LSB Auctions has formally announced a monumental three-day live auction scheduled for early May 2026 at The Cody Auditorium in Wyoming. This landmark event will feature more than 1,200 lots of historic firearms, Western memorabilia, militaria, and sporting arms, all sourced from prominent private collections and estates nationwide. The sale represents months of exhaustive research, evaluation, and documentation, designed to attract both advanced institutional collectors and first-time bidders looking to enter the historical firearms market.
The cornerstone of the Cody event is a heavily documented Confederate Civil War-era Colt 1861 Navy revolver. What sets this specific revolver apart is its verified provenance linking it to Louisville, Kentucky, during Union General William T. Sherman’s occupation of the city. Shipped originally in 1861, the revolver is accompanied by a factory letter attesting to its legitimacy and its association with wartime contraband. In the high-end collecting world, the phrase “buy the gun, not the story” is a foundational rule, but in this case, the story is hard-coded into the firearm’s verifiable paper trail.
Further anchoring the early American offerings are a pair of Revolutionary War-era .50 caliber flintlock pistols. These pieces are inscribed to Captain James Leach of the Massachusetts Militia and come complete with thoroughly researched payroll and service records. As the nation approaches the 250th anniversary of the Revolutionary War, firearms with direct, documented ties to colonial militias are seeing a significant surge in appraisal values and bidder interest.
The catalog also delves deep into the evolution of the American handgun. Collectors will have access to a massive selection of Colt revolvers and pistols spanning both the 19th and 20th centuries. Featured lots include pristine factory-engraved Colt percussion revolvers, early-production Model 1911 U.S. military pistols, and heavily documented Single Action Army revolvers. Pre-war target pistols, notably the highly sought-after Colt Woodsman series, are also heavily represented.
Moving into the European and World War II militaria categories, the auction features rare edged weapons and presentation pieces that rarely hit the public market. Most notable is a Luftwaffe officer’s sword that was surrendered by Hermann Göring to General Hoyt Vandenberg in 1945. This piece of captured high-command militaria bridges the gap between firearms collecting and broader historical curation.
Beyond the firearms themselves, the Cody sale leans heavily into sporting and exploration memorabilia. Highlighting this category is a signed, limited-edition set of Theodore Roosevelt’s “African Game Trails.” The event also features vintage Winchester advertising displays, impressive bronze equestrian statues, and early 20th-century cowboy gear, including cartridge belts, holsters, cuffs, and spurs from noted Western makers.
The Cody sale is a prime indicator of where the collector market is currently pivoting. While modern tactical rifles drive the retail sector, the auction circuit is seeing massive capital flow into heavily documented 19th-century Colts and Revolutionary-era flintlocks. The inclusion of Göring’s surrendered sword also highlights a growing crossover between standard firearms collectors and high-end militaria buyers. For regional auction houses, the standard has been raised—buyers now demand exhaustive provenance, not just good condition.