Grail Guns: 18 Dream Guns Collectors Chase, and What Each One Costs Today

Last updated September 27, 2026

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Every gun owner has one. Some call it a dream gun, others a bucket list gun: the one you’d buy the day money stopped mattering, the one you stop and stare at on a dealer’s table. Collectors call it a grail gun, and some grails are easier to reach than you’d think.

This is my list of the 18 grail guns I hear about most, from the Colt Python and the SIG P210 to the Korth, the HK P7 and the Singer 1911. I’ve split them by how you actually get one, new, used or only at auction, and every gun with a real listing has a live price card so you can see what a grail costs today.

Grail Guns at a Glance

Here are all 18 grail guns on this list, and the realistic way to get each one.

Table of Contents

What Is a Grail Gun?

A grail gun is the one firearm a shooter or collector wants most and has not been able to buy yet, most often because it’s rare, discontinued or simply expensive. The term comes from the Holy Grail, and some shooters say holy grail guns. Either way it’s personal. One shooter’s grail is a Python, another’s is a Walker.

The guns people name over and over share a few traits. Superb craftsmanship, a design that changed something, a short or finished production run, and a price that sits just out of reach. Record-setting auction guns are a different list, which is why the most expensive guns ever sold and the rarest production guns have their own pages.

Tier	Grail guns	Price range on our dealers	Where you buy one
Still made new	Colt Python, Colt Anaconda, Korth, Manurhin MR73, SIG P210, Wilson Combat, Nighthawk Custom	$900 to $5,600	Any dealer, new in the box
Used market only	HK P7, American Eagle Luger, Colt Woodsman, Colt Diamondback, Browning Superposed, pre-64 Model 70, Detonics Combat Master	$500 to $6,000	Consignment, collector dealers, estate sales
Auction and NFA	First generation Colt Single Action Army, Singer 1911A1, transferable Thompson, Colt Walker	Thousands to seven figures	Major auction houses, NFA transfer for the Thompson

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Grail Guns You Can Still Buy New

These are the grails you can order today. Some are modern reissues of famous originals, and some have never stopped being made by hand. The price is high, but the gun is new, under warranty and waiting at a dealer.

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1. Colt Python: The King of the Snakes

• Caliber: .357 Magnum
• Action: Double action, 6-round cylinder
• Made: 1955 to 2005, and again from 2020
• How to get one: New from any dealer, or an original on the used market

Category	Rating
Grail Factor	5/5
Shootability	5/5
Attainability	4.5/5

Colt introduced the Python in 1955 as its top-of-the-line revolver, at a price of $125. Its vent rib, full-length underlug and hand-fitted action made it the revolver everyone wanted, and when Colt stopped making it in 2005, prices on the used market took off.

Colt brought it back in 2020, and the new gun is the easiest grail on this list to buy. The card below runs from $903.44 at Battlehawk Armory to $1,440.99 on Guns.com, with a 2.5-inch blued gun at $1,135.99 from Palmetto State Armory. Our Colt Python review covers the new gun in depth.

Originals from the 1955 to 2005 run still sell for more than new ones, and Royal Blue guns with the box bring the most. Shooting either one is a treat. The double action stacks smoothly, and a 6-inch Python with .38 Specials is about as easy as a centerfire revolver gets.

Best For: Revolver fans who want the most famous Colt of all, and can choose between a new gun and a collector original.

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2. Colt Anaconda: The Big-Bore Snake

• Caliber: .44 Magnum, plus .45 Colt
• Action: Double action, 6-round cylinder
• Made: 1990 to 2003, and again from 2021
• How to get one: New from any dealer, or an original on the used market

Category	Rating
Grail Factor	4/5
Shootability	4/5
Attainability	4.5/5

Colt made the original Anaconda from 1990 to 2003, and it was only ever sold in stainless steel. Clean originals from that first run are the ones collectors want.

In 2021 Colt brought it back with a stronger frame and an oversized version of the new Python action. The card below shows the 8-inch .44 Magnum at $1,256.99 from Palmetto State Armory, and Classic Firearms lists one at $1,076.91. Our Colt Anaconda review covers how it shoots.

