Gun that killed outlaw ‘Billy the Kid’ up for auction

At the end of this month, a revolver will be auctioned in Los Angeles that is believed to have killed the bandit Billy the Kid in 1881. The so-called Colt single action revolver is expected to fetch between two and three million dollars.

Billy the Kid was actually called William H. Bonney. His nickname is associated with countless wild west stories, movies and ballads. The cowboy was a leader in a cattle war in New Mexico called the Lincoln County War. He is said to have committed his first murder at the age of twelve. According to lore, he killed a total of twenty-one people during his dubious career. Since “The Kid” lived to only twenty-one years old, that’s one murder per year of life. However, four of these murders can only really be proved that Billy the Kid committed them. While alive, the bandit was already a legendary figure. His escape from prison in 1880 certainly contributed to this. In this escape, he killed two deputies. A few months later, the outlaw on a Fort Summer ranch was killed by Sheriff Pat Garrett,a former partner in crime of The Kid.

Auction house Bonhams describes the weapon to be auctioned as a…

“…relic of one of the most important and well-known stories of the Wild West.”

In addition to Pat Garrett’s revolver, the gun that Billy the Kid carried during his escape is also being auctioned. This weapon should fetch between $200,000 and $300,000.