Little Bighorn Survivor: A Colt from Reno's Battalion

[@007Chancellor]

A great story...and WELL told! Whatta piece of Americana. It'll be interesting to see what it goes for.

[@michaelfrost4584]

Thank you from Australia, great history story telling about your history and sad loss of life from both sides. I say as a ex Australian Army Veteran R.I.P , you very brave men.

[@greasyweezel9540]

Great story telling - great presentation

[@brandon7482]

3:58 Miles Moylan 1838-1909. Born in Ireland, died in San Diego.

[@robertdunbar5854]

Outstanding presentation and fantastic story !

[@DK-gy7ll]

Not sure what's harder to believe... that this Colt survived the Little Bighorn or that it still remains in such pristine original condition.

[@kirkrasmussen9629]

Agreed - that frame looks like it has been brushed at one point and the bluing doesn’t look original. Still an amazing story and a great piece of history.

[@frederickking1660]

And a letter with the serial number. A letter with all the info needed.

[@jimjones9740]

Yeah seems to good to be true but maybe? We we probably never know for sure

[@larry648]

Well, the military is very strict about keeping serial numbers, even back then.

[@scottclark7559]

It is pretty crazy...spending a campaign in heat and the dust in a flap holster it seems like it should at least be thinning at the muzzle and cylinder edges if he was actually using it at all. It's a beautiful gun, but it looks like it spent its life in an armory rack, not trecking across eastern Montana and fighting a battle covered in sweat and dirt.

[@cameronmoylan712]

That's the best revolver ad I have ever seen.

[@tylertapp131]

This mans storytelling abilities are impeccable, top notch stuff, god bless bud from ole Carolina.

[@BertieW0oster]

So interesting, I enjoyed watching this alongside my Cimmaron/Uberti '7th Calvary' replica, which is perfect for us poor folk who just want the experience of shooting one of these historic pieces. I shoot mine with real black powder 45 Colt, and it's honestly the most fun I've had at the range! By the way, epic mustache! I'm planning to start growing mine out in November, and may never stop.

[@tomeickhorst6787]

This weapon needs to be in a museum with the documentation

[@janicecornett-dn9dq]

the best brief account of the battle of little bighorn i have ever heard.

[@STEVEOMEMES]

HISTORY thank you very much RIAC .. once again Joel 👍

[@iii9266]

Back in November 1970, we had stopped at a I-90 roadside cafe and curio shop that was just on the northside of the battlefield. Inside the restaruant the walls and overhead beams were festooned with pictures of the battlefield, paintings, cartridges & weapons found from the battle, much for sale, but at prices a 12 year old boy, let alone a family moving from Nebraska to Washington, could afford. I also remember seeing in the newspaper stand, that France's Charles DeGaulle had died a day or two before, so that sits in my mind as to the time frame. Also that I-90, at the passes from Montana to Idaho, was just a muddy path strewn with boulders as it was the last stage to be completed, going over it at night. Riding shotgun in a U-Haul, towing a trailer, following the family station wagon driven by my mother with my 3 siblings...

[@mcgoon8027]

Amazing video. Well done

[@martinstiastny7679]

Great handgun ! Finally, the master story recanter is back. Awesome, I just made a cup of coffee

[@frederickking1660]

That could be a million dollar pistol.

[@randy276]

Great presentation, right up there with TR'S Colt.

[@oregonoutback7779]

Very impressive. Best sales pitch I've heard in a very long time. Guess I better go buy a lottery ticket for the billion dollar draw. May need the entire winnings to purchase this beauty. Thanks for the video.

[@robertmorey4104]

Very neat story and narrative. That pistol will go for Million + $$ with that provenance. Neat piece of history!

[@JerryEricsson]

I served with the 3rd Armored Cav at Fort Lewis Wa and helped with their move down to Fort Bliss Texas, moving with the advanced party for regimental Headquarters Communications. Love the cav.

[@RV-eq8gj]

Thank you for your presentation- you forgot to mention Moylan was Calhouns brother-in-law

[@tmcgill2219]

Custer gang for sure! Benteen was not a fan of his.

[@daviddavis7136]

President Calhoun?

