FINE INDIAN WARS COLT CAVALRY SINGLE ACTION ARMY REVOLVER.

FINE INDIAN WARS COLT CAVALRY SINGLE ACTION ARMY REVOLVER. SN 55639. Cal. 45 Colt. Blue & color case hardened with 7-1/2″ bbl, full front sight and Ainsworth era block letter address that has two lines under the “O” in “CO”. Left side of frame has 3-line patent dates and a small “U.S.” Ejector rod housing is 2nd type with bull’s eye ejector rod head. Grip frame is mounted with a 1-pc walnut grip that has the last four digits of SN in back strap channel. Left side of grip has a crisp “DAL” (Lt. David A. Lyle) inspector cartouche under the date “1880” and a crisp “DFC” (David F. Clark) sub-inspector cartouche on the right side. “DFC” initials are found on bottom of bbl, bottom of frame, cyl and bottom right edge of grip. Serial number was observed in usual places on frame, trigger guard & butt strap with last four digits of SN on bottom of bbl, under ejector rod housing and on cylinder. Base pin is orig with dimpled ends and hammer has a concave nose firing pin indicating that it was replaced probably after 1905 when the concave firing pin became standard. Prior to that date the firing pins had a straight tapered cone nose. The ejector rod spring is copper colored whereas it should be brass colored, which also indicates a later date replacement. This revolver falls within the 4th or 5th Contract of 1880 which combined total about 3,000 Cavalry Single Actions. There are records of this group having been issued to a variety of units including those on the frontier engaged in Indian fighting as well as several militia units. It is unclear to which unit this revolver may have been assigned but regardless it is still one of the finest Indian Wars period single actions to be found. Accompanied by a Colt factory letter identifying this revolver, as found, with shipment date April 21, 1880 at the Colt plant to the U.S. Government Inspector in a 150-gun shipment. Also accompanied by a 2-page letter from noted Colt authority, historian & author, John Kopec, wherein he verifies some of the above information. This revolver is also somewhat a rarity in that it is escaped the recall of 1893 wherein thousands of Colt Cavalry Single Actions were returned to the arsenal and to Colt where their bbls were reduced to 5-1/2″ and they were completely refinished and today are usually found with mixed numbers. The fact that it did survive in orig configuration is testament to the probability that it was assigned to a high ranking officer who rarely ever carried it, if at all, or it may have been assigned to a militia unit where it was never used. CONDITION: Extremely fine plus, all matching including cyl & grip. Bbl retains about 98% strong orig factory blue with only faint muzzle edge wear and a few very small scratches on left side. There are full, orig “feathers” on each side of the front sight and ejector housing stud. Ejector rod housing retains about 92-93% strong orig blue with wear only at the front end and a few scratches on the outer radius. Frame retains all of its orig case colors, bright & strong except on the recoil shield and loading gate which are moderately faded. Hammer retains virtually all of its orig case colors. Cylinder retains about 95% glossy orig blue with only sharp edge wear and a cyl indexing line. All chambers of cyl & bore retain virtually all of their orig factory blue indicating that this revolver is probably unfired. Trigger guard & back strap retain about all of their orig factory blue with some fine candy-striping on front strap, a little heavier on back strap with light wear at the heel. Grip is sound with a few very minor light bruises and retains virtually all of its orig factory oil finish with crisp cartouches & date. Mechanics are crisp, brilliant shiny bore. A truly fine example suitable for the most advanced collector or museum collection. 4-44108 JR130 (75,000-125,000)

Auction: Firearms - Fall 2011

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
	2064	$86,250.00	FINE INDIAN WARS COLT CAVALRY SINGLE ACTION ARMY REVOLVER. SN 55639. Cal. 45 Colt. Blue & color case hardened with 7-1/2″ bbl, full front sight and Ainsworth era block letter address that has two lines under the “O” in “CO”. Left side of frame has 3-line patent dates and a small “U.S.” Ejector rod housing is 2nd type with bull’s eye ejector rod head. Grip frame is mounted with a 1-pc walnut grip that has the last four digits of SN in back strap channel. Left side of grip has a crisp “DAL” (Lt. David A. Lyle) inspector cartouche under the date “1880” and a crisp “DFC” (David F. Clark) sub-inspector cartouche on the right side. “DFC” initials are found on bottom of bbl, bottom of frame, cyl and bottom right edge of grip. Serial number was observed in usual places on frame, trigger guard & butt strap with last four digits of SN on bottom of bbl, under ejector rod housing and on cylinder. Base pin is orig with dimpled ends and hammer has a concave nose firing pin indicating that it was replaced probably after 1905 when the concave firing pin became standard. Prior to that date the firing pins had a straight tapered cone nose. The ejector rod spring is copper colored whereas it should be brass colored, which also indicates a later date replacement. This revolver falls within the 4th or 5th Contract of 1880 which combined total about 3,000 Cavalry Single Actions. There are records of this group having been issued to a variety of units including those on the frontier engaged in Indian fighting as well as several militia units. It is unclear to which unit this revolver may have been assigned but regardless it is still one of the finest Indian Wars period single actions to be found. Accompanied by a Colt factory letter identifying this revolver, as found, with shipment date April 21, 1880 at the Colt plant to the U.S. Government Inspector in a 150-gun shipment. Also accompanied by a 2-page letter from noted Colt authority, historian & author, John Kopec, wherein he verifies some of the above information. This revolver is also somewhat a rarity in that it is escaped the recall of 1893 wherein thousands of Colt Cavalry Single Actions were returned to the arsenal and to Colt where their bbls were reduced to 5-1/2″ and they were completely refinished and today are usually found with mixed numbers. The fact that it did survive in orig configuration is testament to the probability that it was assigned to a high ranking officer who rarely ever carried it, if at all, or it may have been assigned to a militia unit where it was never used. CONDITION: Extremely fine plus, all matching including cyl & grip. Bbl retains about 98% strong orig factory blue with only faint muzzle edge wear and a few very small scratches on left side. There are full, orig “feathers” on each side of the front sight and ejector housing stud. Ejector rod housing retains about 92-93% strong orig blue with wear only at the front end and a few scratches on the outer radius. Frame retains all of its orig case colors, bright & strong except on the recoil shield and loading gate which are moderately faded. Hammer retains virtually all of its orig case colors. Cylinder retains about 95% glossy orig blue with only sharp edge wear and a cyl indexing line. All chambers of cyl & bore retain virtually all of their orig factory blue indicating that this revolver is probably unfired. Trigger guard & back strap retain about all of their orig factory blue with some fine candy-striping on front strap, a little heavier on back strap with light wear at the heel. Grip is sound with a few very minor light bruises and retains virtually all of its orig factory oil finish with crisp cartouches & date. Mechanics are crisp, brilliant shiny bore. A truly fine example suitable for the most advanced collector or museum collection. 4-44108 JR130 (75,000-125,000) Auction: Firearms - Fall 2011 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.

.red{fill:#B50938;} .white{fill:#FFFFFF;} .blue{fill:#005596;}