1836 Colt Revolver Sells for Record $977,500 Price at Auction

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.