The catalog of the upcoming Rock Island Premier Gun auction is published and we thoroughly browsed it to find the lots that are related to Silah Report’s research areas, MENA and Central Asia. We found six such lots which we’ll present to you in this article. Our list below goes in no particular order. It includes the lot names, images and the auction house’s description. The lot names are also linked to the corresponding pages in Rock Island Premier Gun Auction catalog.
Gold Plated Iraqi Tariq Pistol
Lot Description:
“Manufactured in Iraq under license from Beretta, the 7.65mm Tariq is patterned directly after the Beretta Model 70. No formal commercial importation of either the 7.65mm or 9mm Tariq was ever established; the most common source for these pistols is U.S. soldiers who brought them from either Operation Desert Storm or the Global War on Terror as field-captured war trophies. Gold plated Tariq pistols have been attributed as presentation items for high-ranking officers and dignitaries; a consignor supplied note attributes this example as being among the weapons confiscated from the home of Uday Hussein, son of Saddam Hussein. Fixed sights, with the Arabic legend on the left side of the slide, “TARIQ 7.65m/m IRAQ – Licensed by BERETTA” on the right, and a set of silver Hammurabi medallions on the grips.”
Estimated Price: $7,500 – $15,000
Turkish Contract Smith & Wesson New Model No. 3 Rimfire Revolver
Lot Description:
“Produced on order for the Ottoman Empire, the Turkish Contract New Model No. 3 was chambered for the .44 Henry Rimfire, a cartridge that was already on the decline on the domestic market but still in demand overseas. Springfield Armory provided the Ottoman government the services of one of their inspectors, A. F. Cameron, to serve as their representative and chief inspector for the contract run. His initials are marked on the top of the left grip panel on this revolver. The inspection mark “P” is visible on the rear face of the cylinder and the frame beneath the cylinder. The grip frame has a S&W February 1966 (“2 66″) factory return date and a factory diamond refinish mark. The barrel latch is renumbered to the gun. Matching serial numbers are on the butt, right grip panel, cylinder and barrel.”
Estimated Price: $2,750 – $4,000
IMI Mini Uzi “Sales Sample” Submachine Gun
Lot Description:
“This is an excellent example of an original IMI manufactured fully automatic Uzi submachine gun. This was one of the most famous submachine guns in the early 1960/70s that was heavily used and seen in all the Middle East conflicts between the country of Israel and their hostile neighboring countries. These were so successful and highly regarded that for a short time they were even used by the U.S. Secret Service. These used a stamped and welded heavy sheet metal receiver, top cover and lower trigger housing and solid, machined steel internal components. The rear of the receiver is correctly marked “MINI UZI/9 mm PARA/MU00127”. The underside rear of the receiver is marked “ACTION ARMS, LTD./PHILA PA/IMI ISRAEL”. The pinned trigger group has the correct three position selector switch marked “ARS”. Two ports have been cut into the muzzle and a custom forward pistol grip is attached. With a ribbed forend, grip, and folding steel buttstock. With four Uzi branded magazine pouches and a total of 19 extra magazines.”
Estimated Price: $3,000 – $5,000
Gilt Ottoman Style Flintlock Half-Stock Rifle
Lot Description:
“This distinctive rifle has a mix of Ottoman designs and English half-stock sporting rifle features and has gilt scroll patterns covering nearly all of the furniture as well as the muzzle and breech sections of the barrel, an acid etched ornate pattern welded barrel with a bead front sight and notch and peep rear sight, English style lock with rainproof pain and frizzen spring roller, checkered wrist on the stock (appears to be rosewood), and steel ramrod.
This is a really interesting and attractive piece. Perhaps it was originally a traditional Ottoman rifle that was brought back by a British officer during the Crimean War.”
