June 25, 1876

[RCS]

Photo shows one of three Colt single action army revolvers recovered the day after the Battle of the Little Big Horn by Captain Benteen All three revolvers were not serviceable
Capt Benteen turned in two of them. Benteen kept the third revolver serial number 5773. In 1895 Benteen sold the Colt and died in 1898. This Colt did not surface until many years later but there were records of the serial numbers of the recovered revolvers and this is the only documented complete Colt from the Battle of the Big Horn. It just sold on auction for $460,000 (Julia Auction)Attachment 85323

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[browningautorifle]

I've been up there about three times...and stood at Marcus Reno's grave. It's a place I wanted to go to since I was a kid. I'd love to handle a piece like that revolver, just so I could say I did. So many guns up there and none around as documented. Very few anyway.

[Merle]

can't tell in the pic, but I wonder why that one was unserviceable?

[browningautorifle]

Maybe firing pin broken, hand? Something like that...mainspring...

[RCS]

Back in 1990's this Colt single action serial number 5773 was sold on auction. To determine why this revolver was stated to be unserviceable, some very advanced Colt collectors conducted
a study. It was determined that a newer trigger spring had been installed at a much later time period. A broken trigger spring would not allow the bolt to index the cylinder which would just
spin around, perhaps some Indian recovered this revolver and found it to be not working and discarded it ?

Capt Benteen carrier a nickel plated Colt single action with a 7 1/2 inch barrel that was ordered from Colt and presented to Capt Benteen by Gen Terry. This revolver was lost in a fire at Benteen's house in Atlanta

[Merle]

Back in 1990's this Colt single action serial number 5773 was sold on auction. To determine why this revolver was stated to be unserviceable, some very advanced Colt collectors conducted
a study. It was determined that a newer trigger spring had been installed at a much later time period. A broken trigger spring would not allow the bolt to index the cylinder which would just
spin around, perhaps some Indian recovered this revolver and found it to be not working and discarded it ?

Capt Benteen carrier a nickel plated Colt single action with a 7 1/2 inch barrel that was ordered from Colt and presented to Capt Benteen by Gen Terry. This revolver was lost in a fire at Benteen's house in Atlanta

I also expect that the Indians would not bother with a broken revolver, so this makes sense. Thanks

[browningautorifle]

They'd never bother...someone would have been cross that it didn't work too...his trophy broken.

[limpetmine]

Just goes to show you that the paperwork can be as valuable as the gun.

So keep the box!!!!