The historical and modern firearms auction took place on 8 and 9 May 2025 at the Hermann Historica headquarters near Munich, Germany, and could also be followed via live streaming on the company's website. There was a lot of expectation for this sale spread over the two days, since in this edition's catalog there were some pieces of extraordinary rarity, of which we had given some advance notice. But let us come straight to the sales, starting with the pistol that achieved the highest sale price: this is a very fine Korriphila HSP 701 semi-automatic pistol (lot 7611) in .45 ACP in full Damascus version, i.e. with barrel, slide and frame in Damascus steel. This pistol has serial number 0705 and features a 5" barrel. Manufactured in very few examples by Intertex Maschinenbau GmbH (it is probably the only one in that caliber), it is fitted with a pair of ebony grips covered with ray skin, target sights and has a surface finish that highlights the layered Damascus texture. The pistol is contained in a leather case complete with all original documents. The starting price was €19,000, but the wealthy collector who won it had to shell out more than three times that amount to take it home. The auctioneer's hammer only dropped after it reached the €62,000 mark! It is worth noting that another example of the Korriphila HSP 701 in .45 ACP, but in standard version (if one can call it that) sold for 16,000 euros, confirming that at this time the ingenious and complex pistol designed by Edgar Budischowsky has become the new "Holy Grail" for modern pistol collectors. Perhaps it is also the charm of the serial number 888 that marked the example sold under lot number 7509. The starting price was 9,000 euros.
Another pistol that found a new owner for a hefty sum was the Mauser C06/08 experimental semi-automatic pistol (lot 7638) with flapper lock and a single-stack magazine inside the grip. The pistol is chambered in 9mm Mauser Export with an 8-round magazine and bears the serial number 3. This is an experimental version that was never mass-produced and only a few prototypes exist that differ in detail. It is therefore in fact a one-off. The starting price was therefore very high: 22,500 euros. In the end, the C06/08 went for 25,000 euros, a very small increase over the starting price. It is nevertheless a very interesting piece full of history.
We remain in the sector of early semi-automatic pistols with a confirmation: a Borchardt C93 made by the German company DWM in Berlin, with serial number 2234 and (non-original) case complete with accessories and stock/holster in wood and leather was sold for 18,000 euros. The gun retains its original finish with some signs of time, and the manual is not the original, but a reprint. Lot 7570 is therefore a classic "evergreen" for collectors, sold for a high, but marketable sum. If it had had the box and the original manual, surely the final price would have been considerably higher. The Borchard C93 is important to oplologists because it represents the first example of an efficient and relatively well-received semi-automatic pistol on the market, despite its great complexity and impressive dimensions. In fact, the Borchardt C93 was a "super prototype" that influenced many of the pistols produced subsequently, starting with the Luger which is considered its direct descendant.
Let us now make a foray into the world of guns related to the epic of the American West, with lot 8048. This is a Colt Single Action Army .45 revolver with serial number 308987 made in 1909, and embellished with a very unusual engraving. At first glance they might appear to be the letters of a mysterious alphabet, but in reality the logos reproduced over the entire revolver's surface reproduce cattle branding marks. Revolvers with engravings of this type were very much in vogue among wealthy American cattlemen in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, especially when fitted with ivory or, as in this case, mother-of-pearl grips.
The revolver is in excellent condition and is accompanied by a letter of authentication from Colt dated 4 June 1968. This specimen is photographed on the cover of the book Der Peacemaker by Günter Schmitt and mentioned inside. It sold for 12,500 euros.
Now to rifles: a rare Walther WA 2000 semi-automatic rifle with Zeiss scope, in a case with accessories fetched a respectable €23,000 against a starting price of €12,000 (lot 7321). This is a semi-automatic rifle in bull-pup design that was conceived expressly for anti-terrorist use following hostage-taking attacks such as the one that bloodied the Munich Olympics in 1972. After a long gestation phase, the "Walther Automat" 2000 rifle was introduced to the security forces and civil market in 1982 in .308 Winchester and .300 Winchester Magnum. Due to the high cost per piece, only 176 examples of this rifle were made until around 1988: 20 were for adoption trials, 69 were chambered in .300 Win.Mag. and 87 in .308. Fifteen examples were exported to the USA. The WA 2000 is sometimes described as the best sniper rifle made to date. The example sold by Hermann Historica is in .308 Winchester with serial number 001137 is in perfect condition and, according to the owner, is the penultimate rifle ever manufactured in this caliber for the civilian market. Accompanied by an aluminum case that also contains the unusual top-mounted bipod, this extremely rare rifle is truly an extraordinary piece, despite being relatively young.
The post-auction sale of Hermann Historica
Those who missed the live auction should not despair: Hermann Historica offers the possibility of buying the unsuccessful items in the post-auction sale, i.e. with a formula based on direct bidding. You can find further information on the Hermann Historica website or wait a few days, when we will publish a specific article on this purchase formula, which can be extremely convenient. Stay tuned!
