What's the holy grail of firearms?

[Axman]

I've been thinking of this because collectors of all kinds have a holy grail in their hobby. Baseball card collectors call it a Honus Wagner. Coin collectors may call it a 1955 doubled die penny. Car collectors may call it a gull wing Mercedes. But for those who collect guns what is it? A true Browning Colt 1911? A Dirty Harry .44 Magnum S&W? Maybe the Thompson sub-machinegun?

 

[Gord]

Baseball cards and stamps are one thing; guns are a much more varied medium and I suppose it'd depend on what you collect - Civil War firearms? Lugers? Mosin-Nagants?

 

[Biker]

For me? The Thompson sub-gun. I have dreams in which a Thompson sporting a 60 round drum is running down a sunny beach toward me much like Bo Derek did in "10", only with AC-DC's "Whole Lotta Rosie" playing in the soundtrack instead of Ravel's "Bolero".

Ahhh...

Biker

 

[Axman]

Personally, I wouldn't mind getting ahold of an M-3 "Grease Gun". Just because!

 

[Texas Moon]

Depends on the collector and his/her tastes.

A Walker Colt, or coffee mill Sharps are WAY up there $$$$ wise.
Any firearm with provenance to famous people also way up there.
Can you imagine what Pat garrett's SAA would be worth?
It was auctioned a few years back.

 

[Correia]

I'm guessing that one of the items that would be sought after would be one of the legendary .45 Army test Lugers.

 

[Starter52]

+1 on the .45 Luger and the Walker Colt. I would add the Colt Peacemaker serial number 1, but I've heard it was located in Vermont a few years ago.

 

[Dr.Rob]

Georg Luger's 6 shot 'baby.' One only known to exist.

The 45's are down right plentiful in comparison.

Walker Colts are probably one of the most sought after American arms.

For me it's a Colt marked BAR or an 1878 Colt DA Revolver with a London barrel adress.

 

[DogBonz]

DAMN!!!

I'm guessing that one of the items that would be sought after would be one of the legendary .45 Army test Lugers.

You beat me to it.

Although, being a bit of a history buff (actually more like Dork), the Hamilton & Burr dueling set would make a great corner stone for any collection.

 

[Axman]

Bonz, that'd be a good set to add. I've seen exact replicas but are the originals around somewhere?

 

[Zundfolge]

I'm guessing that one of the items that would be sought after would be one of the legendary .45 Army test Lugers.

Followed closely by the HK P7M7.

Thing is neither gun is "sought after" as they are all accounted for and not for sale.

 

[Harry Paget Flashman]

A 100% reliable KelTec P3AT right out of the box. I tried two and gave up. I'm sticking with the J-frame.

 

[Geronimo45]

A Colt Thompson, pre-mil model, 100 round drum.

 

[1KPerDay]

For me? The Thompson sub-gun. I have dreams in which a Thompson sporting a 60 round drum is running down a sunny beach toward me much like Bo Derek did in "10", only with AC-DC's "Whole Lotta Rosie" playing in the soundtrack instead of Ravel's "Bolero".

Ahhh...

LOLOLOLOL

 

[DogBonz]

I found the dueling pistols

The Pistols
Others have attributed Hamilton's apparent misfire to the hair-triggered design of one of the Wogdon dueling pistols, both of which survive today. One of the pistols has a flint-lock firing mechanism and the other has been converted from the original flint to a percussion firing mechanism. When asked by Pendleton before the duel if he would have the "hair-spring" pistol, Hamilton reportedly replied "not this time."[23]

The pistols belonged to Hamilton's brother-in-law, John Barker Church, who was a business partner of both Hamilton and Burr. He purchased the pistols in London in 1797. They had previously been used in a 1799 duel between Church and Burr, in which neither man was injured. In 1801, Hamilton's son, Philip, used them in a duel in which he died. In 1930 the pistols were sold to the Chase Manhattan Bank, now preserved by JPMorgan Chase & Co.

 

[hso]

Finnish marked GP-35 "Browning Hi Power"!

 

[TexasRifleman]

A genuine Colt Walker Revolver is #1 on my list, not that I'll ever have one.

 

[db_tanker]

heh...

MY Unicorn would be this...


Winchester model of 1894 with a serial number of 1


Not much in some eyes, but the Winchester will always be THE rifle.


D

 

[expvideo]

A nice looking glock. That would be a find!

Actually, i think an HK G11 would be the holy grail of guns

 

[Kentak]

I'm not that kind of a collector, but you'd have to narrow it down to a historical period, country, manufacturer, or designer, I suppose.

I once saw a case of Confederate pistols at a Civil War show that contained some beautiful specimens. Some had sequential serial numbers. They were not for sale by the older gentleman who was displaying them. They represented a lifetime of collecting.

K

 

[hammer4nc]

I'm sure there have been more expensive guns, its fun to go to the greg martin auction site to see the highlights and top lots from their auctions. Frequently go into 6 figures. Next auction is Nov. 6.

http://www.gmartin-auctions.com/gma/archive.html

 

[pharmer]

I think a registered mag, short barrel, NIB with all the goodies would be about perfect, at least for me. Joe

 

[bamawrx]

Gas trap Garand.

 

[hank327]

I have several "holy grails".

1. A Colt Monitor, which is a version of the Browning BAR automatic rifle that
was sold legaly to civilians before the passage of the National Firearms Act.

2. A new in the box, unissued MG-42 GPMG with it's issued tripod and optical
sight. And a pallet of linked 7.92X57 ammo.

3. One of the few Australian Lithgow L1A1s with coachwood furniture that
were imported just before Pappa Bush banned further importation by Presidential decree.

 

[Boats]

There is nothing rare or exotic out there that I wouldn't rather have the cash equivalent for to burn on my rod & gun club, ammunition or other pursuits with my family, even if I had a spare half million laying around.

I'd rather collect skills or memories than objects.