Richard Nixon's Gold-Inlaid Browning Shotgun at Auction

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed)
Mar 4th 2011 at 8:01AM

In addition to Ernest Hemingway's safari hunting rifle that we wrote about on Wednesday, a rare gold-inlaid Browning 12-gauge automatic shotgun that was presented to president Richard Nixon in 1970 will be offered at James D. Julia Auctioneers' Important Firearms sale in Fairfield, Maine on March 14. The gun, estimated at $50,000 – $75,000, is also historically significant in that it was the two millionth Browning shotgun made. At one time destined for the Smithsonian, Nixon returned the gun to Browning Arms where it resided in their archives until it was given to the National Shooting Sports Foundation.

Gallery: Richard Nixon's Browning Shotgun

The impressive firearm is engraved with gold-inlaid phoenixes and griffins derived from a 1930s design. It bears a gold presentation plaque, John M. Browning's signature, and the number 2,000,000. A highly desirable collector's item meshing the history of American firearms and politics. As Time reported recently, collector shotguns are fetching record prices at auction and are gaining stature as good investments. Guns with a special provenance are particularly prized.

Tags: American presidents, Browning, browning+guns, browningguns, celebrity, Ernest Hemingway, firearm, gold, gun, hunting, James D. Julia, Maine, politics, presidents, Richard Nixon, rifle, shooting, shotgun

Filed under: Auctions, Sports

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

rickweisen Mar 6th 2011 8:31PM

The editor's gaffe. The famous mechanical genius from Utah was named John Moses Browning. John M. Browning...as the inscription on the Nixon gun indicates. "James" is nowhere to be found.

Watch your off facts, man!

tyrebitre Mar 6th 2011 11:01PM

"The editor's gaffe. The famous mechanical genius from Utah was named John Moses Browning. John M. Browning...as the inscription on the Nixon gun indicates. "James" is nowhere to be found.

Watch your off facts, man!

Very interesting: however, THIS is what the article which appears on my computer says:

"It bears a gold presentation plaque, John M. Browning's signature, and the number 2,000,000."

The only "James" mentioned is the auctioneer.

me3jewels Mar 6th 2011 8:43PM

When will they be auctioning Cheney's infamous shotgun?

klun73 Mar 9th 2011 2:57PM

That shotgun cheney used isn't worth much, it couldn't even take out a lawyer.

Brow Mar 6th 2011 8:47PM

They won't have a problem getting more than $75,000 for it. I'm just happy they kept it out of Cheney's hands.

PeeDeeCardio Mar 6th 2011 9:16PM

Hang in there. I have been intermittently in and out of work for 2 years!! I don't care what Obama says, this economy still is in a bad way.

Billy Mar 6th 2011 10:21PM

Obama is helping part of the economy. I am collecting all of the 5.56 ammunition I can find.

Billy Mar 6th 2011 10:24PM

Thanks to our current president, I am collecting all of the 5.56 ammunition I can get my hands on.

nct Mar 6th 2011 10:41PM

President owned guns:

I have a 357 S & W with gold & silver inlays, ivory gripps & onced owned by Elvis Presley (can be seen at www.RAREELVISCOLLECTIBLES.com) if there are any interested parties. I have all written documention to back it up. Also, this gun was a gift to Spiro Agnew, who had to give it back to Elvis & the rest is history.

Tom Morgan