EXCEPTIONALLY RARE & HISTORIC RELIC COLT CAVALRY SINGLE ACTION ARMY REVOLVER FOUND NEAR THE CUSTER BATTLEFIELD.

EXCEPTIONALLY RARE & HISTORIC RELIC COLT CAVALRY SINGLE ACTION ARMY REVOLVER FOUND NEAR THE CUSTER BATTLEFIELD. SN 6298. Cal. 45. Usual configuration with 7-1/2″ bbl, full but rusted front sight and legible 1-line script address with serifs. Other markings are obliterated and the grip & hammer spring are missing. Hammer is in the full cocked position with all parts frozen in place. The ejector rod head is broken from the ejector rod leaving a very distinctive shape in the break. The screw heads are all completely intact with no evidence of ever having been removed. The SNs on frame & cyl are partially visible with the complete number visible on trigger guard. The buttstrap number is rusted away. Right rear side of cyl is covered with an area of melted copper. Consignor states that he purchased this revolver from his friend, Patrick Zimmer of Deadwood, SD, who had purchased it at a Cody, WY gun show from an Indian family. The Indians stated that this revolver had been found in a burned out wagon about 10 miles south of the Little Big Horn Battlefield on the Indian Reservation there. This would explain the melted copper on the cylinder. Accompanied by a undated, notarized 3-page letter from Patrick Zimmer verifying that in the summer of 2000 he was at the Cody, Wy Gun Show when “an old Indian woman and her grandson” approached him to see of anyone was interested in buying old guns. He said that he was interested and she said that she “had an old pistol out in the truck that her grandfather found on their ranch in Montana”. He went with her out to her truck and was able to buy this revolver. He pressed her for more information and she related that her family lives about 10 miles south of Little Big Horn Battlefield and that her grandfather had found the gun on their ranch in the 1890s or 1900 and that it had been hanging on a nail in the kitchen ever since. She declined to put anything in writing fearing that the revolver was still government property. Mr. Zimmer states that he later sold this revolver to the consignor. Additionally accompanied by a 2-page letter from noted Colt historian & author, John Kopec, wherein he states that “Our records show that the subject revolver #6298 was found by a rancher some 10-20 miles south of the Little Big Horn in the ruins of a burnt-out wagon on the Cheyenne reservation”. He states that this revolver was manufactured in 1874 as part of Lot 6 and is within the prime serial range of Custer-issued Colts. He states that revolver #6269 was excavated at the site of Sitting Bull’s camp in Saskatchewan, Canada, which is the nearest known Custer range gun. Mr. Zimmer, in his letter, states that he had remembered seeing an ejector head pictured in an archeology book about Little Big Horn artifacts and when comparing the photograph with the broken area of his gun’s ejector rod he states that it was “an exact match”. Apparently Mr. Zimmer never followed up on this information but when he sold the revolver to the consignor he took this revolver to the battlefield with the request to examine the broken bull’s eye ejector rod head against his revolver. He was permitted to do so and in all respects it appears to be an exact match. Consignor was allowed to photograph the broken ejector rod head, which photographs accompany this revolver. While it is not possible to make an absolute statement regarding the precise match between the broken ejector rod head in the Little Big Horn Battlefield Museum and this revolver, the conclusion one must reach is that the ejector rod head in the Custer Battlefield Museum was broken from this revolver. It is unfortunate that this revolver is so badly rusted that it cannot be tested. However, there is the possibility that cooperation with the Battlefield Museum could prove fruitful. CONDITION: Relic condition, heavily rusted & pitted with a very dark brown rust patina. 4-46158 JR190 (30,000-50,000)

Auction: Firearms - Fall 2012

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
	1376	$18,400.00	EXCEPTIONALLY RARE & HISTORIC RELIC COLT CAVALRY SINGLE ACTION ARMY REVOLVER FOUND NEAR THE CUSTER BATTLEFIELD. SN 6298. Cal. 45. Usual configuration with 7-1/2″ bbl, full but rusted front sight and legible 1-line script address with serifs. Other markings are obliterated and the grip & hammer spring are missing. Hammer is in the full cocked position with all parts frozen in place. The ejector rod head is broken from the ejector rod leaving a very distinctive shape in the break. The screw heads are all completely intact with no evidence of ever having been removed. The SNs on frame & cyl are partially visible with the complete number visible on trigger guard. The buttstrap number is rusted away. Right rear side of cyl is covered with an area of melted copper. Consignor states that he purchased this revolver from his friend, Patrick Zimmer of Deadwood, SD, who had purchased it at a Cody, WY gun show from an Indian family. The Indians stated that this revolver had been found in a burned out wagon about 10 miles south of the Little Big Horn Battlefield on the Indian Reservation there. This would explain the melted copper on the cylinder. Accompanied by a undated, notarized 3-page letter from Patrick Zimmer verifying that in the summer of 2000 he was at the Cody, Wy Gun Show when “an old Indian woman and her grandson” approached him to see of anyone was interested in buying old guns. He said that he was interested and she said that she “had an old pistol out in the truck that her grandfather found on their ranch in Montana”. He went with her out to her truck and was able to buy this revolver. He pressed her for more information and she related that her family lives about 10 miles south of Little Big Horn Battlefield and that her grandfather had found the gun on their ranch in the 1890s or 1900 and that it had been hanging on a nail in the kitchen ever since. She declined to put anything in writing fearing that the revolver was still government property. Mr. Zimmer states that he later sold this revolver to the consignor. Additionally accompanied by a 2-page letter from noted Colt historian & author, John Kopec, wherein he states that “Our records show that the subject revolver #6298 was found by a rancher some 10-20 miles south of the Little Big Horn in the ruins of a burnt-out wagon on the Cheyenne reservation”. He states that this revolver was manufactured in 1874 as part of Lot 6 and is within the prime serial range of Custer-issued Colts. He states that revolver #6269 was excavated at the site of Sitting Bull’s camp in Saskatchewan, Canada, which is the nearest known Custer range gun. Mr. Zimmer, in his letter, states that he had remembered seeing an ejector head pictured in an archeology book about Little Big Horn artifacts and when comparing the photograph with the broken area of his gun’s ejector rod he states that it was “an exact match”. Apparently Mr. Zimmer never followed up on this information but when he sold the revolver to the consignor he took this revolver to the battlefield with the request to examine the broken bull’s eye ejector rod head against his revolver. He was permitted to do so and in all respects it appears to be an exact match. Consignor was allowed to photograph the broken ejector rod head, which photographs accompany this revolver. While it is not possible to make an absolute statement regarding the precise match between the broken ejector rod head in the Little Big Horn Battlefield Museum and this revolver, the conclusion one must reach is that the ejector rod head in the Custer Battlefield Museum was broken from this revolver. It is unfortunate that this revolver is so badly rusted that it cannot be tested. However, there is the possibility that cooperation with the Battlefield Museum could prove fruitful. CONDITION: Relic condition, heavily rusted & pitted with a very dark brown rust patina. 4-46158 JR190 (30,000-50,000) Auction: Firearms - Fall 2012 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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