Page 80 - 4091-BOOK1

78
LOT 70
Immensely Historic, Well Documented and FRESH Ainsworth Inspected Prime 7th Cavalry Range “Lot Six” U.S. Colt Cavalry Model Single Action Army Revolver Accompanied by Kopec Letters Identifying the Revolver to Captain Myles Moylan, Commander
of Company A of the 7th Cavalry, Medal of Honor Recipient, and Veteran of Numerous Significant Battles, Including Gettysburg, Little Bighorn, and Wounded Knee - Serial no. 6055, 45 Long Colt
cal., 7 1/2 inch round bbl., blue/casehardened finish, walnut grips. This historic revolver is a rare Lot Six Colt Single Action Army in Cavalry Model configuration identified in the included documentation as used by
Captain Myles Moylan, commander of Company A of the 7th Cavalry at the Battle of Little Bighorn. It was manufactured under contract with the U.S. Ordnance Department in 1874 and sub-inspected by Orville W. Ainsworth. It is from one of the prime lots issued to the famous 7th Cavalry led by Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer at the Battle of Little Bighorn on June 25, 1876. A total of 921 Colts were shipped to the 7th Cavalry from the Rock Island Arsenal in 1874. Of those, approximately 300 were from Lot Six. The table on page 252 of “Colt Cavalry and Artillery Revolvers. . .a
Continuing Study” by Kopec and Fenn indicates the “Prime Serial Number Range” of 5505-6516 for the revolvers issued to Companies D and I. These companies received eighty-three revolvers each later than the rest of the 7th Cavalry as they were on detached service at Fort Totten under Major Reno’s command with the Northern Boundary Survey. Serial numbers 5505, 5637, 5740, 5743, 6048, 6067, and 6269 from Lot Six all have documented or attributed 7th Cavalry history per Kopec and Fenn.
The revolver features a blade front sight, the one-line barrel address with die breaks in the “o” in “Co.” and the “A” in “HARTFORD,”“P” and “A” on the bottom of the barrel and side of the cylinder, “A” on the trigger guard and top of the back strap, the two-line patent marking followed by “U.S.” on the left side of the frame, “C” in the hammer well between the notch rear sight and firing pin hole, assembly number “202” on the loading gate, and the matching serial number “6055” on the barrel, cylinder, frame, trigger guard, and back strap. The grip has an outline of a cartouche on the left and faint markings on the right.
The revolver is accompanied by letters from noted Colt Single Action Army historian and author John A. Kopec, including a letter from 2023 in which he indicates that he believes this revolver was Captain Moylan’s of the 7th Cavalry and notes documentation attributing serial number 6055 to Captain Moylan and as part of Captain Benteen’s collection. Kopec indicates that he had previously examined this revolver (1970s letters from Kopec and Moore to Dr. William Leo included) but that during his recent examination he found that the grips have “A pair of crossed sabers, with
a partial initial ‘M’ at either side of these crossed sabers. The first letter ‘M’ is only represented to be the obscure upper portion, while the second initial ‘M’ is missing its entire right area. It is our belief, that these are truly the initials of Capt. Myles Moylan. The grip marking should however be forensically examined to verify and confirm Kopec’s findings.” He had missed this marking before but found them under additional illumination and careful study during his recent examination. In additional analysis, he notes that the revolver’s serial number markings are legitimate and that the serial number remaining partially exposed at the edge of the ejector housing is a characteristic found on some other revolvers in this range and that “the grip shows the ‘pointed grip-spacer.’