JFK Assassination Testimony Rifle of Famed Ballistics Expert Comes to Auction

News provided by

Apr 21, 2025, 07:48 ET

Expert Monty C. Lutz testified in the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr.

BEDFORD, Texas, April 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- An exact recreation of the JFK assassination rifle, owned and utilized by ballistics expert Monty Lutz during his testimony for the House Select Committee on Assassinations, will come to auction this May. The rifle also starred in the 1986 movie "On Trial: Lee Harvey Oswald," where Lutz played himself. Lutz's Carcano rifle will be offered during the first day of Rock Island Auction Company's May 2-4 Premier Auction.

For his testimony for the House Select Committee on Assassinations, ballistics expert Monty C. Lutz used this exact recreation of the Carcano rifle that killed President Kennedy. It is also featured in the movie "On Trial: Lee Harvey Oswald."

The rifle is an identical configuration to the "Mannlicher-Carcano" rifle long recognized as the weapon used by Lee Harvey Oswald to assassinate President John F. Kennedy. Lutz's rifle was even ordered from the same retailer Oswald used and mounted with an identical scope. Such duplication was critical when this rifle was utilized during the 1978 investigation by the United States House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA), where Lutz cited testing the rifle at various distances. The exact replication of the assassination weapon was a quintessential component in the investigation as the nation continued to search for answers in the tragedy's aftermath.

Find more information in the auction listing.

The HSCA famously concluded that Kennedy was likely assassinated as part of a conspiracy, contrasting with the Warren Report's "Lone Gunman" conclusion. However, Lutz agreed with the Warren Report, and the recently declassified JFK files appear to as well. Lutz was involved in numerous, high-profile cases including the assassinations of Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr., as well as helping to bring down the Hells Angels in Milwaukee by restoring serial numbers.

The rifle comes with a trove of related documents, including letters from Lutz, paperwork that documents the rifle's onscreen use, artifacts of the Kennedy and King assassinations, personal notes, original photographs and nine extensive bound book evidence reports related to Lutz's cases.

The three-day auction will take place in Bedford, Texas and feature nearly 2,000 items and historic offerings including a stunning antique Colt revolver presented by President Franklin Pierce, the first M1 Garand rifle ever produced, a Jimmy Stewart onscreen used Winchester rifle that shaped fine arms collecting in America, and numerous finely embellished selections from a wide range of countries, eras, and artisans.

For more information on the upcoming Premier Auction, please visit www.rockislandauction.com.

About Rock Island Auction Company:
Rock Island Auction Company is the world's no. 1 firearms auction company, and has been since 2003. Founded in 1993 by CEO Patrick Hogan, RIAC's current Bedford, Texas venue has become the world selling headquarters for fine and historic arms, hosting all the company's in-person auctions. Led by President Kevin Hogan, the company lives by its mission statement to "Elevate firearms collecting. Sell with Passion." Best known for selling headline-grabbing arms, the company's multiple auction formats cater to collectors of every experience level.

For more information, please visit www.rockislandauction.com or call 1-800-238-8022.
Media contact: Joel Kolander, (309) 797-1500 or [email protected]

SOURCE Rock Island Auction Company