Colt Pocket Pistols, Browning Diana Grade & Perazzi Shotguns at Auction

Estimated reading time: 4 min

645 Lots Before 4 O’Clock: The Christmas Auction Recap

[01:44]

Six hundred and forty-five lots hammered down in a single day, and that was after a late start and a double-booking situation that nobody saw coming. Jeff got to the venue at 8:15 in the morning, found out the room was shared, and was told he needed to be out by 4. They started around 10:15, gavel dropped for the last time at about 3:40, and the final result came in well above projections. That is a serious pace and a serious result. The show has run a Christmas auction three years running now, and this one was the sixth auction of the year.

The crowd was described as quiet, almost eerily so. Energy was flat for stretches. But the bidding itself did not reflect that at all. Some lots climbed and climbed and refused to stop, which is exactly what consignors want to hear. If you have firearms sitting in a closet and want to know what they are worth, Gunslinger Auctions handles consignments and the results speak for themselves.

Colt Model 1903 and 1908 Pocket Pistols: All Over the Board

[04:11]

Several Colt Model 1903 and Model 1908 Pocket Hammerless pistols crossed the block, and the spread in realized prices tells you everything about condition and provenance. These are slim, elegantly engineered pistols designed to ride in a vest pocket without printing under a jacket. Gangsters favored them for exactly that reason. The thinner profile, the smooth lines, the absence of an exposed hammer meant the gun disappeared under clothing.

Results ran from $450 on the low end to $6,000 on the high. That is a massive range on the same basic model. Condition, finish, documentation, and desirability of a particular variant can turn one of these into a table piece or a grail. The spread on these Colts at a single auction demonstrates why identical model numbers do not tell you much without putting eyes on the actual gun.

Browning Diana Grade: A Working Man’s Gun That Flew

[04:48]

The highlight of the long gun portion was a Browning Diana grade over-and-under that generated real heat in the room. Diana grades are not common sellers. Most examples found at auction have never been fired, closet queens that collectors treat like sculpture. This one was different. The previous owner had actually shot it, and shot it considerably. It showed honest use and was in very good condition for what it was.

It opened at $2,500 and climbed to $6,000 fast. For a used working-grade Browning Diana, that is a strong result. The next auction has a 20-gauge Diana grade coming up that sounds like it may be in exactly the opposite condition. If that one has never seen daylight, it could be a different conversation entirely. Keep an eye on the catalog at HiBid or Proxibid when that one drops.

Perazzi Shotguns: Hard Sell No More

[06:02]

Perazzi shotguns are one of the stranger market dynamics in the used gun world. New, a Perazzi competes with a Lamborghini for the “which one do I buy” conversation. Used, they have historically been a hard sell, consistently drawing prices that seem low given the pedigree. That was not the story at this auction.

Three Perazzis were on the block, including an MX4 and an MX8. All three sold well, and the room perked up visibly when the descriptions started. One of them is heading to Anchorage, Alaska, which is a tidy example of the show’s long reach: consignors based in Southern California moving guns to buyers from Alaska. That is the auction model working exactly as it should.

The host put it plainly on the question of whether a Perazzi is worth the price difference over a well-worn Remington 870: as a pure shooting tool, a skilled shooter might do just as well with the pump. What you are buying with a Perazzi is the right to walk onto the line and have the gun speak for itself before you do. That is worth something to the right person, and apparently to several of them in this room. Thinking about consigning a high-grade shotgun? Gunslinger Auctions has the buyer pool and the platform to get it done right.

MotorSlinger: Leon the Motorman Returns January 11th

[01:14]

Mark January 11th on the calendar. Leon the Motorman, joined by George the Airplane Man, is coming back for another MotorSlinger show. Leon is a fixture in Southern California car culture and a regular call-in presence on the Gunslinger Syndicated Radio Network. If you have a question about your vintage ride, save it for that night. But do the man a favor and lead with a thank-you before you ask about your 1974 Toyota Celica.

Shotgun Shell History: From Brass to Plastic

[09:33]

A quick but useful exchange closed out the show on shotgun shell construction. The progression went brass, then paper and cardboard hulls, then modern plastic. Brass shells were straight-walled and fired straight over a brass base plate. Paper and cardboard hulls followed, giving reloaders more options but less durability per reload compared to what came after. Modern plastic hulls handle repeated reloading better than either predecessor, and the crimped mouth that most modern shooters take for granted is very much a product of the plastic era. The short answer: if you reload, plastic is the right material for longevity.