American Western Author Zane Grey's Winchester to Auction at Rock Island Auction Company

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Apr 10, 2023, 08:42 ET

The John Ulrich Engraved and Signed Winchester Model 1895 Rifle is set at a Pre-Auction Estimate of $400,000 to $600,000

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Courtesy of Rock Island Auction Company

ROCK ISLAND, Ill., April 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Rock Island Auction Company (RIAC) is proud to offer Zane Grey's Winchester Model 1895 rifle engraved and signed by master engraver John Ulrich. Famed American author Grey is best known for his novel, Riders of the Purple Sage, which is cited as defining the Western genre of literature, TV and film. The rifle is available as part of the company's May Premier Firearms Auction (May 19 – May 21) and carries a pre-auction estimate of $400,000 to $600,000.

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A prodigious writer, Grey abandoned his dentistry career to chronicle the American West. His first of over 80 books was published in 1905. Riders of the Purple Sage, Grey's most popular, was published in 1912. Grey's literary works have been adapted into 112 films and episodes for three television series, including "Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theater," which ran on CBS from 1956 to 1961.

At the time of this Winchester's production, the standard Model 1895 listed for $32.50, but the add-ons and embellishments completed for Grey cost $335 in 1924, equivalent to $8,476 today. The rifle features elaborate factory engraving, and gold inlay of a deer, mountain lion and grizzly bear on the receiver, and is embellished with arabesque scrollwork and artistic borders. Ulrich signed this firearm with his customary "JU" initials and inscribed the original owner's name in gold: "ZANE GREY."

"We are thrilled to offer the Zane Grey Winchester," Kevin Hogan, President of Rock Island Auction Company said. "He is arguably the greatest storyteller of the American West who enjoyed a lifelong zeal for the outdoors and fishing. It is an honor to share something so intimately connected to who he was."

The May Premier Firearms Auction also features:

The debut of the prestigious Greg Lampe Collection and its historically significant firearms
Confederate President Jefferson Davis's historic Beaumont-Adams revolver documented as surrendered to Union Cavalryman John Hines at Davis's capture
Civil War hero and "Father of Baseball" Gen. Abner Doubleday's and his wife's pair of engraved and gilded Moore's Patent Firearms Derringers
The Winchester Model 1895 saddle ring carbine of Medal of Honor recipient Major Gen. Nelson Miles, along with three swords, and other archival items

View the full highlight portfolio for the May Premier Firearms Auction here.

About Rock Island Auction Company

Rock Island Auction Company is the world's #1 auction company for firearms, bladed weapons and militaria. Founded in 1993 by its current CEO Patrick Hogan, RIAC continues to lead the industry with record sales numbers and their extensive and beautiful marketing efforts. Their 150,000 square foot campus consists of two buildings and hosts around 18+ auctions each year. They actively seek consignments, be it a single weapon or a collection of hundreds, a thousand-dollar item or one million. For more information, please visit www.rockislandauction.com or call 1-800-238-8022.

Media Contact:
Julia Patterson
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(847) 306-0912

SOURCE Rock Island Auction Company