GUN FALL 2017
The live portion of this session begins on Tuesday, October 31, 2017.
SCARCE AND HISTORIC COLT MODEL 1878, 10 GAUGE HAMMER SHOTGUN ORDERED BY BRIGADIER GENERAL D.S. STANLEY MOH WITH FACTORY LETTER.COLT1878762110Cal. 10 ga. 31" Damascus bbls. 2-3/4" chambers. Full length Damascus top rib with brass front bead and typical Colt bbl address. Dbl triggers, extractors, no safety. Round knob pistol grip buttstock checkered in 3-point pattern with 14-5/8" LOP over orig Colt HRBP. Toe line of stock with beautiful initial oval engraved "D.S.S." Splinter forearm with Deeley release and triangular ebony tip checkered in 2-point pattern. Per factory letter Receiver is engraved with $1.75 worth of engraving which appears to be a light border pattern and geometric pattern on trigger plate. All visible SN's match. WEIGHT: 9 lbs, 5 oz. HISTORICAL INFORMATION: This gun was ordered directly from Colt by Brigadier General David Sloane Stanley. After graduating West Point in 1852, he served with distinction out west fighting Indians, resulting in a promotion to Capt. At the outbreak of the Civil War, he was offered a commission in the Confederate Army, which he declined. In March of 1861, President Abraham Lincoln appointed him to Brigadier General. He fought under General William T. Sherman, rising to command of the Union IV Corps. At the battle of Franklin, Tenn. he earned the Congressional Medal of Honor for leading a counterattack while being wounded in the neck. He continued to serve throughout the war. Following the cessation of hostilities, he remained in service as Colonel of the 22nd U.S. Infantry. He commanded the Yellowstone Expedition of 1873. Before being reassigned to Texas in 1879 to suppress Indian raids he was one of Gen. George Custer's superiors, having reprimanded him several times. It was during his time in Texas when he ordered this gun directly from Colt. Undoubtedly the gun accompanied him to New Mexico where he was placed in command of the district. In 1884 he returned to Texas where he stayed until his retirement in 1892. This gun was purchased directly out of the family by the consignor and is accompanied by a factory letter, printed research, and a hard cover copy of the General's autobiography. CONDITION: Good, as found. Bbls with approximately 40% toned and lightly stained visible Damascus pattern. Receiver retains approximately 30% orig case color, balance has toned brown. Buttstock and forearm retain about half their orig finish with some finish added for preservation. Buttstock with small gaps behind locks and behind tang. Checkering lightly thinned. Bores are fair with scattered pitting. Mechanics are functional. 52318-1 JSL (3,000-5,000)