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44
LOT 3064
Nickel Plated Henry Nettleton Sub-
Inspected U.S. Colt Cavalry Model Single
Action Revolver with John Kopec Letter - Serial
no. 49391, 45 Long Colt cal., 7 1/2 inch round bbl.,
nickel finish, walnut grips. Manufactured in 1878, this
revolver was sub-inspected by Henry Nettleton and the
butt is stamped “U.S.I.D.” (purportedly for the United States
Interior Department), and has a period nickel finish. Nettleton inspected a
number of these nickeled models starting at serial number 47,000 to about
50,400 with the largest concentration coming in the 49,000 to 50,400 range.
Nickel plated Cavalry Models have taken center stage to a grand debate among
Colt and U.S. military firearms collectors that continues on to today. Four basic
theories for the existence of highly controversial nickel plated U.S. Cavalry Model
Revolvers have developed over the decades and are the following: 1) issued to
Indian Scouts and Police; 2) special order “officers” revolvers; 3) surplus State of
Virginia Militia revolvers sold to and nickel plated by Colt or commercial retailers;
and 4) U.S. Navy revolvers. For the history related to this ongoing debate see “A
Study of Colt Single Action Army Revolver” pages 249-258.
The revolver was examined by noted Colt historian and author John Kopec
who recorded his observations in the accompanying bronze seal letter of
authentication. Kopec states the revolver was previously listed in his survey and
was originally viewed at the 1973 Las Vegas Show. The revolver was shipped
to the U.S. government on August 12, 1878 (copy of factory letter included).
The revolver was not located in the records kept at the National Archives, but
these records show that entries from nos. 49013-50112 are listed in Artillery
Model configuration, indicating that this grouping was issued to Cavalry units
prior to being recalled. Kopec concluded, “Because our subject revolver remains
today in its basic Cavalry configuration it is also a good indication that it had
been issued to a state militia.” He noted that in August 1878 240 revolvers were
issued to the District of Columbia and in 1879 an additional 245 revolvers were
shipped to Michigan. “The chances are therefore very good
that our subject revolver had been issued to one of these
entities,” wrote Kopec. He continued, “After being released as
surplus its new owner sent this revolver back to Colt’s to be
nickel plated. During this process it was stamped ’45 CAL’ on
the left trigger guard bow. We assume that the plating was
accomplished at Colt’s because they frequently did not plate
the hammers, trigger, base-pins or screws because of tolerance
issues. We have noted that the trigger fitted to this revolver
is a later replacement. During the plating process the letters
stamped ‘U.S.’ were partially filled with nickel, so one of its
subsequent owners (pre-1973) had these letter re-stamped
showing a ‘ghost’ of the original stamping. We also believe that
the letters ‘U.S.I.D.” had been stamped on the butt-strap at the
juncture…No other revolvers that we have encountered had
been stamped with these letters.” This revolver is mentioned
on page 250 in “A Story Of The Colt Single Action Army
Revolver”: “In our studies over the past several years have
consisted of a thorough survey of over twelve hundred
U.S. Colt Single Action Revolvers, existing today in
collections throughout the world. Only one revolver
surveyed is stamped “U.S.I.D.” on the butt strap.”