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The hobby of kings had long been lacking a castle, and it was only fitting that the world’s number one firearms auction house would construct a monument worthy of showcasing the epitome of the fine arms field. That destination is found at 3600 Harwood Rd., Bedford, Texas, an accessible venue that combines the latest innovations with Rock Island Auction Company’s Midwest hospitality.
Forging a Legacy in 2024
Rock Island Auction Company’s inaugural event in the Lone Star State drew an avid audience from far and wide as it shattered Texas records last December. Capitalizing on this momentum, the company has announced a May 17th through 19th auction, the first of three Premier Auction events to be hosted in their new state-of-the-art Bedford facility. The public is invited to visit and examine a breathtaking selection of legacy arms and museum-worthy masterworks hailing from pinnacle collections, with highlights including pieces documented to President Gerald R. Ford, Buffalo Bill, General George Armstrong Custer, and more.
LOTS 3013 & 3014
Two Consecutively Serial Numbered Exceptional Documented Antique Special Order Factory Game Scene Engraved Winchester Deluxe Model 1886 Lever Action Extra Lightweight .45-70 Rifle with Factory Letter
Collectors have hailed the Rock Island Auction experience as “the museum you can touch,” a chance to actively participate in the fine arms discipline at its most exclusive and prestigious level. The next preview day event will be held Thursday, May 16th, the day prior to auction, with the doors open to the public at 10 a.m. Guests are welcome to inspect any of the thousands of items displayed in the venue’s 19,000-square-foot preview hall, connect with the history behind each artifact, and engage with a welcoming community eager to impart their wisdom.
Join the Arms Collecting Renaissance
As exciting as preview days are, the auctions to follow are even more exhilarating. Not only can attending events in person provide an unmatched sense of rhythm to a sale, there’s an indescribable thrill to live bidding at Rock Island Auction Company. The anticipation, the suspense, the rush of adrenaline as you snap up your bidder card at just the right moment to outmaneuver rivals and squeak out a victory as the hammer falls is an experience like no other.
For those unable to attend in person, the auctions can be followed live at rockislandauction.com. Bids can be faxed, emailed, phoned in, entered on the company’s website, and the public is encouraged to participate through the company’s exciting online bidding platform, Rock Island Auction Live.
In addition to three annual Premier Auction events, Rock Island Auction Company’s Bedford venue also hosts three Sporting & Collector auctions each year where collectors from every background can explore an unrivaled selection of vintage rarities, military weapons, and sporting arms. More than a destination, the castle of fine arms collecting offers an experience unlike anything else in the field. Anyone who appreciates history, artistry, craftsmanship, and the evolution of arms technology through the ages is invited to make the pilgrimage to Bedford to celebrate the pinnacle of the fine arms discipline and forge a legacy of their own.
LOT 316
Rare and Beautiful Double Barrel Flintlock Sporting Gun with Gold-Inlaid Barrel and Gilt Bronze Mounts by Nicolas- Noel Boutet, Versailles
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