THE most iconic treasure of early western history – the gun Pat Garrett used to kill Billy the Kid – comes up at Bonhams in Los Angeles on August 27. Sheriff Pat Garrett’s Colt Single Action which he used to kill Billy the Kid on July 14, 1881, at Pete Maxwell’s Ranch, is a relic of one of the most important and well-known stories of the Wild West. Now part of American mythology, Garrett’s friendship with the Kid, their mutual respect, and his subsequent hunt, capture, escape and death have become the stuff of legend.
Estimated at $2-3 million, this gun is one of the most important and well documented historical firearms and has never appeared at public auction. It is part of a collection of historical firearms belonging to Western Lawmen and Outlaw Legends, along with manuscripts, photographs, and memorabilia. The private collection which features rifles and revolvers from Billy the Kid, Bat Masterson, Wild Bill Hickok, John Wesley Hardin was amassed over five decades by Jim and Theresa Earle. There will be 265 lots in the sale.
