![]() ![]() Just last month, several pieces of a Colt revolver that was excavated in the 1990's in Major Reno's Line (which lies adjacent to the Custer battlefield) was sold by the James D. Kopec's letter lists several SAA's with 7th Cavalry associations very close to our 5,264. However, given its serial number, the other known surviving Colts above and below this number, its rough condition, that it came from Canada, and the story about it originating more specifically from western Canada, it cannot be excluded as a possible Custer Colt either! Could this be one of the Colts that was taken from the 7th Cavalry and went to Canada with the Sioux? Without more concrete evidence, that would be difficult to state as a categorical truth. There, the Sioux lived in relative peace for four years before returning to the United States. What makes this story so intriguing is that in the year following the defeat of Custer's 7th Cavalry at the Battle of Little Bighorn in Montana on June 25, 1876, Sitting Bull led his band of Sioux into Canada in order to escape the relentless pursuit of the US Army. The auction house stated that this Colt was found along the Manitoba-Saskatchewan border many years ago and was owned by a man who worked for the Canadian Correctional Services. The story that came with this revolver was told to a previous owner when he acquired it at an auction which held in Ontario, Canada several years ago. This issue was made on Jwhile the Seventh Cavalry was preparing to depart on its Black Hills Expedition." Lot Five was one of the "prime" lots from which those revolvers which had been issued to the Seventh Cavalry were drawn. In it Kopec states, "This revolver originated from Lot Five. ![]() It has been inspected by Colt historian John Kopec and comes with a letter of authentication. This one is number 5,264 which is right in the middle of the Single Action Revolvers issued to the 7th Cavalry. In spite of its rough condition, the "US" on the side of the frame, the slanted barrel address, and most importantly, the serial numbers are clearly legible. It appears to have been found in semi-relic condition and was heavily cleaned many years ago. This is an early "U.S." Marked Colt Single Action Army Revolver that is Ainsworth-inspected and was part of Lot Number Five that shipped to the United States government in 1874. ![]() Colt SAA "U.S." Ainsworth Inspected in "Prime Custer SN# Range" w/ Kopec LetterĬolt SAA "U.S." Ainsworth Inspected in "Prime Custer SN# Range" w/ Kopec Letter ![]()
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