Bonhams' Antique Arms & Armour and Modern Sporting Guns auction, held yesterday (November 12) in San Francisco, saw a rare A-1 Special Parker Brothers shotgun sell as top lot.
 Whitworth steel was later replaced with Peerless steel for the barrels |
The boxlock shotgun was sold complete with two sets of 30 inch barrels for $70,200, resting comfortably within the $60,000-80,000 valuation. It is one of just 37 of the 79 A-1 Specials ever produced that was made using Whitworth steel for the barrels.
The 12-gauge was produced in 1905 and would have originally cost the princely sum of around $500, as one of the finest shotguns made by Parker Brothers. The stocks are made of top-quality Circassian walnut, while the barrels are crafted from the finest Whitworth steel, which would be replaced with Peerless steel in later models.
It is believed that the extra set of barrels was produced at the request of the original owner, who had returned the gun to the company to be refurbished and, in the process, had another pair made. The additional set is marked WK for Walter King, one of the most renowned gunsmiths at Parker Brothers.
In June, Heritage Auctions sold the Parker Brothers shotgun used by legendary sharpshooter Annie Oakley for $143,400, as part of its remarkable Legends of the Wild West auction.
 An 1851 Colt Model Navy Revolver carved by Gustave Young made $35,100 |
Bringing the auction's second highest bids was a cased 1851 Colt Model Navy Revolver, which featured intricate engraving by the esteemed Gustave Young. Young worked for Colt between the 1850s and 1870s and is renowned for his usage of wildlife in decorating firearms, with top examples of his work often seeing six figures.
The example at auction featured a wolf's head with open jaws to one side of the barrel, accentuated by broad floral scrolls. With the original factory elephant ivory grips and a host of accessories, it sold for $35,100.
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