With .44 Specials it’s a pussycat. With full-power .44 Magnum it’s a real workout, and the weight is the only reason it stays comfortable. For a hunting revolver with Colt’s name on it, it’s hard to beat.

Best For: Hunters and big-bore fans who want a grail-grade Colt they can actually take to the field.

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3. Korth: The Handmade German Revolver

• Caliber: .357 Magnum, .44 Magnum and others
• Action: Double action, 6 or 8-round cylinder
• Made: Since 1954 in Germany
• How to get one: New through dealers, from about $4,000

Category	Rating
Grail Factor	5/5
Shootability	5/5
Attainability	3/5

Korth was founded in 1954 by Willi Korth, a railway engineer who started in a basement workshop, and it became known for revolvers built to watchmaker standards. The company went through hard times after his death and has been based in Lollar, Germany since 2009.

It’s the revolver serious wheelgun collectors talk about in hushed tones, and you can still buy one new. The card below lists a Mongoose at $4,058.99 from Midway USA, $4,499.99 at Guns.com, and an eight-shot NXS at $5,531.99.

The trigger is the reason to own one. It’s lighter and cleaner than any production revolver I’ve shot, and the lockup feels like a bank vault door. It’s a lot of money for a .357, and anyone who has shot one understands.

Best For: Revolver enthusiasts who want the finest double action money can buy, new.

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4. Manurhin MR73: The French Police Legend

• Caliber: .357 Magnum
• Action: Double action, 6-round cylinder
• Designed: 1972, still in production
• How to get one: New, imported by Beretta since 2021

Category	Rating
Grail Factor	4.5/5
Shootability	5/5
Attainability	3.5/5

The MR73 was designed in 1972 and became the standard sidearm of the French National Gendarmerie, and it’s still associated with the GIGN counter-terror unit. For years it was almost impossible to find in the US, which made it a grail by default.

Beretta began importing the MR73 Gendarmerie and Sport models in 2021. The card below starts at $3,439.14 at Midway USA for a 3-inch gun, with Guns.com at $3,799.

The trigger rivals the Korth, and the gun is built like a tank. It won’t win a beauty contest next to a Python. But if you care about how a revolver shoots more than how it looks, this is the one.

Best For: Shooters who want a duty-proven grail revolver with the best trigger in its class.

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5. SIG P210: The Most Accurate Service Pistol

• Caliber: 9mm Luger
• Action: Short recoil, single action, 8 rounds
• Made: About 350,000 of all variants since 1949
• How to get one: New from SIG Sauer, or a Swiss original used

Category	Rating
Grail Factor	5/5
Shootability	5/5
Attainability	4/5

The P210 was the Swiss Army’s pistol from 1949 to 1975, and it earned a reputation as the most accurate service pistol ever made. Its slide rides inside the frame, and the fit is so tight that old Swiss guns still lock up like new.

Swiss production ended in 2006, but SIG Sauer revived it, first in Germany as the P210 Legend in 2010 and later in the US. The card below starts at $1,999.99 at Palmetto State Armory for the P210 Carry, and the P210 Target is $2,199.99.

It shoots like a target pistol because it basically is one. The trigger is crisp and the recoil is soft. A Swiss original is the collector’s grail. A new one is the shooter’s. It’s one of the 17 pistols on our list of classic European pistols.

Best For: Precision pistol shooters and anyone who wants the gold standard of 9mm service pistols.

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6. Wilson Combat 1911: The Custom 1911 Standard

• Caliber: .45 ACP, 9mm and others
• Action: Short recoil, single action
• Maker: Wilson Combat, Berryville, Arkansas, since 1977
• How to get one: New from dealers or to order from Wilson

Category	Rating
Grail Factor	4.5/5
Shootability	5/5
Attainability	4/5

Bill Wilson founded Wilson Combat in 1977 in Berryville, Arkansas, and it became the name most shooters think of when they picture a custom 1911. For a lot of people, a Wilson is the pistol they promise themselves when they finally make it.