[@RV-eq8gj]

@daviddavis7136 Myles Moylan married Charlotte Calhoun the sister of James Calhoun of the 7th

[@aaaaaa-uv2ig]

Part 1. Custer's Conquest in Heaven As the sun set over the celestial plains, painting the skies in hues of gold and rose, General George Armstrong Custer found himself in a peculiar battlefield-heaven. The thrill of glory and the weight of his past were intertwined, as he donned his familiar blue jacket adorned with five stars, ready to lead his heavenly regiment into this otherworldly war. In life, he had known the thrill of the charge, the sound of cannon fire, and the cries of men in battle. Yet he now faced an enemy unlike any he had encountered before. There were no banners unfurling in the wind or drums beating the march. Instead, he stood before a gathering of American Indian warriors-spirits of the Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho. This was their eternal resting ground, and they wore expressions of fierce determination and unyielding pride. "Devil take this madness!" Custer shouted, brandishing his sword, its blade gleaming in the ethereal light. "I have fought my battles on Earth, and now you come to my paradise? This is not your land!" The warriors, undeterred and resolute, stood their ground. They were adorned with feathers and leather, symbols of their clans, and their eyes burned with the fire of historical injustices, tales of their ancestors echoing in the winds around them. Their war cries resonated through the realm, stirring the clouds above into a tempest. In that moment, the devil appeared-an impish figure cloaked in shadows and mischief, his laughter tinkling like the sound of shattered glass. "Custer! You seek to fight? But here in Heaven, I have a different arrangement. You may fight, but you shall not sweat a drop. No bullets will pierce your skin, no arrows will find their mark!" Custer's brow furrowed, his pride wounded. A battle without danger? Was that any battle at all? He had fought for honor, and with every charge on Earth, he had measured his worth through the sweat and blood shed. What glory lay in fighting with no risk? "You think you can strip me of my valor, devil?" he spat, fury igniting within him. "I will face these warriors, sweat or no sweat. They deserve my respect, my full measure in this fight!" With a wave of his hand, the devil summoned a multitude of dazzling lights-bullets, arrows, and spirit shields that glimmered in the heavenly realm. "Very well! A battle it shall be! But know this: each glimmer is a challenge. You may face them, but you will see no harm." The warriors advanced, their determination unwavering. They charged forward, not as they had on Earth, but as skilled spirits bound by the threads of their history. Custer met them head-on, his spirit ablaze with the thrill of combat. He swung his sword and found that each blow met no resistance-his blade cut through air, mesmerizing sparkles that danced away like fireflies in the night. Day turned to night, and night turned to day again, as the celestial battle ebbed and flowed. Custer, fueled by a primal urge for conquest, shouted commands to his invisible battalion, yet he could not change the surreal turn of events; he could not taste the sweat nor feel the grit of a true struggle. As the spirit warriors surrounded him, their laughter resonated through the skies like the sound of distant thunder, understanding the absurdity of this unfathomable chase. They fought with beauty, agility, and grace, marking the dance of both past and present. Amidst the clash of ethereal weapons, Custer found himself halted. Breathless-not from fatigue, but from an awakening. He paused, watching the warriors dance around him, laughing yet fearless. These were not his foes; they were memories made manifest, expressions of a history intertwined with his. "Why do you fight me?" he pondered aloud, suddenly aware of a deeper truth. One of the spirit warriors stepped forward, tearing the veil of competition. "General, we fight not against you, but for the stories that bind us. For every mark you made upon our land, we stand to reclaim our truth. This battle holds no bullets, but carries the weight of our voices-the cries of those that were silenced." As the revelation dawned upon him, Custer dropped his sword. The battlefield transformed into a sacred space of dialogue, a meeting of spirits where stories flowed freely, and healing took center stage. In the end, the devil watched with a crooked grin, knowing that no bullets had been fired, but a far greater battle had been fought: understanding, respect, and the unraveling of history within the tapestry of one's spirit. And so in heaven, amidst laughter and the stories of warriors, Custer became not a general of conflict but a keeper of narratives-a custodian of the past, ensuring no story would be forgotten again. Part 2. Intermission: The muse rose up underneath the devil's foot. “What will General George Armstrong Custer's healing and custodianship be?”. “Fool!” laughed the devil. And the devil threw the muse to the ground.

[@lindsaythompson726]

Why does it look practically new after nearly 175 years ?

[@chardtomp]

It's in remarkably good condition for its age. You don't usually see them with that much of the original bluing in tact.

[@mikeduman358]

Great story telling

[@jimjones9740]

Nice presentation Sir

[@bruceklassen8261]

Very cool

[@johngiles6128]

Amazing wish I could get this..but alas I cannot

[@calebharper842]

Shouldn't it have a screw that holds the cylinder pin in place? Or a large full circle ejector rod head?

[@davidatovar]

"Take the gun, Leave the Cannoli". Is this auction house or the Smithsonian, this guy should give historical weapons tours at the RIA.

[@edwardpoe7323]

Good thing Custer took steps to insure the warriors couldn't escape.

[@rherteux]

It looks refinished, was it?

[@pjs62ux]

It should be in a museum

[@robertlipsey6056]

Looks like it’s in pretty good shape to be that old plus a battle survivor. I would have my doubts.

[@ericstevens8744]

Yes as would I

[@dunbar555]

I would buy it if I could. damn

[@CreedenceFanForever]

It's curious why this ended up going for a relatively small amount of money, $164K. Makes you wonder if people in the know doubted it's authenticity.

