Gunsmith creates gold firearms

Gunsmith Brian Nesby is creating a series of gold-plated rifles that depict scenes of the United States' history.

Likely to be sought after by collectors, the Winchester 1894 lever-action firearms feature 24-carat gold parts and carry a price tag of around $3,500 each.

Mr Nesby, of Rocky Mountain Firearms in Colorado, points out that they are all 100 per cent functional. Whether or not the buyers would want to use them is a different matter, however.

"All the gold work you see is 24-carat gold, including the inside of the barrel," he told the Asbury Park Press. "If anyone ever fires the gun, all of the gold is going to come out of the barrel – it's a very soft metal."

A first edition of the rifle – or "proof" – has been created and will be followed by ten production pieces, each of which takes between six and eight weeks to make.

The Winchester rifle is frequently associated with the Wild West, but Nesby notes that the rifle was also widely used by hunters.