Collectors of any collectible have their preferred and most valuable models, including gun collectors. Some gun auctions have realized over $30 million in sales for rare, collectible guns. Guns don’t even necessarily need to be in working order to be valuable. Many collectible guns can’t be discharged without completely destroying the gun, making them unfireable. Even if they’re just for show, some of the rarest guns can fetch an excellent price on the market due to the bragging rights associated with owning them. In some cases, certain guns were only produced in short supply, making them even more valuable to collectors. There are even a few guns that are one of a kind! Let’s look at some of the rarest guns on the planet.
To determine which guns belonged on this list, first, we looked for guns made in limited production. Some guns, such as the Infernal Machine, were homemade and only produced by the original inventor, making them one of a kind. Others are standard-issue guns featuring unique additions, such as engravings or a famous previous owner. However, the majority are simply guns that were produced in short supply for one reason or another. Once we determined the list of guns that belonged on the list, we researched the guns by looking at manufacturer specifications, historical uses, and auction prices if they were auctioned into private collections. If they were not privately auctioned off, we looked to see what public collection the original guns currently belong to and the information available from the collection. (Also see out list of the most iconic guns that won the Old West.)
1. The Infernal Machine
When it comes to guns that are truly one of a kind, look no further than Giuseppe Marco Fieschi’s Infernal Machine. This 25-barrel volley gun was the homemade brain-child of Fieschi, who planned to use it to assassinate the French king-at-the-time, Louis Philippe I. This assassination attempt followed the French Revolution, which changed the political landscape of France greatly but did not completely dismantle the French monarchy. Fieschi worked with two other co-conspirators and planned to kill the king with the volley gun when he passed by Boulevard du Temple in Paris on 28 July 1835.
Fieschi mounted the Infernal Machine on the 3rd story of the building at 50 Boulevard du Temple. When King Louis Philippe I’s caravan passed by the building, Fieschi fired the Infernal Machine, instantly discharging all 25 barrels into the street. Witness reports from the time state that “
After being apprehended, Fieschi embraced his “celebrity” status. He was very talkative during his trial, telling the courts small details about himself, his thoughts, and his emotions, despite them being irrelevant to the case. His narcissistic rambling remains a poignant part of his case.
The Infernal Machine currently lives in the National Archives in Paris and likely will never be auctioned to a private collection.
2. 30-Shot Revolver
If you thought a cowboy swinging around a revolver was sexy in films, imagine a cowboy slinging a 30-shot revolver instead of the standard 6-shot one! We’re not totally sure how many 30-shot revolvers were made. The country of origin, designer, and production year are all unknown. So, we can’t trace the gun and see if there are others like it somewhere else. For all intents and purposes, this gun is one of a kind! The only known specimen sold for $11,500 in a
Stylistically, the gun is extremely interesting. It features over and under barrels and a double-layered cylinder. The fixed double firing pin discharges each barrel in sequence and it has a blade and notch sights. However, because the chamber has 30 individual revolver chambers, it’s extremely heavy. Slinging this revolver isn’t practically feasible and you’d have trouble drawing this gun quickly if you needed to use it under pressure. Additionally, once you’ve blown through all thirty shots, you’re in for a massive chore since you have to load all thirty chambers individually. Thus, this gun might be cool to own for bragging rights, but you won’t be using it for self-defense in the Wild West any time soon.
The designs suggest that it was manufactured in Europe, but no definitive manufacturer or designer is indicated on the gun. It is currently in a private collection, but with only one in circulation, this is one of the rarest guns in the world.
3. Magpul FMG-9
Another one-of-a-kind gun is the Magpul FMG-9. This gun never reached mass production; the only existing model is the prototype that Magul presented at the 2008 SHOT Show in Las Vegas. It’s a USA-made submachine gun with the unique feature of being foldable and having a detachable handle. When collapsed and with the handle removed, the gun is small enough to fit in a large back pants pocket. Unfortunately, if you have girl pockets, they’re probably not big enough to fit the whole gun, even when collapsed. The prototype gun was designed by Magpul Industries and based on a modified version of a Glock 18. The FMG-9 was made with polymer instead of metal, making it exceptionally lightweight and perfect for concealed carry.
While the FMG-9 never reached the mass production stage, Magpul has created several foldable guns with similar architectures and design theories. The FDC-9, a folding carbine, and FDP-9, a folding pistol, were unveiled in 2021. These designs were based on the FMG-9 prototype even though they were different types of guns. They intended to release the guns for mass production in 2023. However, the guns are still in final testing at the time of this article’s writing. The differentiating factor between the FDC-9 and the FDP-9 is that the FDP-9 is classified as a handgun while the FDC-9 is a short-barreled rifle. You’ll also be able to convert your FDP-9 into an FDC-9 with an additional attachment sold by Magpul. The guns themselves won’t be for sale from Magpul. You’ll need to get them Magpul’s partner in this endeavor, Zev Technologies.
