From the opulence of French King Louis XIII to the carnage of World War 2, Rock Island Auction Company’s Aug. 23-25 Premier Auction offers a wonderfully diverse lineup of collectable fine firearms.

Rock Island Auction’s Premiers always provide stellar offerings of Wild West guns, from Colt revolvers and Winchester lever actions, as well as fine sporting arms from Purdey and Holland & Holland, and this event is no different with guns attributed to Buffalo Bill, Pat Garrett and the Battle of Little Bighorn set to cross the podium this summer. These guns can be experienced up close at the auction’s Preview Day on Aug. 22 in Bedford, Texas.

Louis XIII’s gold and silver ornamented royal presentation wheellock from his Cabinet d´Armes leads the roster of offerings. An avid collector, Louis’s assemblage of guns has become legendary, and this breathtaking wheellock deserved a place in it. Scrolling, mythical beasts and classical nudes are among the decorative embellishments that makes this gun a pinnacle of collecting.

French King Louis XIII's opulent sporting arm tops Rock Island Auction's August Premier lineup. The gun, a gold and silver ornamental and bejeweled royal presentation wheellock, is from the king's fabulous Cabinet d'Armes.

A pair of firearms dating from World War 2 are also part of the phenomenal depth of offerings in this auction. “The Invictus Singer,” a U.S. Singer Manufacturing Model 1911A1 that served as the personal sidearm for the pilot of the B-24 “Invictus” of the 765th Bombardment Squadron, 461st Bombardment Group of the 15th Air Force will be available. Only 500 Singer M1911A1s were made and to get a documented combat carried example marks a phenomenal opportunity.

A rare German C.G. Haenel Mkb42(h) with sniper scope is the grandfather of German Assault rifles and its rarity makes it one of the most desirable of the World War 2 Axis firearms, and generally of Class III weapons, that can be found.

One of 500 U.S. Singer Manufacturing Model 1911A1, this example was the personal sidearm for the pilot of the B-24 "Invictus" of the 765th Bombardment Squadron, 461st Bombardment Group of the 15th Air Force.

The Wheellock of Louis XIII is from the Norman R. Blank Collection along with more than 25 fine firearms featured in this auction, from dueling pistols, to flintlocks to sporting arms. The documented award winning exhibition “Champ-Leve” engraved and relief chiseled Purdey .450 Black Powder Express double rifle is just one of them. This double rifle was displayed at the 1878 Exposition Universelle in Paris and the following year at the Sydney International Exhibition.

A Winchester Model 1895 lever action presented by Buffalo Bill Cody to Deadwood businessman “Gold Nugget Mike” Russell, and a presentation engraved Colt Model 1877 Thunderer presented to lawman Pat Garrett are fantastic offerings from the Wild West, but a Colt Single Action Army used by Lee Marvin in “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” will cross over with serious wheelgun collectors and Hollywood memorabilia aficionados alike.

Buffalo Bill hunted with a Winchester 1895 and often presented to them to friends. This Model 1895 to Deadwood, S.D., businessman "Gold Nugget Mike" Russell and it bears a presentation oval plaque on the stock that reads "Presented to M. R. Russel by his friend Col. W. F. Cody - Buffalo Bill."

A fantastic assembly of classic engraved rifles includes a Winchester Deluxe Model 1894, a Marlin Deluxe Model 27S, a John Ulrich-signed Winchester Model 1885 High Wall Schuetzen rifle with platinum inlays, as well as an exhibition quality Savage Rival Grade Model 1899. Not engraved, but definitely timeless is “The Marshfield Find,” a near-new Winchester Model 1886 discovered in its original shipping crate containing packing paper, a scabbard and five boxes of ammunition.

The fantastic selection of Colt revolvers isn’t limited to Pat Garrett’s Thunderer nor the “Liberty Valance” SAA, but also outstanding examples of Colt Model 1860 Armies, Dragoons and two Paterson revolvers. And not to worry, an outstanding field of high condition Single Action Armies will be in the auction, particularly one captured at the Little Bighorn.

This Colt Single Action Army, inspected by Orville W. Ainsworth, is from Lot 5 that was issued to the 7th Cavalry ahead of the Battle of the Little Bighorn and was attributed as captured on the battlefield.

Along with the Singer, other U.S. military items up for auction include an issued U.S. Marine Corps Johnson Model 1941, early variations of John Moses Browning’s M1911, a Civil War martially inspected Starr Model 1863 revolver, and a number of fine Civil War carbines. The auction will have several opportunities to obtain foreign military weapons, ranging from Walther and Luger pistols to a J.P. Sauer M30 Drilling, and a World War 2 BSA No. 4 Mk I (T) Enfield bolt action sniper rifle and a very scarce Irish contract Winchester Pattern 14 No. 3 Mk I with a scope.

All kinds of Class III firearms are available, from an M2 by Buffalo Arms, to the Maremont/New England Group M60 to a Heckler & Koch HK53, a MP43 Sturmgewehr and several impressive examples of Thompson Submachine Guns. Scarce or rare Class III items include an Armalite AR-18 select fire rifle in “shorty/combine” configuration, a World War 2 Erma MP38 and a Chinese Type 56 selective fire assault rifle.

Sportsmen looking for beautifully adorned shotguns or rifles won’t have to look far in this auction, with a number of fine field pieces on offer. Among shotguns, a pair of J. Purdey & Sons sidelock double barrel guns, a factory engraved and gold inlaid Winchester Model 21 Grand American with a two barrel set and a factory engraved Ivo Fabbri self-opening sidelock double barrel gun by Master Engraver Claudio Tomasoni are part of the auction lineup along with an Alden George Ulrich factory engraved and gold inlaid Winchester Model 70 Pre-64 bolt action rifle with scope.

This brilliantly embellished Parker Brothers AAHE Pigeon Gun double barrel shotgun has a gold grip cap inscribed to whiskey distiller R.D. Clarke of Peoria, Illinois and is part of a fantastic roster of sporting arms in the August 23-25 Premier Auction.

Antique firearms in the auction include a number of cased offerings. They are an exhibition grade pair of engraved and gold inlaid relief chiseled silver mounted and relief carved pistols by Goeliner of Suhl, along with a relief carved and chiseled 17th century Austrian Wheelock sporting rifle by the anonymous gun stocker known only as the “renowned master of the animal-head scroll,” and a fine cased pair of engraved gold inlaid and “hair rifled” John Manton flintlock dueling pistols.

A documented Thomas Tranter engraved revolver made for W.A. Pinkerton of the famed Pinkerton National Detective Agency.

Looking for something other than guns to adorn the gun room? Bullet boards from Union Metallic Cartridge Company and a Winchester “Double W” are in the auction along with firearms advertisements and a glass Winchester store display gun cabinet. A number of World War 2 insignia and memorabilia can also be found in the auction.

King Louis XIII’s sporting arm, legendary 19th century guns and military pieces that drip with history will be offered alongside fantastically engraved sporting arms and bespoke percussion pieces. The amazing finds up and down the catalog point to the incredible depth of the high conditioned and fine firearms that will be available in the Aug. 23-25 Premier Firearms Auction in Bedford, Texas.

A fabulous lineup of legendary revolvers will be available in Rock Island Auction Company's Aug. 23-25 Premier Auction.