hmagg, thanks for your offer to authenticate my Artillery Colt. While your offer is appreciated, my intent was simply to share a photo of my new Colt and briefly describe some of the serial numbers and marks on the various components.
I'm going to send it to Mr. Kopec for his authentication. In the meantime, I've gone over this piece in detail using both of his fine reference books, as well as two of Cochran's books on the subject.
Rusty Edwards
The "U.S." marked black-powder frame has the serial number 140054. It is from a Cavalry revolver that left the factory in 1891. My research indicates this gun was likely owned by the NY Militia. The frame is stamped "RAC" above the serial number, which is the mark of Rinaldo A. Carr, a government inspector at the Colt factory from 1890 to 1903 and later. The hammer slot has the factory inspector marks "K" over "O". According to Cochran's "Colt Peacemaker Encyclopedia," this is correct for 1890.
The trigger guard bears the serial #: 3618. It was manufactured as a component of a Cavalry revolver made in 1874. The small letter "A" stamped below the number on this part is the mark of Orville W. Ainsworth, the principal U.S. Government sub-inspector at the Colt factory from 1873 to 1874. The nearest Cavalry revolver in my registry is Serial #: 3623. This gun belonged to Company K, 5th U.S. Cavalry in 1874.
The butt-strap bears the serial #: 6372 and was originally on a Cavalry revolver made in 1874. According to "Colt Cavalry & Artillery Revolvers, a Continuing Study" by Kopec and Fenn, the 7th US Cavalry drew approximately 300 Colt revolvers from Production Lot 6, which had guns in the 5505-6516 serial number range. While there is no evidence that this part is from a 7th US Cavalry revolver, we do know that guns on both side of this serial number, 6269 and 6450, have a documented 7th U.S. Cavalry history and/or battle association.
The barrel on this piece has serial #: 5576 and also bears the small letter "A" attributed to Orville W. Ainsworth, the principal U.S. Government sub-inspector at the Colt factory from 1873 to 1874. It also has the letter "P", which is the government proof mark. This barrel was originally 7 ½" long and came from a Cavalry revolver made in 1874. The barrel's serial #: 5576 is also from Product Lot 6, which had guns in the 5505-6516 serial number range, and are known to have been drawn upon by the 7th U.S. Cavalry before the Custer Massacre.
The cylinder of my Artillery revolver has partial serial #: 1?08 and has the faint Ordnance Sub-Inspector mark "DFC". This mark was used by government inspector David F. Clark, who worked at the Colt factory during the 1880s. Although this gives us the timeframe the cylinder was made, it is impossible to determine the complete serial number or exact year of manufacture of the gun from which it came.
The bottom right panel of the one-piece walnut stock has the "RAC" cartouche of Rinaldo A, Carr, a government inspector at Colt between 1890 and 1903.
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