[@mark703]

What did it end up going for?

[@Jay_Hall]

Nice.

[@michaelvaristo989]

Reno panicked and lost his command over his rout. Most of his command didn't hear his command to retreat. Many claimed he was drunk and when the they reached the crest of the hill and when Benteen came up he gave Benteen the command. Several men that remained in the cottonwoods hid and rejoined the command later. Reno should have set up his defense in the woods as at least he could have built breastworks. IMO.

[@dunbar555]

totally agree.

[@bartsimpson6767]

Talked me into it. I'll buy two please.

[@tommurphy7963]

Omg The Drama!

[@shawnwbell4404]

It's interesting to read the little bit of that letter that accompanies this revolver. It mentions that many of the items were on loan from Captain Benteen and the author talks a little about Benteen's retirement and welfare in the authors opinion. It also mentions another revolver #13801 that had belonged to Captain Tom Custer and had been recaptured at the Slim Buttes fight. Can you please tell me more about this item #13801 to me? Also, the bottom of Kopec's letter is mentions something about that they believe when the letter was initially found that it's owner decided to counterfeit an old Colt revolver and re-stamp it with the serial #6055 in an effort to sell these items as a package. Could you also please tell me what that is all about too? I am very curious to know! Thanks for sharing all this with us. It's very fascinating. I only wish that I could come down and see everything. Have great weekend & thanks again! Very Respectfully Yours: Shawn W Bell

[@RockIslandAuctionCompany]

Hi Shawn, I don't have information about Tom Custer's gun at the moment, but we can speak to the Kopec letter. In his letter, Mr. Kopec mentions another revolver that was produced fraudulently in an attempt to take advantage of the period letter that identifies Cpt. Moylan's Colt. Thankfully, Mr. Kopec has had a chance to review both revolvers, and has been quite outspoken that the revolver we are offering is correct while condemning the other example as counterfeit.

[@garydavis1845]

Some of Custers men were mutilated when still alive.Not mentioned but still a good presentation.

[@rockynixon3832]

I bet that goes for at least 1 million dollars.

[@alfredleone5948]

What does the ira badge signify ? Alfred from Australia

[@stevengirouard6840]

Well, we know that Reno/ Benteen ran for the hills... As did Custers men.. Custers men were chased down and killed

[@awilderireland]

Sold for... $164,500. If only Moylan had sent it back to the old country. 😂

[@zne29m37]

So it’s a old colt 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@danberry6085]

I want it. I don't care how much it cost,

[@Antonio-j1g]

well I will buy it for $50- Who care where come from or the "historical" value

[@ericstevens8744]

G.A.C had garbage planning and was too reckless

[@jerrymerritt1929]

Colonel Custer was very reckless he graduated last in his class at West point and it shows because he has no good judgment to weigh all the circumstances for this is life and death.... General crook week earlier was attacked by over 1300 Indians.... His scouts already told him it was the largest Indian village they had ever seen he knew they would be outnumbered at least 5 to 1 they actually were by 10 to 1 he knew that for sure and had no backup plans.... He wanted that recognition of capturing the whole big village by himself and it would be fame throughout the country... And a promotion.... These Indians had already fought general crook why would he think they're going to run... all the greatest Indian chiefs from the soiux Cheyenne Arapaho we're there... If he had broken infantry and the Gatling guns set up a defensive perimeter to fall back if everything went bad then he would have been a hero smart Commander.... Or if he had waited for general Terry as planned.... .I'm not a fan of Custer.... He led his men to be butchered And massacred foolishly....

[@Inspector007]

There were ONLY 32 members in his class!

[@sheepsfoot2]

This guy is full of it , what happened to Ian ?

[@bingostar9207]

Sounds like whoever wrote that original letter owned a colt with that serial no.

[@matthuitt1004]

Sadly a lot of men were killed because of Custer’s ego, Custer sent Benteen on a waste of time coz he didn’t want him sharing any Glory of his success, Custer also sent Reno and his troops to attack one end of the village that he had absolutely no idea of the size of it , the presenter said about Custer splitting his command as being a standard army practice but Commensense has to be involved too, Custer was warned several times about the size of the village and the amount of warriors it may contain but his arrogance, ego and his lust for glory prevented him from hearing those warnings and unfortunately a lot of men lost their lives because of that !!!

[@WreckOfLamb]

A “restored” item should be ignored.

[@GeorgeJefferson1775]

Get rid of the piano music please.

[@Richard-t2b]

Crap! And this guy wanted to be president of the United States…Yikes! 😮 😂 😊

[@ericstevens8744]

Custer had garbage Planning

[@2nickles647]

A murder weapon being shown off.

[@laramiecrowder347]

No it was used by a soldier. A man with honor and integrity. Get over your self righteous attitude.