[Huck]

Have you guys seen this one yet? Interested in your thoughts ... estimate seems over the top... but this just may be the new normal.

https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/85/1135/lot-five-ainsworth-inspected-us-colt-cavalry-model-revolver

I personally think this Ainsworth has it all... It is drop dead beautiful, and has a good Kopec letter and an awesome SN ...
Huck

 

[Rick]

What a super condition Custer ERA gun. Consecutive to 4553 is significant but not proof of LBH use.

 

[Mikebiker]

It has everything going for it an nothing against it. Half a million seem steep but it is the holy grail of the Colt Single Actions. It was there!

 

[lboos]

Beautiful Colt, but I want to hear more from the experts, sure looks to good to be true.
Looks like it's had an easy life ????

 

[Faulkner]

The description indicates it's a battlefield pickup, but I didn't see anything that substantiated that claim.

 

[noles97]

I read the VERY long description twice because I wanted to make sure I didn’t miss anything the first time… while it is obviously from “lot 5” and therefore a good possibility that it was issued to the 7th Cav. There is ZERO definitive proof offered that it was actually at the LBH. On top of this, the “documentation” provided has issues with its facts relating to dates and when it was originally acquired. Just because the story goes that it was purchased / traded from an Indian that said he got it from the battlefield doesn’t make it so. I worked for years in a pawnshop through college and I can’t tell you the number of times the story didn’t add up, or there was nothing to prove the story true. To me, this has to be valued as a high condition “lot 5” SAA with a good story, albeit with some inconsistency and no proof. That said, a VERY valuable Colt, but nowhere near $350k. It’ll be interesting to see the hammer price (I’d be willing to bet someone bites on it and vastly overpays)… Perhaps it’s time to sell my “lot 5” SAA as well?

 

[mrcvs]

Personally, I would rather own this one, which is the only one positively known to have been used at Little Big Horn.

COLT SINGLE ACTION ARMY SN 5773 POSITIVELY PROVEN TO HAVE BEEN USED BY ONE OF CUSTER'S MEN DURING THE INFAMOUS BATTLE OF THE LITTLE BIGHORN. - James D. Julia, Auctioneers

COLT SINGLE ACTION ARMY SN 5773 POSITIVELY PROVEN TO HAVE BEEN USED BY ONE OF CUSTER'S MEN DURING THE INFAMOUS BATTLE OF THE LITTLE BIGHORN. Cal. 45 Colt. Usual configuration with 7-1/2" bbl, full front sight and 1-line script letter address with serifs at each end. Left side of frame has 2-line...

www.morphyauctions.com

I wouldn’t certainly turn my nose up at the one that is the subject matter of this thread, but it falls under the category of “possible” vs “definite”, and there’s a massive financial distinction between the two.

 

[mrcvs]

I read the VERY long description twice because I wanted to make sure I didn’t miss anything the first time… while it is obviously from “lot 5” and therefore a good possibility that it was issued to the 7th Cav. There is ZERO definitive proof offered that it was actually at the LBH. On top of this, the “documentation” provided has issues with its facts relating to dates and when it was originally acquired. Just because the story goes that it was purchased / traded from an Indian that said he got it from the battlefield doesn’t make it so. I worked for years in a pawnshop through college and I can’t tell you the number of times the story didn’t add up, or there was nothing to prove the story true. To me, this has to be valued as a high condition “lot 5” SAA with a good story, albeit with some inconsistency and no proof. That said, a VERY valuable Colt, but nowhere near $350k. It’ll be interesting to see the hammer price (I’d be willing to bet someone bites on it and vastly overpays)… Perhaps it’s time to sell my “lot 5” SAA as well?

Well stated! RIA buyers often have deep pockets but also an inability to thoroughly read descriptions.

 

[LeverActionBill]

That’s pretty awesome.
I’m guessing it’ll hit closer to a million than $500k.

Since most of us can’t afford to bid on this; what’s your feelings on a poll with a Gift Cert to somewhere or cool basket of things to the Member who guessed closest to the hammer price?

 

[inspcalahan]

That’s pretty awesome.
I’m guessing it’ll hit closer to a million than $500k.

Since most of us can’t afford to bid on this; what’s your feelings on a poll with a Gift Cert to somewhere or cool basket of things to the Member who guessed closest to the hammer price?

Sounds fun! I'm the equivalent of a slots handle puller in this game, as opposed to the private tables, but seems fun to play and learn.

 

[mrcvs]

I’m guessing it’ll hit closer to a million than $500k.

