It is a nice looking gun. One thing I question is that he states that because it is still 7 1/2" it has to be a militia gun, and could not be a true Cavalry gun. As if it could not have possibly been stolen by a trooper, kept personally by an officer, or even presented to someone in command, thus escaping the recall.
Something that seems strange, is Kopec says the guns like this were first sold to the public in 1903 in about new condition. Then he narrows the date for refinish to 1906-1907. It seems strange that a new condition gun would show signs of wear and need polishing and a refinish in a couple of years, particularly in an era when these were just working guns, when these guns were sold cheap surplus to people who did not want to pay for a new gun. We will never know, just wonder.
