Description
Item Description
Bryant Ridge Auction Company is Honored to present this incredible peice of American History, this is the legendary U.S. Marked Colt Single Action Army Lot 5 Custer Range, made in 1874!
This revolver is from the FAMED "Lot 5", delivered to Springfield Armory on January 31st, 1874
Lot 5 consisted of Colt Single Action Army revolvers #4500 through #5504. Of these 1004 revolvers, approximately 600 were issued to the 7th US Cavalry under General George Armstrong Custer and used at The Battle of the Little Bighorn! Revolvers from Lot 5 have the highest chance of any lot of being used by the 7th Cavalry at Little Bighorn, with roughly 60% of lot 5 revolvers going to the 7th Cavalry. This example, #5290, falls squarely within Lot 5!
This is truly the HOLY GRAIL for firearms collectors, and would be the centerpiece of ANY firearms collection!
This year, this example turned 150 years old!
SPECIFICATIONS:
Return Policy:
We gladly offer a 3 day unfired inspection policy from the time that the firearm is delivered to your FFL. Refunds are available for all qualifying orders.
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This revolver is from the FAMED "Lot 5", delivered to Springfield Armory on January 31st, 1874
Lot 5 consisted of Colt Single Action Army revolvers #4500 through #5504. Of these 1004 revolvers, approximately 600 were issued to the 7th US Cavalry under General George Armstrong Custer and used at The Battle of the Little Bighorn! Revolvers from Lot 5 have the highest chance of any lot of being used by the 7th Cavalry at Little Bighorn, with roughly 60% of lot 5 revolvers going to the 7th Cavalry. This example, #5290, falls squarely within Lot 5!
This is truly the HOLY GRAIL for firearms collectors, and would be the centerpiece of ANY firearms collection!
This year, this example turned 150 years old!
SPECIFICATIONS:
Manufacturer: Colt
Model: 1873 Single Action Army (US MARKED LOT 5 CUSTER RANGE)
Serial: 5290
Date of Manufacture: Delivered to Springfield Armory January 31st, 1874
Caliber: .45 Colt
Finish: Blue/CCH
Barrel Length: Originally 7.5", shortened to 5.5" for use in the Spanish American War.
Optics/Sights: Fixed sights
Stock/Grips: One piece walnut
Action: Single Action Revolver
Markings: Standard, "5290" on bottom of frame, "132495" and "K" on trigger guard, "703" on butt, "P" under barrel, "0416" and "C" under ejector housing, "C" on frame above firing pin channel , "U.S." on frame by patent dates.
Bryant Ridge's Analysis:
This is the Coveted Colt Single Action Army, produced in January, 1874 and accepted for U.S. service by ordnance inspector Orville W. Ainsworth. This revolver was part of the historic "Lot Five" (4500-5504) revolvers that contained other revolvers issued to the 7th Cavalry and used in the historic battle. They arrived at Springfield Armory on January 31st, 1874 and were issued on July 2, 1874, before the Seventh Cavalry departed for the Black Hills Expedition!
This example is in the "Artillery" configuration. In 1895–1896, the U.S. federal government returned 2,000 SAA revolvers to Colt to be refurbished; 800 were issued to the New York Militia with the 7+1⁄2 inches (19 cm) barrel and 1,200 were altered to a barrel length of 5+1⁄2 inches (14 cm). In 1898, 14,900 of the SAA revolvers were altered the same way by Springfield Armory. The original records of the War Department do refer to these revolvers with the shortened barrel as the "Altered Revolver". The name "Artillery" is actually a misnomer, which Sapp speculates may have originated because the Light Artillery happened to have the first units armed with the altered revolver. The timing on this revolver is excellent, and it indexes perfectly and holds at both half and full cock! The gun features traces of bright blue still visible under the ejector rod housing!
This is one of the most Honest Martially Marked Single Action Colts that you will find. Not to mention it is from lot 5, the most desired lot of early Single Action Army's due to them having a nearly 60% chance of being issued to the 7th US Cavalry and having been used at the famous Battle of the Little Bighorn! Bound by the Rollin White patent (#12,648, April 3, 1855) and not wanting to pay a royalty fee to Smith & Wesson, Colt could not begin development of bored-through revolver cylinders for metallic cartridge use until April 4, 1869. For the design, Colt turned to two of its best engineers: William Mason and Charles Brinckerhoff Richards who had developed a number of revolvers and black powder conversions for the company. Their effort was designed for the United States government service revolver trials of 1872 by Colt's Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company and adopted as the standard military service revolver. Production began in 1873 with the Single Action Army model 1873, also referred to as the "New Model Army Metallic Cartridge Revolving Pistol".
The very first production Single Action Army, serial number 1, thought lost for many years after its production, was found in a barn in Nashua, New Hampshire, in the early 1900s. This gun was chambered in .44 S&W, a centerfire design containing charges of up to 40 grains (2.6 g) of fine-grained black powder and a 255-grain (16.5 g) blunt roundnosed bullet. Relative to period cartridges and most later handgun rounds, it was quite powerful in its full loading.
