection of Colt firearms. The revolver, with a 9-inch barrel and attached loading lever, is the finest known surviving example of Samuel Colt’s first revolver, produced by the legendary gunsmith in Paterson, New Jersey in 1836.
Colt Purchased by Silicon Valley Zillionaire
The 1836 pistol, one of the earliest generation of Colt revolvers, was purchased by an unidentified West Coast collector, a Silicon Valley mogul. The gun was sold September 18 as part of Greg Martin Auctions/Heritage Auctions’ Signature Arms & Armor Auction in Dallas. “There are certain collectibles that transcend genre, period and form and exist simply as great works of art,” said Greg Martin, “and clearly this supremely beautiful firearm is such a thing. The nearly seven-figure final price realized proves just how great a piece this is, and well worthy of being the world record-holder. This is as desirable… as any piece I’ve seen in more than 40 years of buying and selling the very best firearms in existence”.
Two More Boxed Colt Revolvers Sell for Over $800K Each
A pair of Colt revolvers tied for the September auction’s second most valuable lot, both realizing jaw-dropping $805,000 prices. The first was an exceptional historic, cased, engraved and presentation-inscribed Colt Model 1861 New Model Navy Revolver. The second was an historic, cased Gustave Young-engraved and ivory-gripped Colt Third Model Dragoon Revolver, inscribed ‘Colonel P.M. Milliken”. Both these guns were from the Al Cali collection, like the record-setting 1836 Paterson.
Photos Courtesy Heritage Auctions.
July 3rd, 2011
OutdoorsTrader.com is a FREE alternative to Gunbroker.com and AuctionArms.com for selling firearms, magazines, optics, and hunting gear. Set up like a Craigslist for gun stuff, OutdoorsTrader.com lets you place free ads for buying, selling or trading guns, ammunition and parts. Conveniently, you can search ads by state, or even by zip code proximity.
Because OutdoorsTrader.com is relatively new, there are relatively few listings at present, but we expect that to grow. We clicked on “Oregon” and found a couple dozen listings, mostly handguns. A search for “Colorado” revealed a half-dozen listings, half rifle, half pistol. So OutdoorsTrader.com has a long way to go to challenge the big players such as Gunbroker.com and AuctionArms.com. But we’re glad OutdoorsTrader.com exists — it’s always a good thing for consumers to have more options.
OutdoorsTrader Charges No Fees, Unlike Gunbroker
We hope OutdoorsTrader.com becomes successful. Gunbroker.com is fairly expensive for the seller, who pays when the item sells (at auction). On an expensive rifle, Gunbroker.com fees can be significant. The cost to sell a $3500.00 rifle on Gunbroker.com is $56.88.
By contrast, OutdoorsTrader.com is free to join and entirely free to use. Once an account has been created, the user may post ads of his own and also leave replies on other posted ads. OutdoorsTrader.com has been around for a couple years. We hope it gains in popularity so it can provide more competition to Gunbroker.
April 7th, 2011
John Weber, a 70-year-old from England, was given a metal mug by his grandfather in 1945. Though his grandfather had a “good eye” for antiques, John never thought the metal mug was worth much. He played with it as a child, and even used it as a target for his air rifle. The mug, assumed to be brass, has languished in a shoe box under Weber’s bed for decades.
Well, it turns out Weber’s old mug may be the world’s most expensive plinking target! The cup is actually made of solid gold, and is a rare, ancient artwork, crafted over 2300 years ago. The unusual mug, decorated with twin, opposite-facing female heads, was appraised with a value exceeding one-quarter million dollars ($250,000)!
According to news reports, Weber decided to have the old mug (thought to be brass) appraised when he moved from his house. He was shocked to learn that the mug is a Persian gold treasure, beaten out from a single sheet of gold before the time of Alexander the Great. Experts said the type of gold and the way the cup was hammered was “consistent with Achaemenid gold and gold smithing” dating back to the third or fourth century BC. The Achaemenid Empire ruled most of the Middle East and was conquered by Alexander the Great in 330 BC. Could this cup be one of Alexander’s war trophies? What stories could it tell from the past 2300 years?
Ancient Gold Cup Brings £50,000 at Auction
The rare cup was sold at auction by Duke’s Auction house in southwest England in June, 2008. Though the Cup was valued much higher by experts, it only fetched £50,000, or roughly $99,000 U.S. Dollars (at 2008 exchange rates). John Webber said he was still very pleased with that result.
CLICK HERE for Auction Description (Item 378).
Achaemenid Empire (in green)
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