4. Treeby Chain Gun
If you’ve ever wondered how people came up with the idea for modern machine guns, take a look at the Treeby Chain Gun. Only two of these guns were ever produced as they were the brainchildren of Thomas Treeby. He designed the guns to rapidly fire up to 14 shots from the chained chambers of this .54 caliber percussion rifle. After designing and producing the prototype guns, Treeby presented them to the British Army, hoping to get an army contract to produce the guns. However, during testing, the army found the guns to be deeply flawed in design and rejected the offer of a contract with Treeby. Despite not earning a military production contract, the Treeby Chain Gun remained on the radar of gun designers and they continued to innovate and build upon the concept until they finally produced the machine guns we’re familiar with today.
The primary design flaw of the Treeby Chain Gun is that it’s exceptionally complicated to fire. First, the shooter has to load all fourteen chambers with powder and balls. Then, they have to fix a percussion cap onto all the firing nipples. The lever on the barrel is then rotated up and the user has to manually cock the hammer. The level on the barrel is then rotated down, sealing the chamber. Only after doing all of these steps can you safely fire the gun. Missing any of the steps could injure or kill the shooter during the discharge and there are just too many steps for the gun to be used effectively.
One of the Treeby Chain Guns is in the Vokes Collection, and the other is in the private collection of Tony Watts. With only two in circulation, this gun is one of the rarest guns in the world.
5. Singer M1911A1 Pistol
Singer is best known for making sewing machines. However, during World War II, the company, like many others at the time, pivoted to manufacturing military equipment. During this period, the government contracted Singer to make 500 M1911A1 pistols. The goal of the contract was to see if Singer was able to produce 100 pistols per hour. Singer was able to produce the 500 guns necessary for the contract but was unable to maintain the 100 hourly output the government wanted from them. However, the Singer M1911A1 was such an impressively made gun that the government pivoted the company to producing precision equipment like bombsights and gyroscopes.
The Singer M1911A1 is considered one of the finest quality guns of the World War II era. It features a 0.45 ACP chamber with a 5-inch barrel. The gun has a high-gloss Dulite finish with a blue color and a plastic checkered grip that makes it look distinctive and high-quality. It also feels great in the hand and shoots exceptionally well. The production guns were stamped with a serial number, but an unknown number of unserialized Singer M1911A1s were given to employees as well. With only 500 pistols produced, and fewer than the total surviving the war, the Singer M1911A1 is a pretty rare gun.
One of these guns sold for a hefty $31,625 in a Rock Island Auction Company auction lot. The gun sold was serialized. We weren’t able to find any of the unserialized guns on the market. There are very few surviving guns in circulation, making the Singer M1911A1 one of the rarest guns in the world.
6. The Apache Revolver
Have you ever thought, “I need a gun that’s also a knife and also a pair of brass knuckles Just in case.”? If, by chance, you have, someone did design that exact weapon. It’s known as the Apache Revolver and was originally designed in Belgium by Louis Dolne. It was a staple weapon of French gangsters, and due to the underground nature of the gun’s use and production, we don’t know how many existed. The gun was in regular production in the French underground for around 10 years, and some people claim that British commandos also used the gun. However, there are no records of use or production by the British Army.
The gun uses a pepperbox revolver with a pinfire cartridge fixed to a fold-over knuckle duster that acts as the grip. It also has a fold-out double-edged knife. So, you can use this gun to shoot, stab, and punch, depending on the situation. However, it does have some notable design flaws that make its use a bit more difficult than it sounds.
Firstly, it doesn’t have a barrel. So, its range is limited. Additionally, when opening the gun it faces backward toward the shooter instead of toward the target. You have to remove the knuckles and rotate the gun before you can shoot it, which can make it hard to use in high-pressure situations where every second counts. Thus, while the gun is certainly an interesting concept, it wouldn’t be very practical.
Since we don’t know how many were made, and there are only a few of these guns in circulation, the Apache Revolver is one of the rarest guns in the world.
7. Colt Walker
Sometimes referred to as a Walker Colt, the Colt Walker (Single Action Sixguns (2005)—John Toffin, pg. 118) is the most powerful handgun ever issued by the U.S. Military. This pistol could shoot 100 yards with the same muzzle energy as a .357 Magnum. It was originally designed in the United States by Samuel Colt in 1847. He manufactured the single-action revolver using specifications from Captain Samuel Walker, who wanted a pistol with exceptional close-range power. The gun was picked up by the U.S. Military and 1100 were manufactured in total: 1000 for military use and 100 for civilians. However, despite being a powerful gun, it had some serious design flaws that made it hard to use.
