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LOT 177
Magnificent, Finest Known, Immensely Desirable Ainsworth Inspected U.S.
Colt Cavalry Model Single Action Army Revolver - Serial no. 12815, 45 Long Colt
cal., 7 1/2 inch round bbl., blue/casehardened finish, walnut grips. Rock Island Auction
Company is honored to be able to offer this immensely historic revolver: the finest
known surviving example of an iconic Ainsworth inspected U.S. Cavalry Colt Single
Action Army revolver. For a Colt collector, this is a crown jewel. Orville W. Ainsworth
was the principal sub-inspector of the War Department, Ordnance Office, in October
1873 through November 7, 1874, and performed the sub-inspection of every one of
approximately the first approximately 12,500 U.S. contract Colt Single Action Army
revolvers in the recorded serial range between 200 through 14343, per information
on page 201 of “A Study of the Colt Single Action Army Revolver” (1978 printing) by
Graham, Kopec, and Moore. The Colt Single Action Army is so timeless that it can be
at times difficult to remember that in 1873 and 1874, the Colt Single Action Army was
a brand new design, the latest and greatest in American firearms. It was just what
the cavalry needed: a tough and dependable revolver that could handle the harsh
conditions of the American West. Ainsworth was tasked with making sure these new
revolvers were made to a high standard before they were issued to U.S. troopers
stationed at various forts scattered throughout the American West to protect settlers
and attempt to establish order on the frontier. With multiple Native American nations
resisting encroachment on their territory and raiding one another, conflict was near
constant, and these early Colts saw extensive use in the Indian Wars. It was Ainsworth
inspected Colts that were issued to Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer’s 7th U.S.
Cavalry on the Northern Plains during Great Sioux War and fired in the famous last
stand at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. These early Cavalry Models also shipped out
to multiple regiments in the Southwest fighting in the Apache Wars, and they were
carried by men stationed throughout the vast western frontier at various outposts. As
such, it was these Ainsworth inspected Colts that made the Colt Single Action Army a
household name, demonstrated its lethality and reliability in battle, and established
its legacy as the most popular sidearm of the American West.
Since the Ainsworth Colts were rushed into the hands of the U.S. Cavalry on the
frontier and typically saw many years of hard use in the Indian Wars, relatively few
remain in high condition. Many of those that survived the rigors of frontier warfare
were also later refurbished and remained in military service into the early 20th
century and further diminished the potential number of original Ainsworth Cavalry
Models. With all of this in mind, the fact that this revolver remains in this high level
of condition is nothing short of a miracle. Where this revolver went and what it saw
after leaving Colt in 1874 remains uncertain, but it clearly was well-cared for given
its condition. With its original high polish blue finish and vibrant case colors, you can
still hold it in your hands and imagine a cavalryman on some lonely post admiring
the craftsmanship and beauty of his newly issued six-shooter for the first time over a
century and half ago. 185