GUN FALL 2017
The live portion of this session begins on Tuesday, October 31, 2017.
SCARCE COLT SINGLE ACTION ARMY ARTILLERY REVOLVER WITH SEVERAL CUSTER RANGE PARTS ALL INSPECTED BY AINSWORTH. COLT ARTILLERY SAA 5039 45 COLT Cal. 45 Colt. Usual configuration with 5-1/2" bbl, thinned front sight and 1-line script letter address with serifs at each end. Left side of frame has 2-line patent dates and a small "U.S". Mounted with 1-pc walnut grip that shows a clear "OCH" (Lt. Odis C. Horney) inspector cartouche under the date 1901 on the left side and the right side a clear "RAC" (Rinaldo A. Carr) sub-inspector cartouche. Mr. Carr's initials also appear on the bottom left edge of the grip. Ejector housing is 1st type with bullseye ejector rod head and orig type copper colored ejector spring. Base pin is without dimpled ends. The buttstrap has the orig sharp toe while the ejector housing sharp front edge has been rounded, probably during the period of use. All of the parts except the grip have tiny "A" (Orville W. Ainsworth) inspector initials. The following SN's were observed: 4798 on bbl; 3051 on trigger guard; 5742 on the buttstrap and 5296 on the cylinder. All of these parts are Custer range except the trigger guard, which was probably issued to the 4th Cavalry in January 1874. Revolvers in the SN range 4500-5504 were issued to the 7th Cavalry in March 1874 and those in the range of 5505-6516 were issued to the 7th Cavalry in April 1874. In the book Cavalry & Artillery Revolvers a Continuing Study, Kopeck & Fenn, the authors state that SN 5740 was documented to the 7th Cavalry in 1888. Most of these parts can be presumed to have been issued on Cavalry revolvers to the 7th, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Cavalry regiments and probably were present at the Battle of the Little Big Horn. Especially the backstrap, no. 5742. The authors also cite numerous examples of Indian used and Pine Ridge Sioux Reservation used revolvers that are in the same range. Obviously, this is one of the revolves recalled to the arsenal where they were altered to Cavalry configuration with no thought to continuity of SN's. These revolvers remained in service well into the 20th century before being sold as surplus. CONDITION: Fair to good. No orig finish remains, being overall smooth blue-grey patina with fine frosty pitting on the frame. Cylinder is a cleaned grey metal patina. Trigger guard and backstrap are also cleaned grey metal patina with fine pitting on backstrap. Grip has chipped toes with a few dings and bruises, and retains a hand worn patina. Hammer is not solid in safety notch, otherwise mechanics are fine. Strong dark bore. 52454-2 JRL (3,500-5,500)