I wouldn’t be at all surprised that once you add in all the juice, it does crack 7 figures.

There’s some crazy stupid money out there and this is evidenced at every Rock Island Auction.

 

[Rick]

Beautiful Colt, but I want to hear more from the experts, sure looks to good to be true, but if Kopec says it's from lot #5, it is.
Sure looks like it's had an easy life ????

Yeah, looks pretty good for lying on the ground for 2 years. Guess it didn’t rain or snow for that time period.

 

[noles97]

If I make up a really convincing story, write it down and provide it as “documentation” do you think someone might give me a quarter million for my “lot 5” SAA. Hell, I’ll throw in a civil war holster that doesn’t match the gun too if it’s a deal breaker!

 

[RBK]

Yeah, looks pretty good for lying on the ground for 2 years. Guess it didn’t rain or snow for that time period.

I took it as the revolver itself was 2 years old when it got picked up off the battlefield. Not that it sat on the battlefield for two years. I’d assume the overwhelming majority of weapons picked up at LBH were done so during the battle or in the immediate hours or days following the battle.

 

[cascabel]

For me, the idea that some poor cavalryman who had the misfortune to be with Custer when he blundered into 2000 Sioux and Cheyenne warriors, was carrying this SAA when he was killed, scalped, stripped naked and left to rot on the prairie, doesn't add any value, certainly not 1/2 a million dollars.
There are some really beautiful, high condition U.S. marked SAAs in this same sale, all of which could be bought for the same amount as this one gun with a fanciful history. But I guess you have to buy the story, not the gun.

 

[mrcvs]

For me, the idea that some poor cavalryman who had the misfortune to be with Custer when he blundered into 2000 Sioux and Cheyenne warriors, was carrying this SAA when he was killed, scalped, stripped naked and left to rot on the prairie, doesn't add any value, certainly not 1/2 a million dollars.
There are some really beautiful, high condition U.S. marked SAAs in this same sale, all of which could be bought for the same amount as this one gun with a fanciful history. But I guess you have to buy the story, not the gun.

I have stated what you said just now before. It’s surprising the prestige surrounding a Custer range firearm when you consider that G A Custer was a failure and Little Big Horn was a disastrous battle. Now, if it was a glorious victory, I could understand.

Having said that, do I place a premium on a Custer range Cavalry Model revolver or even an Artillery Model revolver with Custer range component(s)? Absolutely. It’s simply expected in this subset of Single Action Army revolver collecting.

 

[Rick]

I took it as the revolver itself was 2 years old when it got picked up off the battlefield. Not that it sat on the battlefield for two years. I’d assume the overwhelming majority of weapons picked up at LBH were done so during the battle or in the immediate hours or days following the battle.

If so I misunderstood.
I guess my point is many of us have guns from that ERA that probably were there but only one member here had a rock solid documented LBH gun. H Maag, 5773.
4552 is a GREAT gun but NOT a Custer gun until documented. JMO.

 

[mrcvs]

If so I misunderstood.
I guess my point is many of us have guns from that ERA that probably were there but only one member here had a rock solid documented LBH gun. H Maag, 5773.
4552 is a GREAT gun but NOT a Custer gun until documented. JMO.

I agree 100%!!!!!

 

[RBK]

If so I misunderstood.
I guess my point is many of us have guns from that ERA that probably were there but only one member here had a rock solid documented LBH gun. H Maag, 5773.
4552 is a GREAT gun but NOT a Custer gun until documented. JMO.

No I agree. The amount of money that change hands based on speculation regarding Custer range guns blows my mind. For this gun in particular, I feel like they blew a lot smoke and when it eventually cleared they had a gun with a story that didn’t add up. I know when all of great grandfathers were born and died. And no Indian brought a Custer colt into their trading post.

 

[Mikebiker]

There are millions if not billions of military guns in this world today. How many of them can be traced with genuine unquestionable documentation to a specific battle. The Custer guns Fall into serial number range that are documented to have gone to the 7th Cavalry. In this range many went other places and guns right net to each other went entirely different directions. The number of guns and the number from each lot is not a big number to start with. When compared to all the US issued Single Actions it is a very small number. Even if the gun was not drawn by the 7th it still had a very high probability of going to a true mounted cavalry soldier as compared to most later US guns.

People on this forum get all excited over the imagined history of a 1905 gun that is well used. The history on a Custer range gun is not imagined but real 500,000 dollars real, well that will be determined when the hammer drops.