This ornate double barrel shotgun is more than a covetable firearm: It’s a piece of American diplomatic history. The opulently engraved long gun is one of two presented by former Soviet Union Prime Minister Nikita Kruschev as a sort of peace offering during his 1959 visit to America, which marked the first time a Soviet premier had ever walked on U.S. soil and came during a period easing Cold War tensions.
According to the Raab Collection, the historical document and memorabilia dealer that’s selling the weapon, Kruschev publicly declared his “sincere desire to achieve better relations” with the U.S. and called for nuclear disarmament at a National Press Club luncheon. He came well-prepared with other gifts like Russian vodka and nesting dolls, but it’s the pair of side-by-side shotguns that were no doubt the most valuable offerings, as made evident by the eminence of their recipients.
The first was given to former President Dwight D. Eisenhower, while the other was gifted to former Secretary of Defense Neil McElroy and remained in his family until it was acquired by the Raab Collection. Even without the extremely prestigious provenance, it is a pristine-condition example of elite gunsmithing.
Khrushchev had procured the two guns from craftsmen in the Izhevsk region of Russia, where they had presented him with the the metal and wood, double-barrel hammerless shotguns. The master engraver Lekomtsev carved ornately representative hunting designs, including a gold fox with prey in its teeth that’s scaring away two ducks on the right side of the action and a gold-colored pointing dog on the left side of the action.
The gun comes with a copy of the letter from McElroy to Khrushchev dated September 18, 1959, while Khrushchev was still in America, on Secretary of Defense letterhead. It states in part: “I was pleased yesterday to receive two of your representatives who brought with them some attractive gifts, as well as a message from you…Of course, the shotgun is handsome indeed. It offers evidence of the quality of craftsmanship of which any country could be proud. In thanking you for the shotgun, may I fully reciprocate the wish expressed to me by our representatives that the firearms used in the future by our two countries need be no longer than this shotgun for the preservation of world peace and that even the shotgun be used solely for sporting purposes.”
Priced at $125,000, this Kruschev-gifted bespoke shotgun is available to purchase from the Raab Collection.