The card below shows a 5-inch CQB at $4,344.99 from Palmetto State Armory, an ACP Commander at $3,384 from Midway USA, and a 4-inch model at $3,123.99 from Kentucky Gun Co. Our roundup of the best Wilson Combat pistols covers the whole line.

What you’re paying for is fit and reliability. Every Wilson I’ve shot has run out of the box, and the trigger breaks like glass. It’s a 1911 that feels finished in a way production guns don’t.

Best For: Shooters who want a custom-grade 1911 they can buy today and carry or compete with.

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7. Nighthawk Custom: The Hand-Built Rival

• Caliber: .45 ACP, 9mm and others
• Action: Short recoil, single action
• Maker: Nighthawk Custom, Berryville, Arkansas, since 2004
• How to get one: New from dealers or to order

Category	Rating
Grail Factor	4.5/5
Shootability	5/5
Attainability	3.5/5

Nighthawk Custom was formed in 2004 by gunsmiths who left Wilson Combat to focus only on custom pistols, and both companies sit in the same small Arkansas town. The rivalry has been good for buyers. Our Wilson Combat vs Nighthawk Custom comparison breaks down the differences.

Guns.com has a Talon at $4,831.99, and Midway USA lists a California-compliant GRP at $3,699.

If a Wilson is a precision tool, a Nighthawk is a piece of jewelry that shoots just as well. The finish work is stunning. Choose the one that fits your hand and your taste, because both are grails.

Best For: Buyers who want a hand-built 1911 with some art in it.

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Grail Guns You Can Only Buy Used

These guns are out of production, so every one for sale is somebody’s old gun, and every one is a collectible now. That makes condition, originality and honest descriptions everything. Buy from sellers with a return period, and walk away from anything that looks refinished but is priced as original.

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8. Heckler & Koch P7: The Squeeze-Cocker

• Caliber: 9mm Luger
• Action: Gas-delayed blowback, squeeze-cocking grip
• Made: 1979 to 2008
• How to get one: Used only, around $3,000 and up

Category	Rating
Grail Factor	5/5
Shootability	4.5/5
Attainability	3/5

After the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre, German police went looking for a new pistol, and the P7 was one of three chosen, under the name PSP. Its cocking lever runs down the front of the grip. Squeeze it and the pistol is ready to fire, let go and it’s safe.

HK made the P7 from 1979 to 2008, and prices have climbed ever since. Guns.com lists a certified used P7M8 at $3,199.99 on the card below.

It points naturally and shoots flat, thanks to a fixed barrel and a low bore line. The squeeze lever feels strange for about a magazine, then it feels brilliant. Watch the gas system area during long sessions, because it gets hot.

Best For: HK fans and collectors who want the most original pistol design of the 1970s.

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9. American Eagle Luger: The Collector’s Luger

• Caliber: 7.65mm Parabellum or 9mm Luger
• Action: Toggle-locked short recoil, 8 rounds
• Made: Lugers from 1900 to 1953
• How to get one: Used only, from specialist dealers and auctions

Category	Rating
Grail Factor	5/5
Shootability	3/5
Attainability	3/5

American Eagle Lugers were made by DWM for the US commercial market and carry an American eagle crest over the chamber. They’re the Lugers American collectors chase first, ahead of the German military guns.

The card below shows an early DWM American Eagle commercial Luger at $3,995.99 on Guns.com. Our full Luger pistol guide covers the markings, the fakes and every other variant.

A Luger points like your finger, and an early DWM gun is beautifully made. Lugers need full-power ammo to cycle, so feed yours the load it’s chambered for and keep the round count low. Never assume an eagle crest is original until an expert has seen it.

Best For: Luger collectors who want the variant with an American story.

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10. Colt Woodsman: The Grail .22

• Caliber: .22 LR
• Action: Blowback semi-automatic, 10 rounds
• Made: About 690,000, 1915 to 1977
• How to get one: Used only, often under $1,000

Category	Rating
Grail Factor	4/5
Shootability	5/5
Attainability	4.5/5

The Woodsman grew out of a John Browning design, and Colt made about 690,000 of them from 1915 to 1977 in three series. It was the .22 pistol of its era, and for a lot of shooters it’s the gun that got them started.

