The most expensive gun ever sold at auction is an 1886 Winchester, which was put under the hammer by the Rock Island Auction Company for $1.2 million. The gun was given to Captain Henry Ware Lawton by Lieutenant George E Albee as a reward for capturing the infamous Apache leader Geronimo, and this definitely influenced the enormous price tag.
As you can probably imagine, capturing Geronimo was an incredible feat at the time, and so it makes sense that his captor would receive a substantial reward. The Lieutenant was in a perfect position to make such a gift, as he was working for Winchester Guns in 1886. Apart from its historical heritage, the gun also boasts some impressive features, including an easy lever action that gave it “unprecedented stability and power” back in the day.
