This auction is now over.
I flew into Boston Friday afternoon and yesterday, with my parents, made my way up to Fairfield, Maine, to see the auction contents, including the Elmer Keith estate collection.
The Number 5 was there, I got to hold it and cycle the action.
His Pre-29 .44 Magnums were there. There was a 0 SN S&W .357 Magnum, and a Registered Magnum. There was a custom Colt with three flip-up rear sights, and a stud where the third screw goes to mount it in a clip on the gunbelt. There were some very early Rugers.
They had his .333 OKH rifle, several .375s and a half dozen high-end double rifles by Jeffreys, Westley Richards and H&H. They had an early Ruger No. 1 that was engraved and given to him by Bill Ruger.
They had Jim Corbett's 450/400 double rifle that he killed many man-eating tigers with. He sold it to somebody in Vancouver and Keith bought it from that man.
These guns were auctioned this morning.
Across the street is another auction house that is owned by the same family. They handle the less expensive stuff, and we walked in there just a few minutes before they started a few dozen lots of Elmer Keith guns. The first double action revolver was an S&W 45 Model of 1950. It was in very good condition, and had some minor modifications, presumably by Keith. No engraving. It went for $12,500. I was astounded.
There was another 1950 Target in 44 Special that went for $10,500; a .44 Triple Lock that went for $4750 (I thought that was a good deal); a .45 Triple Lock that went for $11,000; a Model 41 that brought $4k; a Browning Superposed for $2300 (seemed like a good deal); and a Remington 1911 that had "Elmer Keith" engraved on the side for $3750.
I bid on several of the nice double action revolvers, but they ended up way out of my price range.
I did get a 48-3 4" and an International Arms Maverick derringer in .45 LC as a single lot. This makes me very happy. I own two guns that were owned by Elmer Keith. I don't think either one of them are in his books, but it looks like he shot the 48-3.
I got to fondle all of these guns. For someone who grew up reading Keith since I was a little boy, this was one of the most memorable days of my life.
This morning:
The Number 5 went for $70,000.
His long range custom Colt .44 Special went for $13,000.
His two S&W Triple Locks in .44 Special with the double Berns-Martin rig and the double-row cartridge loop gunbelt went for $34,000.
His engraved 1950 Target revolver with ivory grips went for $10,000.
His engraved personal carry Pre-29 revolver with ivory grips went for $18,500.
The Pre-29 revolver presented to him by Carl Hellstrom, President of S&W, went for $17,000.
His real Pre-29 carry revolver with all the wear went for $17,500.
His zero series .357 Mag went for $25,000.
His registered magnum went for $11,000.
The Jim Corbett rifle went for $230,000.
His .333 OKH that he used to take 30 head of game in Africa went for $11,000.
I flew into Boston Friday afternoon and yesterday, with my parents, made my way up to Fairfield, Maine, to see the auction contents, including the Elmer Keith estate collection.
The Number 5 was there, I got to hold it and cycle the action.
His Pre-29 .44 Magnums were there. There was a 0 SN S&W .357 Magnum, and a Registered Magnum. There was a custom Colt with three flip-up rear sights, and a stud where the third screw goes to mount it in a clip on the gunbelt. There were some very early Rugers.
They had his .333 OKH rifle, several .375s and a half dozen high-end double rifles by Jeffreys, Westley Richards and H&H. They had an early Ruger No. 1 that was engraved and given to him by Bill Ruger.
They had Jim Corbett's 450/400 double rifle that he killed many man-eating tigers with. He sold it to somebody in Vancouver and Keith bought it from that man.
These guns were auctioned this morning.
Across the street is another auction house that is owned by the same family. They handle the less expensive stuff, and we walked in there just a few minutes before they started a few dozen lots of Elmer Keith guns. The first double action revolver was an S&W 45 Model of 1950. It was in very good condition, and had some minor modifications, presumably by Keith. No engraving. It went for $12,500. I was astounded.
There was another 1950 Target in 44 Special that went for $10,500; a .44 Triple Lock that went for $4750 (I thought that was a good deal); a .45 Triple Lock that went for $11,000; a Model 41 that brought $4k; a Browning Superposed for $2300 (seemed like a good deal); and a Remington 1911 that had "Elmer Keith" engraved on the side for $3750.
I bid on several of the nice double action revolvers, but they ended up way out of my price range.
I did get a 48-3 4" and an International Arms Maverick derringer in .45 LC as a single lot. This makes me very happy. I own two guns that were owned by Elmer Keith. I don't think either one of them are in his books, but it looks like he shot the 48-3.
I got to fondle all of these guns. For someone who grew up reading Keith since I was a little boy, this was one of the most memorable days of my life.
This morning:
The Number 5 went for $70,000.
His long range custom Colt .44 Special went for $13,000.
His two S&W Triple Locks in .44 Special with the double Berns-Martin rig and the double-row cartridge loop gunbelt went for $34,000.
His engraved 1950 Target revolver with ivory grips went for $10,000.
His engraved personal carry Pre-29 revolver with ivory grips went for $18,500.
The Pre-29 revolver presented to him by Carl Hellstrom, President of S&W, went for $17,000.
His real Pre-29 carry revolver with all the wear went for $17,500.
His zero series .357 Mag went for $25,000.
His registered magnum went for $11,000.
The Jim Corbett rifle went for $230,000.
His .333 OKH that he used to take 30 head of game in Africa went for $11,000.
