The gun recognized as one of the greatest Paterson Colts fetched a record $977,500 at auction in Dallas at Heritage Auctions on Sept. 18, the most a single firearm has ever fetched at open auction. It surpassed the previous record firearm auction price of $920,000, also for a Colt revolver. The buyer of the Paterson Colt was identified only as a “Silicon Valley mogul.”

The entire Cali collection sold extremely well, a testament to collector Al Cali’s eye for quality according to Greg Martin of Greg Martin Auctions. In addition to the Paterson Colt, a pair of revolvers tied for second highest price at the sale at $805,000 apiece, both well above their pre-auction estimates. One was a cased, engraved presentation Model 1861 New Model Navy; the other, a cased ivory-gripped Colt Third Model Dragoon revolver, engraved by Gustave Young and inscribed to “Colonel P.M. Milliken.” The “Thumbprint Walker” brought $690,000.

For details and photos of the Paterson, the 1861 Navy, the Dragoon, the Tumbprint Walker and other amazing items from the Cali Collection, click here or on the photo above.

By Editors

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By David E. Petzal

by David E. Petzal

I had wanted to write on this subject, but figured that it was too far afield from guns, so Phil got there first, but now it’s my turn. Country music, as I understand the term, no longer exists.

I started listening in the late 40s to what was called “cowboy” music, and got sucked into country. Country music, in the 40s, 50s, and some of the 60s, did not cross over. It was not listened to in polite society. It was southern, and it was rural. Its performers were plain-looking folks, many of whom had Depression-era childhoods of desperate poverty. It was not show-biz. Country musicians were not paid huge amounts of money, and with a very few exceptions, were not seen on the TV variety shows of that time. Patsy Cline, an incomparable singer, could not get on the stage today because she was not pretty enough, and because she would not flash her body parts at the audience.