Estimated Price: $5,500 – $8,500
Egyptian Army Contract Remington Model 1875 Single Action Army Revolver
Lot Description:
“This is an example of a scarce Egyptian Army contract Remington Model 1875 revolver. The Egyptian government placed an order for 10,000 Remington Model 1875 Army Revolvers. An unknown number of these revolvers were manufactured before Remington decided to stop production because Egypt still owed the company several hundred thousand dollars for rolling block rifles and carbines. The fact that almost every known specimen has turned up in the U.S. supports the conclusion that Remington never delivered a single Model 1875 revolver to the Egyptian government. The top of the barrel is marked “E. REMINGTON & SONS, ILION, N.Y. U.S.A.” reading from the breech to the muzzle. The left rear of the barrel is marked with a five point star and an “R” with the “R” being repeated on the left side of the frame at the breech and on the cylinder, markings found on Egyptian contract Model 1875s. The left side of the frame under the grip and the left side of the barrel web are stamped “9745”. Pinched front and grooved rear sights and fitted with smooth walnut grips with the correct “JWR” cartouche on the left panel and lanyard ring on the butt.”
Estimated Price: $9,500 – $14,000
Engraved and Gold Plated Peabody-Martini Military Rifle
Lot Description:
“Some of the very early Peabody-Martini rifles are known to have been engraved for the factory for presentations and exhibitions. This rifle is said to have been in the Remington Arms Museum and to have been sold by a retired Remington employee. The engraving on this rifle may be by Master Engraver L.D. Nimschke or his shop and consists mainly of beautiful flowing scroll patterns on the frame backed by finely punched backgrounds and bordered by double lines along with coordinating scroll patterns on the forearm cap, breech end of the barrel, and lever as well as some border designs at the muzzle, a crosshatch pattern on top of the barrel at the breech, and shell pattern at the front of the lever. The patterns are certainly in keeping with Nimschke’s work. See page 24 of “L.D. Nimschke: Firearms Engraver” by R.L. Wilson for examples. Note in particular the use of the “Nimschke star” pattern on the lever. The barrel and lever are nickel plated, some small parts are blued, and the forearm cap, frame, rear barrel band, rear sling swivel, and buttplate were gilded. The top of the barrel has “PEABODY & MARTINI PATENTS MAN’F’D BY PROVIDENCE TOOL CO.PROV R.I. U.S.A.” hand inscribed between the rear sight and breech. Prior to embellishment, it appears to have been an Ottoman contract pattern rifle and has Eastern Arabic numerals on the rear sight and some small Ottoman style markings such as a “star/crescent moon/M” on the trigger guard bow. An “M” is also marked to the left of the bow, and a star and crescent moon marking is on the rear barrel band along with “7.” The latter is also marked on the heel of the buttplate and on the buttstock under the buttplate. The bottom of the barrel has a “P,” star, “R,” “SS,” and “2.” There are circular calligraphic cartouches at the rear of the forearm on the bottom and on the left side of the butt (appears to be a Gothic script “A” on the latter and what looks like a division symbol on the former), and a script “L” and a spot for an absent plaque are between the rear of the lever and the rear sling swivel. The cocking indicator has a “J.” The Ottoman Empire ordered 600,000 Martini-Peabody rifles from the Providence Tool Company in the mid-1870s and used them during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877 and other conflicts in the late 19th century and early 20th century as the formerly great empire struggled to retain power. The Providence Tool Co. originally hoped to profit from the massive Ottoman orders, but the empire’s financial problems ultimately took down the Providence Tool Co.’s armament business. At times, the rifles originally destined to cross the Atlantic were held as collateral during payment delays. Some of these rifles may have been pulled and sold to help keep the business going. Perhaps this rifle was removed from one of the shipments and embellished to help provide necessary funds to keep the company going. It may have also been embellished with the goal of presenting it to an important individual within the Ottoman Empire to influence them early on when they were trying to secure contracts or later when they were desperately trying to secure payment.”
Estimated Price: $11,000 – $15,000
This Rock Island Premier Gun auction was initially scheduled to take place in April, however, it has been indefinitely postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After the auction ends, we’ll update this article with the prices that each of the lots was sold at.
Images courtesy of Rock Island Auction Company, www.rockislandauction.com
If you enjoy our work here at Silah Report please consider support us on Patreon