It’s also the cheapest grail on this list. The card below shows a Colt Woodsman at $500.99 on Guns.com, though clean First Series guns and Match Targets bring a good deal more.

It balances beautifully and it’s more accurate than most people can shoot. Feed a pre-1932 gun standard-velocity ammo only, because the early guns weren’t built for high-velocity loads.

Best For: Anyone who wants a real grail gun without spending grail money.

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11. Colt Diamondback: The Little Python

• Caliber: .38 Special or .22 LR
• Action: Double action, 6-round cylinder
• Made: 1966 to 1988
• How to get one: Used only

Category	Rating
Grail Factor	4/5
Shootability	4.5/5
Attainability	4/5

Colt introduced the Diamondback in 1966 as a deluxe revolver inspired by the Python, with the same vent rib and underlug on a smaller frame. It was made until 1988 in .38 Special and .22 LR, with 2.5, 4 and 6-inch barrels.

A blued Diamondback sits at $1,439.99 on Guns.com as I write this. The 2.5-inch .38s and the .22s draw the most collector interest.

It’s a Python you can carry. The action is smooth and the gun is light enough for a belt. Check the timing and lockup before you buy, because a Colt action out of time needs a real Colt gunsmith.

Best For: Colt revolver fans who want Python style in a smaller, lighter gun.

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12. Browning Superposed: The Grail Shotgun

• Gauge: 12, 20, 28 and .410
• Action: Boxlock over-and-under
• Made: In Belgium by FN from 1931
• How to get one: Used, or to order as the B25 in Europe

Category	Rating
Grail Factor	5/5
Shootability	5/5
Attainability	3.5/5

The Superposed was John Browning’s last design, finished by his son Val after his death, and it went on sale in the US in 1931. Built by FN in Belgium, it set the pattern for the modern over-and-under, and it’s still made to order in Europe as the B25, the gun in the photo.

Right now a Superposed on Guns.com is listed at $1,499.99. Engraved Pigeon, Pointer and Diana grade guns cost far more, and 28 gauge and .410 guns bring the biggest premiums.

It swings beautifully and it’s built to outlast its owner. Before you buy, check the stock where it meets the receiver for rust or cracks, and have the chokes and barrels checked by someone who knows old Brownings.

Best For: Wingshooters who want the over-and-under every other one is compared to.

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13. Pre-64 Winchester Model 70: The Rifleman’s Rifle

• Caliber: .30-06, .270 Winchester and many others
• Action: Controlled round feed bolt action
• Made: 1936 to 1963
• How to get one: Used only; serial numbers below 700,000

Category	Rating
Grail Factor	5/5
Shootability	5/5
Attainability	3.5/5

The Model 70 came out in 1936 and earned the nickname the Rifleman’s Rifle. In 1964 Winchester changed the design to cut costs, and the older rifles, with their Mauser-type controlled round feed and cut checkering, have carried a premium ever since.

Spotting one is easy. Pre-64 rifles have serial numbers below 700,000. The card below shows a pre-64 Model 70 at $1,939.99 on Guns.com, and our Winchester Model 70 review covers the current rifle.

A good pre-64 feeds like silk and holds its zero for decades. Buy the rifle, not the story, and check whether it’s been drilled for a scope, restocked or reblued, because each one changes what it’s worth.

Best For: Hunters and rifle collectors who want the bolt gun American riflemen still measure others against.

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14. Detonics Combat Master: The Original Compact 1911

• Caliber: .45 ACP
• Action: Short recoil, single action, compact 1911
• Made: Seattle from about 1976 to 1987, then later revivals
• How to get one: Used only

Category	Rating
Grail Factor	4/5
Shootability	4/5
Attainability	3/5

Detonics started in Seattle around 1976 and made its name with the Combat Master, one of the first truly compact 1911s. It became a cult classic in the 1980s, when a compact .45 was still a novelty.

The company changed hands several times, moving to Arizona in 1987 and to Georgia in 2004, and the Seattle guns are the ones collectors want most. A Combat Master Mk VI is listed at $3,500.99 on Guns.com.

