On October 14, 1912, Theodore Roosevelt was shot while giving a speech to a crowd in Milwaukee. In a move that secures his place in history as one of the most badass presidents of all time, he declined medical treatment. Instead, he finished his 90-minute speech, bloody shirt and all. Ten days prior to this event, a gift was sent to good ol’ Teddy for his 54th birthday. The gift was a factory engraved Colt Single Action Army revolver. Roosevelt’s Colt recently sold at December 2020 Rock Island Premier Firearms Auction which the company called “The Sale of the Century”.

ROCK ISLAND, Ill – A firearms auction house in Illinois has sold President Theodore Roosevelt’s Colt revolver for $1.4 million. The sale came on the second day of Rock Island Auction Company’s three day December event dubbed “The Sale of the Century.” The Colt Single Action Army revolver was ordered as a gift for Roosevelt’s 54 th birthday. Factory engraved and silver plated, it was shipped four days before his birthday, just over a week prior to the election of 1912, and ten days prior to his assassination attempt in Milwaukee, WI.

Theodore Roosevelt’s Colt Single Action Army Sells for $1.4 Million

The factory engraved Colt Single Action Army is chambered in .38 Colt and has a 4.75-inch barrel. It was plated in silver, and its ivory grips feature a carved steer head.

Roosevelt was an avid hunter and firearms enthusiast. In fact, many animals seen on display at the Smithsonian are products of his hunting expeditions. There is a ton of information about Theodore Roosevelt, and his life makes for a very interesting read. If you’re interested in picking up some of your own historical firearms, Rock Island Auction Company is a good place to start. They are also on every platform you can imagine, including Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, YouTube, and Twitter. Look here If you’d like to see more unique firearms from December.