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LOT 1150
Historic Lot Six U.S. Colt Artillery Model Single Action Army Revolver in the 7th Cavalry Custer Serial Number Range with Kopec Authentication Letter - Serial no. 5848, 45 Long Colt cal., 5 1/2 inch round bbl., blue finish, walnut grips. This desirable U.S. Colt Single Action Army revolver was originally manufactured in 1874 as a Cavalry Model and subsequently refurbished as an Artillery Model. This revolver is accompanied by a Letter of Authentication from noted Colt expert, author and historian John A. Kopec who examined it, and indicates its serial number “5848” on the frame falls within the prime accepted serial number range of Single Action revolvers known to have been carried by Custer’s 7th Cavalry at the Battle of Little Bighorn. The Battle of the Little Bighorn occurred on June 25-26, 1876, during the Great Sioux War of 1876 (aka the Black Hills War). The “Battle of the Greasy Grass” as it was known to Native Americans, was one of the greatest battlefield victories in Native American history and one of the worst defeats in U.S. history, and also became famously referred to as “Custer’s Last Stand” in which Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer was killed along with every soldier of the five companies he led. Kopec states in his letter, “This revolver’s serial number also originated from within Lot Six. Lot Six was one of the ‘prime’ lots from which the revolvers which were issued to the Seventh Cavalry were drawn. Two examples listed in our records ie #5829 and #5833 from this lot were returned to Colt’s during 1895 to be refurbished for service in the Spanish American War. The noticeable absence of representative examples from within the 5800 serial number range, is in my opinion a strong indication that most of these revolvers had been lost or captured during the Custer Battle.”The letter notes that this revolver is fitted with a back strap and grip from a Colt Model 1860 Army revolver which have been modified to fit the frame and that the modification appears to have been made by the Ordnance Department. Kopec notes that he has encountered the grip modifications on several other Single Action revolvers but has not determined where the modification was performed.
The letter notes that the entire revolver has been professionally refinished and the barrel address buffed away, the hammer roller is missing, the left toe of the grip has been repaired, the firing pin and base pin are replacements, the ejector has been modified to accept a barrel stud and the barrel stud has been modified, the front sight has been reduced and the cylinder is an unserialized “RAC” inspected “spare parts” cylinder. The revolver has a high polish blue finish on all components except the casehardened hammer and niter blue frame screws. The walnut grip is oil finished and has no visible markings. The ejector rod has the late oval head. The early 1871/1872 two-line patent date markings and “U.S.” property stamp on the left of the frame have been partially removed by polishing during the arsenal refurbishment.
The inside of the loading gate is stamped with the assembly number “548”. The serial number “5848” is stamped on the bottom of the frame but no other complete serial numbers are visible on the revolver. A “P” proof mark is stamped on the underside of the barrel. The rear face of the cylinder is stamped with a crisp “RAC” sub-inspection mark.
CONDITION: Very good as arsenal reconfigured as an Artillery Model, retains 95% arsenal refurbished high polish blue finish with handling marks, light edge wear and minor pitting at the muzzle, and strong traces of muted case colors visible on the hammer. Grip is also very good with repaired reattached sections at the lower left front and upper right front. Mechanically fine. This is a historic example of a 7th Cavalry serial number range Lot Six Single Action Army revolver that may have been carried at the Battle of Little Bighorn and was subsequently modified to Artillery Model configuration for the Spanish-American War.
Estimate: 11,000 - 16,000
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