Al Capone's sidearm 'Sweetheart' sells at auction for $885,000

Al Capone once said that you can get more with a kind word and a gun than with just a kind word — or you can get $885,000 for his personal sidearm, which sold for that amount at auction in South Carolina on Saturday afternoon.

“Sweetheart,” the Chicago gangster's personal protection Colt 1911 .45 semi-automatic pistol, had been estimated to sell for up to $3 million, according to Richmond Auctions, which hosted the sale. The weapon Capone credited with saving his life — made in 1912 during the first year the pistol model was available commercially — sold on the fourth bid to an individual at the Greenville-based auction after a few bids came in online.

“This particular Colt 1911 is more than just a firearm. It’s a relic of an era marked by lawlessness and larger-than-life personalities,” said Kimmie Williams, Richmond Auctions’ firearms specialist. “Its profound connection to Al Capone adds an extra layer of allure, making it a must-have and trump card for any world-class collector.”

A pair of Ulysses S. Grant’s pistols were sold at auction in Rock Island for nearly $5.2 million in 2022. The gun Pat Garrett used to kill Billy the Kid in 1881, which was also expected to go for up to $3 million, ended up selling for double that in 2021.

Capone's pistol previously sold at auction for $1 million after the starting bid opened at $50,000 in 2021, the first time the gun had left the Capone family since his death in 1947 and was, at the time, one of the most expensive 20th century guns sold at auction. The rest of his personal effects sold the same day for $3.1 million, including another of his Colt handguns, which went for $242,000.

The homes of the man known as "Scarface" have been less well regarded. His former house in Miami was demolished in 2021 after the new owner bought the land for $10.75 million and subsequently called the home — where Capone and associates allegedly planned the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre — “a piece of crap” and a “disgrace to Miami Beach.”