Wild Bill Hickok's Historic Smith & Wesson Model No. 2 Old Army Revolver to Auction this August

Published
09/07/2022 by

A historic Smith & Wesson Model No. 2 Old Army Revolver owned by Wild Bill Hickok will be offered by Rock Island Auction Company in its August Premier Auction, happening August 26-28. One of the legendary guns of the Old West, historians believe Hickok carried a Smith & Wesson the night he was shot and killed in Deadwood, South Dakota on August 2, 1876. The pre-auction estimate for Wild Bill's Smith & Wesson Model No. 2 Old Army Revolver ranges between $150,000 - $350,000.

Reported to have been Wild Bill's favorite sidearm, this Smith & Wesson Model No. 2 is one of the Holy Grails of the American West and is an iconic collectible for the western firearms collector. The revolver features the standard 6-inch barrel, blue finish, and rosewood grips.

Wild Bill Hickok (1837-1876), born James Butler Hickok, was a real-life legend of the American West who was a real gunfighter in addition to being a hunter, teamster, stage driver, army scout, spy, Wild West show performer, officer of the law, and gambler. His life story has since been told in many books about the Old West. As a young man he earned a reputation as the best shot in northern Illinois and as a talented fighter.

Rock Island Auction Company's August Premier Firearms Auction offers a spectacular selection of legacy firearms, historic masterworks, supreme rarities from across the ages and some of the most desirable treasures found in the world of fine arms collecting. Also offered in the auction will be a pair of pistols wielded by Angelina Jolie in the 2001 film "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider," as well as the BlasTech DL-44 Heavy Blaster carried by Han Solo, portrayed by Harrison Ford, in "Star Wars: A New Hope."