Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! Here we have a fully nickel plated Winchester Model 92 that belonged to Jimmy Hoffa, given to him as a gift from union activist Tom Burke in the 1940s. Documented with a letter from James P. Hoffa confirming his father owned this rifle. Jimmy Hoffa built the International Brotherhood of Teamsters into a powerhouse while allegedly maintaining close ties with organized crime. His disappearance in 1975 became one of the most famous unsolved mysteries in American history – presumably killed by the mob when he tried to reclaim union leadership.
But in the 1940s when Hoffa received this rifle, he was still building his power base within the Teamsters. A nickel plated Winchester 92 was a hell of a gift. The fact that it came from Tom Burke, a fellow union activist, suggests this was a personal gesture between men working the same fight. Someone went through the effort and expense to have the entire gun nickel plated, including the scope. That wasn’t a factory option – this was custom work done either before or after it came to Hoffa.
There’s something darkly ironic about a nickel plated sporting rifle sitting in a collection tied to a man who vanished into mob history. This wasn’t a tool of violence or intimidation – it was a gentleman’s hunting rifle, the kind of thing you’d use for a weekend away from union politics and backroom deals.
Most of our POTDs utilize images from our friends at Rock Island Auction Company, the premier firearms auction in the United States. Take some time to browse their current auctions – who knows, maybe you’ll find a piece of history to take home!
Nickel Plated Winchester Model 92 Lever Action Rifle Owned by Jimmy Hoffa | Rock Island Auction, www.rockislandauction.com/detail/1049/66/nickel-plated-winchester-model-92-rifle-owned-by-jimmy-hoffa. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