It’s small, dense and kicks harder than a full-size 1911, which is exactly what you’d expect. The photo shows a later Legacy-era gun. Check which company made yours before you buy, because parts don’t always interchange.

Best For: Collectors of 1980s carry guns and compact 1911 fans.

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Auction and NFA Grail Guns

These are the true grails. They sell at the big auction houses, or in the case of a transferable Thompson through federal NFA paperwork, and most people will only ever see these holy grail guns behind glass. Where I can, I’ve carded the modern replica that gets you the look for a fraction of the price.

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15. First Generation Colt Single Action Army: The Peacemaker

• Caliber: .45 Colt, .44-40, .38-40 and others
• Action: Single action, 6-round cylinder
• Made: First generation 1873 to 1941; more than 457,000 of all generations
• How to get one: Originals at auction; new guns from Colt

Category	Rating
Grail Factor	5/5
Shootability	4/5
Attainability	2.5/5

The Single Action Army went into production in 1873, and the first generation guns made up to 1941 are the ones collectors mean when they say Peacemaker. Cavalry guns and those with documented history bring the most, and even the very first serial number turned up in a New Hampshire barn.

Originals are auction-house guns, but Colt still builds the Single Action Army. The card below shows a new Colt at $3,100.99 on Guns.com and a .357 Magnum model at $2,499.99 from Bass Pro Shops. Our Colt Single Action Army guide covers every generation.

Shooting a Colt single action is pure history in your hand. Load one, skip one, and keep the hammer down on the empty chamber. On an original, get a factory letter before you pay for a story.

Best For: Western collectors, and shooters who want the real Colt rather than a replica.

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16. Singer 1911A1: The Holy Grail of 1911s

• Caliber: .45 ACP
• Action: Short recoil, single action, 7 rounds
• Made: 500 under a 1940 educational order
• How to get one: Auction only, six figures

Category	Rating
Grail Factor	5/5
Shootability	1/5
Attainability	1/5

The Singer sewing machine company built just 500 M1911A1 pistols under an educational order in 1940, a trial run before war production went to other makers. That tiny number made the Singer the most famous grail gun in American collecting.

None of our dealers had one, and none ever really will. A Singer that belonged to Army Air Corps pilot First Lieutenant Charles H. Clark sold for $414,000 at Rock Island Auction in 2017. Our guide to WW2 guns covers the M1911A1 makers that built the rest.

If you ever see one for sale at a gun show price, assume it’s fake until an expert proves otherwise. For the rest of us, a GI-pattern 1911A1 copy gets you the shape and the shooting, and our WW2 guide prices those too.

Best For: Serious 1911 collectors with auction budgets.

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17. Transferable Thompson: The NFA Grail

• Caliber: .45 ACP
• Action: Select fire, blowback with Blish lock on early guns
• Made: 1921 to 1945
• How to get one: Registered pre-1986 guns only, through NFA transfer

Category	Rating
Grail Factor	5/5
Shootability	5/5
Attainability	1.5/5

An original Thompson is a machine gun, and federal law at 18 U.S.C. 922(o) froze the number civilians can own at those registered before May 1986. That frozen supply, plus the gun’s fame, is why a transferable Thompson sells for tens of thousands of dollars and takes a federal NFA transfer to own.

For everyone else there’s Auto-Ordnance’s semi-auto 1927A-1. The card below shows it at $1,526.40 on Guns.com and $1,543.33 for the Lightweight Deluxe at Classic Firearms. Our guide to buying a Tommy gun walks through both routes.

The semi-auto copy is heavy, soft-shooting and a blast on the range. It won’t fire full auto, and that’s the whole point of the grail. Still, it’s the closest most of us will get.

Best For: NFA collectors, and anyone who wants the Tommy gun look in a legal semi-auto.

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18. Colt Walker: The Record Breaker

• Caliber: .44 percussion
• Action: Single action, 6-shot cylinder
• Made: 1,100 in 1847
• How to get one: Originals at auction only; replicas from dealers

Category	Rating
Grail Factor	5/5
Shootability	2/5
Attainability	1/5

The Walker was designed in 1846 with Texas Ranger Captain Samuel Walker, who wanted a revolver that was powerful at close range, and only 1,100 were made in 1847. It’s the gun that saved Samuel Colt’s business, and few originals survive.

