Page 150 - 4096-BOOK2

148
LOT 1157
Rare and Highly Desirable, Historic Spanish-
American War Era U.S. Colt Model 1897 Gatling
Gun with Watervliet Arsenal Marked Carriage
- Serial no. 1065, 30 Army (30-40 Krag) cal., 31 3/4
inch part round bbl., brass/bright finish. Rock Island
Auction Company is honored to be able to offer
this very desirable U.S. Colt Model 1897 Gatling
gun mounted on a genuine Watervliet Arsenal
carriage. Although marked as a Model 1897, this
Gatling gun is identical to the Model 1895 Gatling
guns, falls in the same continuous serial number
range, and utilizes the Bruce feed magazine
system. This is one of 31 Gatling guns, serial
numbers 1050-1080, that were delivered to the
U.S. Army on August 29, 1898, per information on
page 139 of “The Gatling Gun” by Wahl and Toppel.
A forerunner to the modern machine gun, the
Gatling gun is an iconic legend that is instantly
recognized worldwide. From the plains of the west
to across the sea, Gatling guns saw use in numerous
conflicts throughout the latter half of the 19th
century and into the turn of the 20th century, and made
appearances in plenty of popular western pop culture films.
The Gatling Gun revolutionized warfare, and changed the way
wars were fought forever. The earliest form of inventor Richard
Gatling’s gun was first used in combat in the American Civil War, but
would not be officially adopted by the U.S. Army until 1866. The use of the
Gatling gun in warfare was most successful for armies of expanding European colonial empires who used the rapid firing gun against native warriors mounting massed
attacks. The Gatling gun would go through a number of model changes throughout the course of its use in military service, with this .30 caliber U.S. Model 1897 Gatling gun
made during the smokeless powder era. Four ten-barrel Colt Model 1895 Gatling guns were issued under Lt. John H. Parker’s Gatling Gun Detachment of the 5th Army Corps
and saw extensive combat, playing a significant role in supporting the advance at the Battle of San Juan Hill.
It features a ten-barrel cluster, and is still chambered in its original rimmed .30 Army (.30-40 Krag) caliber, with the majority of these rechambered for use with the later rimless .30-
06 and remarked as such. The top of the brass breech cover is hand engraved “GATLING GUN PATENTED/Manufactured by/Colt’s Pt. F.A. Mfg. Co./HARTFORD, CONN. U.S.A.” and “No
1065/Cal. 30/T.C.D.” with “MODEL/1897” on the top right side. Blade front sight mounted on the right ahead of an adjustable V-notch rear sight. The right side of the cartridge hopper
is engraved with an arrow pointing forward and stamped “PATENTED FEB. 11. 1890”, with small “K.S.M.” (Kelly S. Morse) inspector initials on top. The barrels are marked at the breech
with numbers 1 through 10 (besides the unmarked ninth barrel), along with “R.A.C.” (Rinaldo A. Carr) inspector initials and “V/P/(eagle head)” proofs. The bolts are also numbered 1
through 10 on the top front (besides the unmarked fourth bolt assembly). The rear breech housing plate is marked with small “R.A.C.” inspector initials. Small “D.F.C” (David F. Clark)
inspector initials on the left yoke latch piece.