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Little Big Horn video on a relic Colt revolver

2K views 7 replies 7 participants last post by  azshot 
#1 ·
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLwhVePvFeM
Interesting post one what you shouldn't do with an antique find, lots of different comments most bad some reasonable. The revolver in question sold for $33000. What would the forum members have done if they were the finder of such a relic? Use the file and acid or other methods that was suggested. Well worth a look at, on an early historic Colt revolver.
 
#2 ·
For a better response, I would post this in the Single Action Army section, especially because this is SAA No 7047.

I viewed this entire video and it made me cringe! Perhaps this is acceptable in the museum and historical preservation world, but I would think that is unlikely. If I owned this revolver, I would have been satisfied knowing the cylinder is 7047 and it very well could be that this is revolver 7047. This being for two reasons: the rust obscures the frame numbers and, also, given that only the last 4 digits of the serial number are on the cylinder, it could be No 17047, 37047, etc. If the barrel contains an italic barrel address, than it can only be 7047 or 17047. I would be content with 50/50 odds. (Of course, if not an italic barrel address, then it would be 37047 or above--no Cavalry or Artillery revolvers are in the 20,000 range, so 27047 would not be possible.)

Perhaps this is an acceptable forensic archaeology technique. Does anyone know the stance of such institutions as the Smithsonian. The British Museum, the Victoria & Albert, etc?

Anyone want to take a stab at value?
 
#4 · (Edited)
This video is shown every few months on the forum. No, destructive testing is almost never used in archaeology or museums for arms. There are slower ways to stabilize rust and even reverse some of it (electrolysis) that are sometimes used. See the Hunley submarine project, for example. Or any archaeology dig of historic items. The hacks go at rust with grinders, sandpaper, and slap coats of black paint on relics. Museums and professionals don't.

Jamestown iron preservation https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=JR2GilP7N74
 
#5 ·
This has indeed come up multiple times not just here but in other forums, too.

So the world lost a few grams of historic rust flakes. Lots of hand-wringing by self-proclaimed experts, but the reality is that the guy wasn't a professional, and none of the folks he consulted seems to have felt an urge to advise him to very slowly set the gun down and only let a certified archaeologist touch it from then on.

He had a rusty old partial relic and confirming the frame serial the way he did put him $33,000 ahead of any armchair critic.
 

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#7 ·
I cringed at first when I started watching the video but he seemed to know what he was doing and achieved the desired results. If he hadn't done it, there would always be a question if it was really a LBH gun. The serial on the cylinder would not be enough for me either. $33,000.00 for a relic is pretty strong.
 
#8 · (Edited)
We don't know who or why someone paid $33K for a relic, but we've all seen strange prices paid for things, fake boxes notwithstanding. As always, "making a ton of money" justifies many of the wrong actions in this world.

Just because he made a stellar sale, doesn't mean the armchair supporters know anything about conservation.
 
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