February Sporting & Collector Auction Realizes $8.7 Million
Unseasonably warm weather on preview day hinted at a magical auction week that drew $8.7 million in Rock Island Auction’s recently completed Sporting
July 19, 2022
By Joel R Kolander
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The signature pistols of the popular video game and movie franchise
ROCK ISLAND, ILL. — The pair of pistols used by Angelina Jolie in the 2001 film “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider” will be offered by Rock Island Auction Company in its August 26-28 Premier Auction. Lara Croft has famously duel-wielded her pistols in numerous video games and movies dating back to 1996, making the pair of pistols one of the most readily identifiable weapons of pop culture and film. The consecutively numbered Heckler & Koch USP 9 Match pistols come identified by the former owner of London-based prop house Bapty & Co, which both provided and modified the pistols for filming. They have received a pre-auction estimate of $25,000 - $45,000.
While multiple sets of Lara Croft’s signature pistols were prepared for filming, the pair being offered in August are the main “hero” pistols used and are the only set with the unique ambidextrous slide releases as seen on film.
Read the blog on the 'Lara Croft: Tomb Raider' pistols
Other modifications to the Tomb Raider pistols are the substitution of the original barrels to those designed for firing blanks, as well as extended magazine wells. The magazine wells and aforementioned slide releases were critical in the well-known fight scenes where her character is forced to reload with a pistol in each hand, typically a two-handed operation.
With millions of gamers and movie-goers familiar with Lara Croft’s iconic sidearms, the brace of sequential H&K pistols will be a hot item in an auction that offers thousands of collector and museum-grade arms, including a Smith & Wesson revolver of Wild Bill Hickok, and the DL-44 blaster of Han Solo used in filming the sci-fi juggernaut “Star Wars: A New Hope.”
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.
Unseasonably warm weather on preview day hinted at a magical auction week that drew $8.7 million in Rock Island Auction’s recently completed Sporting
Last year, Rock Island Auction Company became the first firearms auction house to join the century club by cracking $100 million in annual sales, and
Rock Island Auction Company's October 4 - 7 Sporting & Collector Auction realized $9.2 million, a phenomenal sum achieved by an event that was