7th Cavalry Serial Numbers

[Tom Trevor]

Just a thought. I have so few. The carbine was sold after the article was published for quite a lot of money. Now a friends wifes father, he is gone now, was a wheel at MGM and he was a collector of Springfield arms and found the studio had a large supply of 45-70 Benet rounds they pulled the bullets from and used as blanks. He obtained a large group of them and found most would fire. The owner of the carbine is a major collector of Custer items and I believe knows a number of battlefield personnel. Just suppose for a minute the Benet round were fired in the carbine in question then placed in tight groups where they can be found buried by the road? Seems odd that the cases were so tightly clustered in one place as anyone firing a Springfield knows they fly several feet behind you when ejected. Was he firing a one lone Indian standing still one hundred yards away and not moving so the cases landed in a neat pile? As I said just a thought not anything more.

[Dick Hosmer]

Funny - you and I think alike. Actually, it isn't - we've both been at this a long time. I cannot put my finger on it but something smells about that whole thing.

[45govt]

Just a thought. I have so few. The carbine was sold after the article was published for quite a lot of money. Now a friends wifes father, he is gone now, was a wheel at MGM and he was a collector of Springfield arms and found the studio had a large supply of 45-70 Benet rounds they pulled the bullets from and used as blanks. He obtained a large group of them and found most would fire. The owner of the carbine is a major collector of Custer items and I believe knows a number of battlefield personnel. Just suppose for a minute the Benet round were fired in the carbine in question then placed in tight groups where they can be found buried by the road? Seems odd that the cases were so tightly clustered in one place as anyone firing a Springfield knows they fly several feet behind you when ejected. Was he firing a one lone Indian standing still one hundred yards away and not moving so the cases landed in a neat pile? As I said just a thought not anything more.

You can just picture the guy walking along with some park personnel and going "oh my, look here what I found a bunch of cases that must have been used in the battle, lets check them against this old carbine I have"

[DRAGONFLYDF]

Dick,
Your welcome to include my 1873 Carbine in your book.
http://www.jouster.com/forums/showth...t=1873+carbine

[Dick Hosmer]

Have it, thanks. That looks like one of the scarce thick-wrist-but-no-trap stocks.

[cwbuff]

Great discussion! Clearly the forensic evidence of matching cases to carbines has been brought into question. If I understand correctly, having a carbine "tested" to see if there is a match to cases known to have been at the LBH costs about $10K. It makes me wonder how their business plans influences the "forensics" they produce.

[Dick Hosmer]

Quick disclaimer - I do not doubt that such testing can produce good results in some cases, but it is not infallible - especially when subject to the number of potential variables, and emotions, as are in play here.