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LOT 3111
Historic Documented Ainsworth Inspected Custer Battle Era Lot 5 U.S. Colt Cavalry
Model Single Action Army Revolver with John Kopec Authentication Letter - Serial
no. 4936, 45 Long Colt cal., 7 1/2 inch round bbl., blue/casehardened finish, walnut grips. As
discussed in the included letter from noted Colt Single Action Army authority John A. Kopec,
this early U.S. contract Colt Single Action Army revolver was manufactured in 1874 and falls
within the “Lot Five” serial number range of 4500-5505 and was sub-inspected by Orville W.
Ainsworth (1814-1875). As Kopec notes, “Many of the revolvers from within Lot Five were
those that had been issued to the Seventh Cavalry. These issues were made on July 2nd 1874,
just before their departure into the Black Hills. Our subject example’s serial number falls well
within this group. Although records of these revolvers are very scarce, we have recorded two
presumptive Custer associated revolvers within our book ‘Colt Cavalry & Artillery Revolvers’
(Kopec & Fenn). These examples are #4949, ‘Recovered in Canada’, Indian Use, and #4955,
‘North Dakota, Alleged Cavalry history’. National Archive records cite revolver #4878 as being
‘Turned-in’ by the Indian ‘Fool-Bear’ on September 5, 1876, just some three months after the
famous Custer Battle. We feel very confident that our subject revolver #4936 may have also
participated in this battle, but has survived to this day because of having been issued to
either the Reno or Benteen troops which had a greater survival route.” The book “Colt Cavalry
& Artillery Revolvers. . .a Continuing Study” states: “Other Colt Army revolvers from Lot Five
with strong, but less positive Seventh Cavalry association, are serial numbers 4729, 4949,
4955, 5133, 5180, and 5416.”
At the Battle of the Little Bighorn on June 25-26, 1876, where Custer’s Battalion was wiped
out by the warriors of the Lakota, Dakota, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho after his attack
on their village, Reno’s Battalion participated in the initial assault on the village before being
routed by the large number of counterattacking warriors. They then dug in on Reno’s Hill
where they were soon joined by Benteen’s Battalion which had been deployed on a scouting
mission. Their they fought off multiple attacks and advanced in Custer’s direction, but
then retreated back after facing renewed attacks as the warriors regrouped following their
annihilation of Custer and his men. Reno and Benteen’s united battalions fought a defensive
battle until nightfall. The following day, they remained under fire until the afternoon when
the warriors and villagers withdrew as General Terry’s column advanced. It was not until
Terry’s arrival on the 27th that the complete destruction of Custer’s Battalion was discovered,
and Reno’s men then buried the dead. Given that many of Custer’s men’s guns were captured
by the warriors or picked up from the battlefield by native women after the battle, few of their
revolvers are known, and those attributed to them are typically in rough condition. Although
many of the revolvers of Reno and Benteen’s men saw use in the battle, they mostly remained
in the hands of the cavalry and thus remain in better condition. This is why Kopec theorized
that this revolver was more likely carried by a member of Reno or Benteen’s battalions.
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