ATLAS
COLLECTIBLE FIREARMS

Atlas Collectible Firearms is profoundly honored to present this exceptional textbook example of an early U.S. military Colt Single Action Army Cavalry Model revolver chambered in .45 Colt. Per the included Colt Archive Letter signed by Beverly Jean Haynes, this historic 7.5-inch barrel revolver was sold to the United States Government and shipped on January 10, 1877, in a 200-gun shipment located at the Colt Plant. It stands as an authentic, honest survivor from the height of the Indian Wars era.
According to famed Colt historian John Kopec & Springfield Research Service; serial number’s 34422 to roughly 34524 were all Cavalry revolvers shipped & assigned to Troop L, 7th U.S. Cavalry as of 3/14/1888. From 1888 to 1892, this troop was stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas.” These military guns were shipped in blocks of 50 in sequential order and serial number 34491 (one serial number before this one) is documented in the Springfield records as going to the above troop company and 7th cavalry.
The 7th Cavalry was part of the:
The Ghost Dance Campaign (1890–1891): While stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas, the 7th U.S. Cavalry was mobilized and deployed to South Dakota during the Sioux uprising.
The Wounded Knee Massacre: On December 29, 1890, the 7th Cavalry was the primary military force involved in the tragic Wounded Knee Massacre. The sidearms carried by the troopers during this deployment were these exact .45 caliber Colt Single Action Army revolvers.
Nearly all of the roughly 5000 Cavalry guns inspected by John T. Cleveland were re-arsenaled and turned into 5.5-inch barreled "Artillery" models. So to find an original "Cavalry" configured example is extremely rare and very historical.
This martial revolver retains matching serial numbers on the frame, trigger guard, backstrap, and cylinder. The left side of the frame carries the proper crisp U.S. property marking alongside the early three-line patent dates. Highly desirable J.T.C. (John T. Cleveland) military sub-inspector stamps are prominently visible on the bottom of the frame over the serial number and on the bottom of the barrel. The metal surfaces have worn to an honest plum/gray patina with fine scattered pitting, retaining roughly 5% original finish in protected areas.
The original walnut stocks show heavy service wear and use, which has smoothed out the inspector cartouches over time. Mechanically, the action retains its first, second, and fourth hammer clicks, while the third click does not engage, but the cylinder still locks up tight. Apart from a replaced mainspring, the revolver remains a fundamentally untouched historic artifact. This documented 1877 Cavalry Colt is a premier investment-grade acquisition that offers unmatched western frontier character for the advanced military historian.