RARE CUSTER BATTLE COLT SINGLE ACTION ARMY REVOLVER IDENTIFIED TO SCOUT ISAIAH DORMAN & SIOUX CHIEF RUNS-THE-ENEMY.

SN 16336. Cal. 45 Colt. Nickel finish with 7-1/2″ bbl, reduced front sight and 1-line script letter address. Left side of frame has 2-line patent dates and “U.S”. Mounted with 1-pc walnut grip that has four digits of a SN “1932” in the backstrap channel. Right side of grip has a 1/2″ diameter round brass plate with the number “79”. Muzzle has been filed flat and shows heavy cyl wear. Trigger guard, cyl and backstrap have small “L” (Samuel B. Lewis) sub-inspector initials. Bottom of the bbl is so worn and severely cleaned that the inspector initial there is obliterated. Ejector housing is first type with a modern replacement ejector rod head and the ejector tube is probably a more recent replacement. The base pin screw is a replacement and too small for the original threads. The hammer spring is a modern replacement. SN on the cyl is almost completely obliterated with only a partial “6” visible which would be the first number in the last four digits of the SN as would have been stamped on the cylinder. Muzzle has been filed flat. Accompanied by a 2-page letter from renowned author, historian & collector, John Kopec, wherein he reports most of the above information. Also accompanied by a narrative of Runs-the-Enemy, a Two-Kettle Sioux Indian who participated in the Battle of the Little Big Horn. This narrative was included in a book by Dr. Joseph K. Dixon, The Vanishing Race, which Dr. Dixon had published in 1913. The accompanying narrative also includes an interview of Runs-the-Enemy by Ivan Starr, which he initially wrote in the Lakota language and translated into English. Both interviews are basically identical with the Star interview including the following: “Horse soldier all galloped toward river. Much smoke and dust. We see horse soldier gallop for river. We soon catch them. I pass black man in a horse soldier blue coat. He turn upon horse and shoot Sioux warrior with shine six-shooter through heart. Then many Sioux shoot, many hit black man and his horse many time. Horse go down and roll over. Black man no get up. Last I see as I gallop near, he dead. I grab black man six-shooter pistol —-.” It is well known that Isaiah Dorman, a black man, who had lived among the tribes was employed by Custer as a scout and translator and was killed at the Battle of the Little Big Horn. Runs-the-Enemy survived the battle until at least 1910. His narrative as told to Dr. Dixon and Ivan Starr is probably one of the more accurate of the rendition of the Battle of the Little Big Horn in 1876. It has also been reliably reported that Custer had his scout’s sidearms nickel plated in an attempt to prevent theft by other units. Just as he mounted his various companies on horses of the same color but different from each other. PROVENANCE: Wendell Grangaard Collection. CONDITION: Fair to good. Traces of orig nickel remain in sheltered areas being mostly a severely cleaned gray metal patina with light pitting and what appears to be wire marks on the bbl that have been dressed out; cyl is very worn with the mostly obliterated SN. Backstrap retains strong nickel at the top and on the buttstrap. Grip is severely worn with battered bottom edges with nicks & dings and retains a dark hand worn patina. Hammer is not solid in safety or half cock notches, otherwise mechanics are fine; strong dark bore with fine pitting. 4-49319 JR432 (30,000-50,000) – Lot 2242

Auction: Firearms - Spring 2014

Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

Image	Lot	Price	Description
	2242	$28,750.00	RARE CUSTER BATTLE COLT SINGLE ACTION ARMY REVOLVER IDENTIFIED TO SCOUT ISAIAH DORMAN & SIOUX CHIEF RUNS-THE-ENEMY. SN 16336. Cal. 45 Colt. Nickel finish with 7-1/2″ bbl, reduced front sight and 1-line script letter address. Left side of frame has 2-line patent dates and “U.S”. Mounted with 1-pc walnut grip that has four digits of a SN “1932” in the backstrap channel. Right side of grip has a 1/2″ diameter round brass plate with the number “79”. Muzzle has been filed flat and shows heavy cyl wear. Trigger guard, cyl and backstrap have small “L” (Samuel B. Lewis) sub-inspector initials. Bottom of the bbl is so worn and severely cleaned that the inspector initial there is obliterated. Ejector housing is first type with a modern replacement ejector rod head and the ejector tube is probably a more recent replacement. The base pin screw is a replacement and too small for the original threads. The hammer spring is a modern replacement. SN on the cyl is almost completely obliterated with only a partial “6” visible which would be the first number in the last four digits of the SN as would have been stamped on the cylinder. Muzzle has been filed flat. Accompanied by a 2-page letter from renowned author, historian & collector, John Kopec, wherein he reports most of the above information. Also accompanied by a narrative of Runs-the-Enemy, a Two-Kettle Sioux Indian who participated in the Battle of the Little Big Horn. This narrative was included in a book by Dr. Joseph K. Dixon, The Vanishing Race, which Dr. Dixon had published in 1913. The accompanying narrative also includes an interview of Runs-the-Enemy by Ivan Starr, which he initially wrote in the Lakota language and translated into English. Both interviews are basically identical with the Star interview including the following: “Horse soldier all galloped toward river. Much smoke and dust. We see horse soldier gallop for river. We soon catch them. I pass black man in a horse soldier blue coat. He turn upon horse and shoot Sioux warrior with shine six-shooter through heart. Then many Sioux shoot, many hit black man and his horse many time. Horse go down and roll over. Black man no get up. Last I see as I gallop near, he dead. I grab black man six-shooter pistol —-.” It is well known that Isaiah Dorman, a black man, who had lived among the tribes was employed by Custer as a scout and translator and was killed at the Battle of the Little Big Horn. Runs-the-Enemy survived the battle until at least 1910. His narrative as told to Dr. Dixon and Ivan Starr is probably one of the more accurate of the rendition of the Battle of the Little Big Horn in 1876. It has also been reliably reported that Custer had his scout’s sidearms nickel plated in an attempt to prevent theft by other units. Just as he mounted his various companies on horses of the same color but different from each other. PROVENANCE: Wendell Grangaard Collection. CONDITION: Fair to good. Traces of orig nickel remain in sheltered areas being mostly a severely cleaned gray metal patina with light pitting and what appears to be wire marks on the bbl that have been dressed out; cyl is very worn with the mostly obliterated SN. Backstrap retains strong nickel at the top and on the buttstrap. Grip is severely worn with battered bottom edges with nicks & dings and retains a dark hand worn patina. Hammer is not solid in safety or half cock notches, otherwise mechanics are fine; strong dark bore with fine pitting. 4-49319 JR432 (30,000-50,000) – Lot 2242 Auction: Firearms - Spring 2014 Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

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RARE CUSTER BATTLE COLT SINGLE ACTION ARMY REVOLVER IDENTIFIED TO SCOUT ISAIAH DORMAN & SIOUX CHIEF RUNS-THE-ENEMY.