Market Trends: Solid Prices for Collectible Rimfire Guns

John Slagle — KIKO Auction, Canton, Ohio

A nationwide lack of rimfire ammunition has definitely hurt sales of rimfire guns at retail establishments, but it doesn’t seem to have affected the collectibles market.

Case in point: At three auctions this past fall, KIKO Auctioneers saw rising interest and some higher than average prices being paid for collectible rimfire firearms.

Firearms auctioneer John Slagle notes that KIKO sold seven Smith & Wesson K 22 Revolvers for between $800 and $1,300 apiece, a Colt Diamondback in .22 LR for $1,900, a Colt Peacekeeper in .22 LR for $775 and a Smith & Wesson model 53-2, .22 Mag. revolver for $1,550.

Additionally, five High Standard semi-automatic pistols went for between $500 and $775 each. Rimfire rifles did well, too, like the Winchester model 99, .22-caliber rifle that KIKO’s sold for $1,900.

Apparently the “Snake Gun” craze is not over. The Snake Guns—those Colt revolvers with reptile names like Python and Boa—started rising in value about two years ago and are still on the upswing.

Slagle recently auctioned off a Colt Python .357 for $3,500—a revolver that would have commanded about $1,200 a couple years back—and he gets inquires all the time from collectors interested in acquiring more of these high-quality revolvers.