The Danish Sea Captain Walker, serial number 1022, sold for $1,840,000 at Rock Island Auction in April 2018, a record at the time, as American Rifleman reported from the sale floor. Our list of the most expensive guns ever sold at auction covers that sale and others like it.

The realistic grail is a replica. The card below shows Cimarron’s 1847 Walker at $518.99 from Palmetto State Armory and $461.10 at Battlehawk Armory. Shooting one with a full charge of black powder is an experience you won’t forget, and neither will your wrists.

Best For: Colt collectors with seven-figure budgets, and black powder shooters who want the replica.

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How to Buy a Grail Gun Without Getting Burned

Grail guns attract fakes, refinished guns sold as original and sellers who count on your excitement. The money is too big to learn these lessons the hard way, so run through this list before you pay for any collector gun.

• Get a factory letter. Colt, Winchester and Browning collectors can request archive records that confirm how a gun left the factory, and an original with a letter is worth more.
• Check for refinishing. Rounded edges, washed-out markings and too-bright bluing are the signs. Collectors price condition by how much original finish remains.
• Ask for provenance. The original box and papers, or a documented ownership history, add real value, and an independent appraisal is worth paying for before any five-figure purchase.
• Match the numbers. On Lugers, Colts and military guns, mismatched parts change the price.
• Buy with an inspection period. Good dealers and auction houses give you time to have the gun checked, and online auctions like GunBroker put more grails in front of buyers than ever, so insist on clear photos before you bid.
• Know the paperwork. An original Thompson means a federal NFA transfer. Guns made in or before 1898, like early Colt Single Action Armys, are antiques under federal law.

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Original or Reissue: Which Grail Should You Buy?

Several grails on this list come in two forms, the collector original and a modern version you can shoot without worry. Here’s how they compare on our dealers today.

Grail	Original	Modern version	Modern price on our dealers
Colt Python	1955 to 2005	New Python since 2020	From $903.44
Colt Anaconda	1990 to 2003	New Anaconda since 2021	From $1,026.99
SIG P210	Swiss guns, 1949 to 2006	SIG Sauer P210 Carry and Target	From $1,999.99
Colt Single Action Army	First generation, 1873 to 1941	Current Colt production	From $2,499.99
Thompson	Select fire, 1921 to 1945	Auto-Ordnance 1927A-1 semi-auto	From $1,526.40
Colt Walker	1,100 made in 1847	Cimarron 1847 Walker replica	From $461.10

My rule is simple. Buy the original if you want to collect it, and buy the modern version if you want to shoot it. Trying to do both with one gun is how collector guns get worn out.

Many grails change hands as family heirlooms. If you inherit one, have it identified before you clean, refinish or sell it, because some of these guns have appreciated sharply since production ended.

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How I Picked These 18 Grail Guns

I started with the guns that come up again and again when shooters and collectors talk about their grails, then checked what our 200+ retailers actually had for sale on September 27, 2026. Every gun with a real listing, or a modern or replica version, has a live price card. The Singer doesn’t, because there isn’t one to buy.

I left out the record-setting museum pieces that belong on a list of auction results, and the Smith & Wesson Registered Magnum, which is on our list of the rarest production guns. I split the rest by how you’d actually get one. Over the years I’ve shot most of the guns here, and the history comes from the makers’ own records and the auction houses that sold them.

Featured image: a composite built from a Metropolitan Museum of Art photo of Colt Walker No. 1017, public domain, a Colt Python photo by Mitch Barrie, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 and modified, and a SIG P210 photo by Askild Antonsen, licensed CC BY 2.0 and modified.

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The Bottom Line

If you want a grail you can buy this week, a new Colt Python or a SIG P210 gets you there for under $2,200. If money is less of a problem, a Korth or a Wilson Combat is as good as a handgun gets. And if you just want a genuine collector piece for the price of a new pistol, a Colt Woodsman is the grail gun almost anyone can own.

Frequently Asked Questions