Firstly, the gun is very large and heavy compared to other handguns. The size and weight make it hard to wield comfortably with one hand, which severely reduces its use as a handgun. Additionally, the cylinders often ruptured when the gun discharged. (Standard Catalog of Colt Firearms (2007)—Rick Sapp, pg. 35–40) Around 300 of the guns were returned to the manufacturer for repairs and only about 10% survived into the current day. Despite these design flaws, Captain Walker carried two of the Colt Walker pistols into the Mexican-American War, where he died. These were the only two models of gun he saw before his passing. The gun did not see widespread use in the U.S. military due to its unwieldy design and penchant for ruptured cylinders making it unreliable in combat.
In the modern day, the Colt Walker is one of the rarest guns in the world. It’s an extremely valuable gun, even if you can’t really shoot it efficiently.
8. Nock Gun
If you’ve ever thought, “I need a gun for naval warfare that I can use to overwhelm an adjacent ship’s crew” the Nock Gun (British Military Firearms 1650–1850—Howard L. Blackmore) might be for you. The Nock Gun is one of the rarest guns in the world. It was designed in the United Kingdom in 1779 by James Wilson and picked up by the Royal Navy. Additionally, it’s one of the rarest guns in the world. There were two production periods for it. The first produced 526 guns and the second period produced 655 guns.
It’s a seven-barreled flintlock volley gun, meaning it shoots all seven barrels simultaneously. Wilson intended the gun to be fired from atop the mast to overwhelm the opposing ship’s crew. He pitched the gun to the British Army, who rejected it, but the Navy approved it for use and production. There was also a single fourteen-barrel version of the gun made by Wilson and sold to Thomas Thorton.
The Nock Gun was used in the Great Siege of Gibraltar. However, sailors had some serious concerns with the gun that caused it to be retired from the British Military’s armory. Firstly, the seven barrels had a huge amount of recoil that made it uncomfortable and even dangerous to use. (“Nock Volley Gun: A Fearful Discharge”—Matthew Sharpe in American Rifleman) Several sailors who fired Nock Guns were injured by the intense recoil. Additionally, flintlock guns spark when they discharge. With seven barrels, sparks were flying everywhere when the Nock Gun fired. Since it was designed to be used from atop the mast, that meant that sparks were flying near the sails. Sailors worried that the sparks would catch and the sails would burst into flame if they used the Nock Gun as it was intended.
9. Ulrich Engraved Winchester 1873
The Winchester 1873 is a widely prized gun amongst gun collectors, as are many other Winchester models. However, there’s nothing more precious than a Winchester gun engraved by John Ulrich. Ulrich was a master engraver who worked primarily with Winchester, although he also engraved some Marlin guns. One unique Ulrich-engraved Winchester 1873 sold for a whopping $713,750 in an auction. That’s the price for a single gun.
The Winchester 1873 is regularly referred to as “the gun that won the West.” The gun got the name because it was popular with cowboys during the Western expansion of the USA. As it was good for hunting and combat, the Winchester 1873 was an excellent gun for settlers in the West to bring with them as an all-purpose weapon for protection and procuring food. It’s not as nimble as a handgun. However, pistol and revolver shootouts weren’t quite as common as the movies make them out to be.
The steel-framed rifle uses a 0.44–0.40 centerfire cartridge. However, later models of the gun were adapted to use multiple types of ammunition. There were three variations of the gun produced: a 24-inch barrel rifle, a 20-inch barrel carbine, and a 30-inch “musket.” (“‘Guaranteed By Us’ Winchester’s ‘New’ Model 1873”—Philip Schreier in American Rifleman) The musket variation was for military contracts and represented less than 5% of the total production stock.
Another valuable version of the Winchester 1873 is the “One of One Thousand” models. These guns featured small groupings during test-firing, set triggers, and a special finish. These sold for $100, which is equivalent to $2,700 in 2022. There were also the “One of One Hundred” models which are even rarer. (“One of One Hundred”—Edmund Lewis in American Rifleman)
10. Alexander Hamilton’s Pistols
These pistols were precious because of their original, historic owner: Alexander Hamilton. Several of the Founding Fathers served in the United States military. However, only Hamilton and Washington served with distinction. Few of the firearms used by the Founding Fathers survived after the Revolutionary War. These pistols are among the ones that are left. They’re among the only ones that have a documented chain of ownership dating back to Revolutionary America.
They were maintained by the Hamilton family until the 1940s when Alexander Hamilton’s great-great-grandson, Schuyler Hamilton III, decided to sell the guns into a private collection. They were sold with notarized affidavits stating who owned them. New owners continue to document their ownership and maintenance to improve the value of the guns.
They have smoothbore multi-stage barrels, “banana” profile locks, floral scroll engraving and non-bridled pans, brass furniture, side plates with pierced centers and light floral engraving, acorn finials on the trigger guards with snowflake designs on the bows, floral blooms on the pommel caps, and wrist escutcheons engraved with “AH” and a border engraving. The manufacturing suggests that they were English-made, but no manufacturer or designer is noted on the guns. They sold for $1.15 million in a Rock Island Auction Company auction lot. Due to their historic ownership, these guns are among the rarest guns in the world.