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we have encountered in our records. The ejector tube was also beveled at its leading edge.”“The ejector spring was noted to be a steel color rather than the usually encountered brass color.” Additional interesting features include the front sight being 1.3 mm farther back and the strong “feathering” by the sight and ejector stud. The muzzle was more rounded than a usual military contract revolver muzzle. The die breaks in the “o” in “Co.” and “A” in “HARTFORD” on the barrel are noted as consistent with revolver over serial number 10,000. Kopec notes that the grips are Colt “Spare-Parts” grips with an oiled finish and no military markings. The cylinder does not have the “P” proof indicating it was not proof-fired before being selected for this revolver.
LOT 3160
Extremely Rare, Documented, and Historic Colt Factory and U.S.
Government Penetration and Accuracy Test 5 1/2 Inch Barrel U.S. Colt Single
Action Army Revolver Featured in “Colt Cavalry and Artillery Revolver...A
Continuing Study” with a Kopec “Gold Seal” Authentication Letter and Copy of a Factory Letter - Serial no. 11916, 45 Long Colt cal., 5 1/2 inch
round bbl., blue/casehardened finish, walnut grips. As outlined in the included copy of a factory
letter, this revolver was in .45 Colt with a 5 1/2 inch barrel, blue and casehardened finish, and walnut grip
when shipped to Lt. Col. J.G. Benton at Springfield Armory on August 14, 1874, in a shipment of one revolver
in this configuration. The remarks state that this revolver was used by both Colt and the Ordnance Department to test and compare the penetration and accuracy potential of 5 1/2 inch, 6 1/2 inch, and 7 1/2 inch barreled Single Action Army revolvers. After the tests, this revolver and the 6 1/2 inch barreled revolver were returned to
Colt. This revolver became a museum display piece. When the collection was turned over to the state in 1957, this revolver was kept in Colt’s Engineering Vault and remained there until it was sold by the company in 1978 at
auction at the 1978 Las Vegas Antique Show and sold to noted firearms collector Mel Guy. The revolver and letter are discussed and pictured on pages 149-152 of “Colt Cavalry and Artillery Revolvers...a Continuing Study” by Kopec and Fenn where the revolver is identified as the 5 1/2 inch “Test Revolver” and from Guy’s collection. In the captions it is noted as having “One of the earliest implementations
of the second-model ejector tube..” and it and the 6 1/2 inch test revolver #11846 also discussed in that section represent “Colt’s earliest attempt to implement this improved ejector attachment.” The authors note that it “displays some additional interesting characteristics” such as the Ainsworth inspected cylinder not having the “P” proofmark and the military production barrel not having Ainsworth’s “A” mark or a “P” proof.
The revolver is also discussed in the included “Gold Seal” authentication letter from John A. Kopec. He notes that the revolver was “especially assembled during 1874 for a combined Colt and Ordnance Department ‘Barrel-Shortening Test.’ We believe that this revolver was actually ‘pulled-out’ of U.S. production especially for this project” and notes the frame has the “U.S.” stamp that was applied at the factory before the frame was casehardened and has “A” on the cylinder. “None of the other components fitted to this revolver display the initial of this sub-inspector, indicating that this revolver had been especially assembled as a ‘test’ revolver.” He notes the 5 1/2 inch barrel length was indicated on February 20, 1874, based on a request from von Oppen at Colt’s London Agency, and 30 revolvers were shipped on March 28, 1874, in .45 Boxer. This revolver was “shipped” on August 14, 1874. Kopec goes on to not that a “specially adopted barrel was manufactured for this revolver. The barrel has no aperture for accepting an ejector dowel. This barrel was milled for the acceptance of a primitive especially-manufactured barrel stud,” and a “special ejector tube was manufactured to accommodated the unique barrel stud. This ejector tube also contains no provision for a barrel boss. This is the earliest example of a ‘Second-Style’ ejector tube that