Morphy's Dec. 16-18 Firearms & Militaria Auction Is a Virtual Arsenal of Premier Sporting Guns, Rare NFA and Other Prized Military Weapons

Featured: Fabulous pair of Rizzini R1 .410 & 28-gauge side-by-side shotguns, Pedretti-engraved Purdey over-under ejector game gun, German Heckler & Koch MP5SD3 and Rheinmetal MG42/59 machine guns

DENVER, Pa., Dec. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Morphy's will make the holidays merry and bright for firearms collectors who attend their December 16-18 auction. The 1,343-lot selection includes expertly-vetted arms, armor, edged weapons, and military artifacts, many with important provenance. The auction will be held at Morphy's flagship gallery in Pennsylvania, with all forms of remote bidding available, including live online through Morphy Live.

Leading the auction lineup is a fabulous pair of Rizzini R1 .410 (choked, modified and improved modified) and 28-gauge (choked improved cylinder and modified) side-by-side shotguns with 23-3/8-inch barrels. Both feature magnificent engraving performed by Angelo Galeazzi, including images of mourning doves and ducks and a rose-and-scroll motif. Both guns were proofed in 1982. The .410 gun bears Italian superior proof marks with 3-inch chambers, and the 28-bore gun displays Italian standard proof marks with 2¾-inch chambers. The highly-figured stocks are of exhibition-grade walnut. Housed in a fine Nizzoli leather case, it is estimated at $150,000-$250,000.

Also for the sporting-gun connoisseur, a cased 28-bore J Purdey & Sons over-and-under ejector game gun with 28-inch file-cut vent rib barrels and Prince of Wales stock has a beautiful program of blackleaf scroll and game-scene vignettes by master engraver Giancarlo Pedretti. Its many features include an engraved grip cap, single non-selective mechanical trigger on round bar action, an auto-safety, hold-open top lever, drop points, single small front bead, SAFE engraved in gold by the beetle-style safety catch, and a gold-inlaid serial number on the bottom strap. Additionally, it has gold-lined cocking indicators, a vacant gold oval on the toe line, a wraparound checkered wrist with mullered borders, checkered forend with mullered borders, and an Anson push-button forend release. Housed in a brass-cornered oak and elephant-hide presentation case with French blocked accessories, all with buffalo-horn handles, this gun carries an $80,000-$120,000 estimate.

Many of the finest NFA firearms ever to reach the auction marketplace have been sold by Morphy's. Two NFA lots in the December auction are exceptional "must-see" items that will require BATF approval prior to being transferred to their new owners. The first is a factory-original 3-position "S E F" selector Heckler & Koch MP5SD3 registered-receiver 9mm Luger machine gun. According to the "IE" proof code on top of its receiver, the gun was manufactured in 1984. It is marked Made in W Germany / HK Chantilly, Va on the right side of the magazine well, and HK MP5 SD on top of the receiver. It is currently fitted with a telescoping stock and an immediately recognizable screw-on factory silencer and also includes its original fixed shoulder stock, four original straight MP5 HK-marked magazines dated 11/67, one ID-marked 20-round magazine, a green three-cell magazine pouch, and an original H&K sight adjustment tool. Estimate: $50,000-$80,000

The second NFA lot of special note is a very early German Model MG42/59 machine gun imported and registered by Cadillac Gage (Warren, Mich.) and used to bore-sight vehicle turrets. It has a scarce configuration with a 20-inch barrel and factory-correct 7.62x51mm (.308) NATO caliber/bore using M13 disintegrating links. It is marked with a very low serial number, 61-00001, as well as RHEINMETAL GmbH/FRG CADILLAC GAGE WARREN, MICH in electro-pencil. This is the first of the MG42/59s and, as such, should be of utmost interest to collectors. Estimate: $50,000-$80,000.

Visit Morphy's online: www.morphyauctions.com.

Media Contact:
Dan Morphy
877-968-8880
[email protected]

SOURCE Morphy Auctions