The Colt Single Action Army revolver, along with the 1870 and 1875 Smith & Wesson Model 3 "Schofield" revolver, replaced the Colt 1860 Army Percussion revolver. The Colt quickly gained favor over the S&W and remained the primary U.S. military sidearm until 1892 when it was replaced by the .38 Long Colt caliber Colt Model 1892, a double-action revolver with swing-out cylinder. By the end of 1874, serial no. 16,000 was reached; 12,500 Colt Single Action Army revolvers chambered for the .45 Colt cartridge had entered service and the remaining revolvers were sold in the civilian market.
Model: 1873 Single Action Army (US MARKED LOT 5 CUSTER RANGE)
Serial: 5290
Date of Manufacture: Delivered to Springfield Armory January 31st, 1874
Caliber: .45 Colt
Finish: Blue/CCH
Barrel Length: Originally 7.5", shortened to 5.5" for use in the Spanish American War.
Optics/Sights: Fixed sights
Stock/Grips: One piece walnut
Action: Single Action Revolver
Markings: Standard, "5290" on bottom of frame, "132495" and "K" on trigger guard, "703" on butt, "P" under barrel, "0416" and "C" under ejector housing, "C" on frame above firing pin channel , "U.S." on frame by patent dates.
Bryant Ridge's Analysis:
This is the Coveted Colt Single Action Army, produced in January, 1874 and accepted for U.S. service by ordnance inspector Orville W. Ainsworth. This revolver was part of the historic "Lot Five" (4500-5504) revolvers that contained other revolvers issued to the 7th Cavalry and used in the historic battle. They arrived at Springfield Armory on January 31st, 1874 and were issued on July 2, 1874, before the Seventh Cavalry departed for the Black Hills Expedition!
This example is in the "Artillery" configuration. In 1895–1896, the U.S. federal government returned 2,000 SAA revolvers to Colt to be refurbished; 800 were issued to the New York Militia with the 7+1⁄2 inches (19 cm) barrel and 1,200 were altered to a barrel length of 5+1⁄2 inches (14 cm). In 1898, 14,900 of the SAA revolvers were altered the same way by Springfield Armory. The original records of the War Department do refer to these revolvers with the shortened barrel as the "Altered Revolver". The name "Artillery" is actually a misnomer, which Sapp speculates may have originated because the Light Artillery happened to have the first units armed with the altered revolver. The timing on this revolver is excellent, and it indexes perfectly and holds at both half and full cock! The gun features traces of bright blue still visible under the ejector rod housing!
This is one of the most Honest Martially Marked Single Action Colts that you will find. Not to mention it is from lot 5, the most desired lot of early Single Action Army's due to them having a nearly 60% chance of being issued to the 7th US Cavalry and having been used at the famous Battle of the Little Bighorn! Bound by the Rollin White patent (#12,648, April 3, 1855) and not wanting to pay a royalty fee to Smith & Wesson, Colt could not begin development of bored-through revolver cylinders for metallic cartridge use until April 4, 1869. For the design, Colt turned to two of its best engineers: William Mason and Charles Brinckerhoff Richards who had developed a number of revolvers and black powder conversions for the company. Their effort was designed for the United States government service revolver trials of 1872 by Colt's Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company and adopted as the standard military service revolver. Production began in 1873 with the Single Action Army model 1873, also referred to as the "New Model Army Metallic Cartridge Revolving Pistol".
The very first production Single Action Army, serial number 1, thought lost for many years after its production, was found in a barn in Nashua, New Hampshire, in the early 1900s. This gun was chambered in .44 S&W, a centerfire design containing charges of up to 40 grains (2.6 g) of fine-grained black powder and a 255-grain (16.5 g) blunt roundnosed bullet. Relative to period cartridges and most later handgun rounds, it was quite powerful in its full loading.
The Colt Single Action Army revolver, along with the 1870 and 1875 Smith & Wesson Model 3 "Schofield" revolver, replaced the Colt 1860 Army Percussion revolver. The Colt quickly gained favor over the S&W and remained the primary U.S. military sidearm until 1892 when it was replaced by the .38 Long Colt caliber Colt Model 1892, a double-action revolver with swing-out cylinder. By the end of 1874, serial no. 16,000 was reached; 12,500 Colt Single Action Army revolvers chambered for the .45 Colt cartridge had entered service and the remaining revolvers were sold in the civilian market.
Return Policy:
We gladly offer a 3 day unfired inspection policy from the time that the firearm is delivered to your FFL. Refunds are available for all qualifying orders.
Shipping Details
Handgun Standard Shipping $50.00
Long Gun Standard Shipping $70.00
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Please note we place a 7 business day hold on shipment, for all non-certified payments.
Payment MUST be received within 14 days.
Return Policy
We gladly offer a 3 day unfired inspection policy from the time that the firearm is delivered to your FFL. Refunds are available for all qualifying orders.
Additional Details
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