The allure of Tinseltown connections played a major role in the success of Milestone’s March 23-24, 2024, Premier Firearms Auction, which closed the books at $1.9 million, inclusive of buyer’s premium. The top selling lot, a Colt .45 Long Cartridge Single Action Army revolver originally owned by WWII hero and major motion picture star Audie Murphy, led prices realized at a robust $90,675. Also, a Marlin 1895 lever-action rifle manufactured in 2010 and screen-used in the film Jurassic World took a bow at $46,800.

The Murphy gun will forever be associated with a unique American legend. Barely 17 years old when he enlisted in the US Army, Murphy not only went on to become the most decorated combat soldier of WWII but also one of the most highly decorated soldiers in US history. At age 19, he received the Medal of Honor for singlehandedly holding off a company of German soldiers in France, then leading a successful counterattack while wounded and out of ammunition. After his military career, Murphy starred in more than 40 Hollywood films, riveting audiences with a presence that belied the young Texan’s humble roots. Murphy died tragically in the 1971 crash of a private plane in which he was a passenger. To this day, his gravesite remains the second most visited at Arlington National Cemetery, second only to that of President John F. Kennedy. He is also honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

“When you consider everything Audie Murphy achieved in just 45 short years, it still seems impossible. That’s why his legend endures,” Milestone Auctions co-owner Miles King said. “It was a tremendous honor for us to handle Audie Murphy’s personal Colt revolver. There were many enquiries about it. On auction day the bidding was brisk and boiled down to two collectors who really wanted it.” The Colt was one of only 244 guns of its type assembled in 1947-1948 under the direct supervision of Harry St. John, whose personal stamp F appears at rear of its trigger guard. In 1958, Colt shipped the gun to Murphy’s home address in North Hollywood. It was offered by Milestone with a 1989 Colt Archival Letter signed by Colt Historian Emeritus MS Huber. It sold at the high end of its estimate range for $90,675.

The Hollywood connection continued with the sale of a Marlin 1895 lever-action rifle manufactured in 2010 and screen-used in the 2015 film Jurassic World. It is one of three actual-firing Marlin 1895 lever-action rifles sent to the Jurassic World set in Hawaii. It came with six dummy rounds, photos of the film’s actors with the rifles, and a letter of authenticity from Point Blank Props, Henderson, Nevada. The coveted Marlin sold near the midpoint of its estimate range for $46,800. “The new owner is a younger collector who is a big Jurassic fan. He also bought the Searcy 500 Nitro Express double rifle made for The Lost World: Jurassic Park which we auctioned last November,” King said.

Highlights of the antique gun category included a 1912 Colt .41 caliber Double Action Army Special revolver that belonged to legendary Texas Ranger Capt. Manuel T. “Lone Wolf” Gonzaullas (1891-1977), who is enshrined in the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame. With mother of pearl grips and a backstrap engraved (likely at the Colt factory) with Gonzaullas’ name and the phrase TEXAS RANGER, this witness to Old West history sold at the midpoint of its estimate range for $11,100.

A Bullard Repeating Arms lever-action rifle, manufactured from 1886-1890 in .38-.45 caliber, was marked with a two-line company address and patent dates on its frame and an additional marking that reads Cal/38. Its features include a full octagon barrel and magazine tube, a silver-blade front sight and U-notch buckhorn rear. It commanded more than three times its high estimate, selling for $9,600.

One of the earliest of all automatic pistols, a superb Bergman Model 1896 pistol, Model 3, was produced to use the rimless, grooveless 6.5mm Bergman cartridge but was also equipped with an extractor for later cartridges. In very fine condition, it landed in the upper end of its estimate range, achieving $6,900.

A fine Colt Model 1860 Army Revolver, fully martially marked and retaining its original issued holster, was manufactured in early 1863 at the peak of the Civil War. It was accompanied by an undated family letter from a direct descendant of its original owner, Armistead Jacob Everhart, Captain of 56th Virginia Militia, describing its chain of ownership and provenance. Described by Milestone experts as a “well-cared-for example of an identified Civil War gun,” it realized a within-estimate selling price of $7,800.

The object of many collectors’ attention, a mint pre-Pearl Harbor (1941) Sears-inspected Colt M1911AI pistol was fully Parkerized, with UNITED STATES PROPERTY and M1911A1 U.S. ARMY marked on its frame. It was further marked COLT 45 AUTO on the chamber. Handily exceeding its $4,000-$5,000 estimate, it ended its bidding run at $11,070.

A rare 1980s East German SSG-82 sniper rifle with a Carl Zeiss scope was built with classic European match-rifle design in mind and developed for use as a police counter-sniper rifle. It is one of only a few hundred that are believed to have been imported in the 1990s following the reunification of Germany. It sold above estimate for $5,040.

An incredible survivor of the Second World War, a 1944 Rolex gold watch, S/N 309040, was ordered from Rolex in Switzerland by the father of an American POW, B-25 bombardier 2nd Lt. Benjamin Elms, and delivered to the soldier at German Stalag Luft 3 where he was being confined. Astonishingly, Elms was allowed to wear the watch and eventually return home with it. The historical timepiece came to auction with extensive original Rolex documentation confirming its shipment to the stalag in Hammelburg, Germany, as well as a receipt stamped at the stalag. It sold at the upper end of its estimate range for $12,285.

A category that showed particular strength was modern assault weapons made from the 1980s through the 2000s. “There was a ton of bidding action. Those guns sold for much more than we expected, especially the Stoner rifles, which have a strong following,” King said.

A Knights Armament KAC Stoner SR-25 semiautomatic rifle manufactured in the 2010s, with standard markings and features, and a SCAR-style rear sight, sold for $13,800 against an estimate of $2,500-$3,500.

The catalog and prices realized from Milestone’s Spring Premier Firearms Auction can be viewed online at Milestone’s website or on LiveAuctioneers. Milestone will conduct its next Premier Firearms Auction in June. Those interested in consigning a single firearm or an entire collection can reach Miles King at (440) 527-8060 or email info@milestoneauctions.com. All enquiries are kept strictly confidential.