“We’re not just gonna let you walk out of here.”

“Who’s ‘we’, sucker?”

“Smith, Wesson, and Me.”

Cool.

If you’re a fan of spaghetti westerns or any Clint Eastwood films, then you’ve probably noticed some of the amazing guns that folks used to carry around back in the day. 

And if you’re a history buff, you probably know a thing or two about the role that firearms play in shaping the world through war and expansion.

Not only did these things look amazing hanging off a sheriff’s hip or wrapped around an outlaw’s back in the movies, but they played a huge role in the success and failure of battles over the history of our’s and pretty much every country in the world.

Now, these antique guns can fetch huge amounts of money depending on their condition.

Let’s take a short walk over the last 150 years of firearms production, decide on some of the finest classics, and look at some of the more collectible guns.

Parker

The Parker Bros. produced fine and now collectable shotguns from 1867 to 1942. Collectible due to their age and quality, the youngest of them are still 70+ years old.

They were available in a plethora of gauges, most of them were side by side double barreled designs with break open style action. Versatile and built with care, these are incredibly valuable depending on its state.

If you’re a gun collector and you have a Parker, you know what you have. If not, don’t touch it, as value goes down if it has been altered. Parker’s average $12,000 in value and more rare models fetch up to $100,000, making them some of the more valuable antique guns at auctions.

Smith & Wesson Triple Lock

This double-action revolver, officially named the Smith & Wesson .44 Hand Ejector First Model is considered by many to be the “finest revolver ever made”.

It earned the nickname Triple Lock because its’ cylinder locks at three points rather than two. It was big and strong, and expensive to make.

Unfortunately, the Triple Lock cost about $21 per unit when an average American made less than $5 per week. Because of this, Smith & Wesson discontinued these in 1917. Since only 15,000 were made, these guns are extremely collectible and can command in the neighborhood of $3000 depending on condition.

Walther P38

Famous for their use by the German army in WWII, the Walther P38 was a collector’s item before it was a relic. Along with the Luger, American soldiers took these as trophies from the war, and have passed them down through the generations.

These were designed as a cost-effective alternative to the Luger by the Germans in WWII. The Luger was also prone to clogging, so a new design was needed and the P38 fit the bill. 

M-1 Garand

The M-1 Garand was the first semi-automatic rifle in the world and was a popular item in the US army until 1957. The .30 caliber rifle even saw some duty in the Vietnam war. 

Over 5 million of the M-1’s were made and used by American and ally soldiers during WWII, and George S. Patton called it “the greatest battle implement ever devised” because of its fast firing. 

If you have one of these Canadian designed rifles, you could be sitting on a small fortune, as the M-1 Garand can typically sell in the thousands if in good condition.

Colt 1851 Navy

The Colt 1851 Navy, a .36 caliber (Navy caliber) cap and ball revolver designed by Samuel Colt himself between 1947 and 1950 was famous for those who used it.

Wild Bill Hickock, Ned Kelly, Doc Holliday, Robert E. Lee, and Bigfoot Wallace all used the Colt Navy due to its light weight and size, which lent itself to saddle holsters.

You can also see these in many Westerns, namely used by Clint Eastwood’s character in “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly”.

Winchester 1873

“The Gun That Won The West” is what the Winchester 1873 model was known for. It was very popular with American settlers, with production reaching over 700,000 between the start of production until 1919.

The late 1800s models can bring in many thousands of dollars, and even some of the newer ones go for close to $1000 at auction. Go root through your grandpa’s attic and see if you can find one to take to your local pawn shop.

Smith & Wesson Model 10

6 million of these have been produced over the years, making the Smith & Wesson Model 10 the most popular handgun of the 20th century.

These things have a long history of production in America. Originally ordered in 1899 by the US Army and Navy, but by the end of WWI, they were the standard issue firearm for the 70 years that followed.

The six-shot .38 special was available in barrel sizes between 2 and 6 inches over the course of production and was considered to be the most reliable handgun out there. 

Mauser Model 98

Probably the most functional and best-designed models on the list. It is the most successful and influential bolt-action rifle ever, designed by Paul Mauser in 1898. 

Millions of these were made, and many of the world’s armies used them throughout the 1900s because of their reliability. They were the foundation for all bolt-action rifles that followed.

Winchester Model 70

Introduced in 1936, the “rifleman’s rifle” went unchanged until 1964 and was a favorite among bolt-action lovers. It was based on the Mauser design and an improvement on the Winchester Model 54. 

Perfect for big game hunting, the Model 70 is regarded by many as the best bolt-action rifle ever made because of its combination of the Mauser’s controlled-feed system and the Model 54’s cone-shaped breech that guided cartridges into the chamber even if they weren’t perfectly aligned.

Smooth, fast, simple, and foolproof, the Model 70 is one of the most sought after collectible guns on the market.

Old Guns Are Collectible Guns

So what did we learn here today? That a lot of these amazing old pieces of technology are also very collectible.

Next time you’re at your great-grandparents’ house, it wouldn’t hurt to sneak away for a look in the basement or some of the closets for some collectible guns.

Not only do they tell the story of war and discovery, but they also have huge monetary value!

Visit our blog for more information about interesting American and World marvels and history.