Help Me Decide

[Capt. John Fitzgerald]

My favorite gun shop may be going out of business at the end of the year.  He has to move out of his present location and, as of yet, doesn't know if he is going to relocate or retire.
Between now and then I am going to order as many guns as I can from him, starting out with a couple from USFA.  Therein lies my dilemma!  Eventually I will probably end up getting both but right now I am trying to decide between the Henry Nettleton and the Custer Battlefield Gun.  The Nettleton is beautiful but those Custer guns really do look like they are 130 years old (they look much better than the USFA web site pictures would indicate).  If it was up to you, which one would you order first? 

Link to Custer Gun: http://usfirearms.com/cat/custer-gun.asp

Link to Nettleton:  http://usfirearms.com/cat/henrynettleton.asp

[Major 2]

If you ascribe to the adage, “age before beauty,” ....your covered   
but you might considder which one USFA might cease production on first.

 beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so if your gonna buy both , it don't matter much which one you be holden first 

[Frank Dalton]

Or then there is always the OW Ainsworth Inspector Series from USFA, if you wanted the same vintage gun as your Custer Battlefield Gun.

Those would be pretty neat, a new and aged version of the same pistol.

[Advertising]

[RRio]

I think I would go for the Nettleton first. Not sure I would I would care for a Custer, though.
I never have been a fan of G.A. Custer.

[Doc Sunrise]

If you go by the number of the particular Inspector series that will be made available, I would go with the Nettleton first as there will only be 4,000 made, and they should be over 48,000 by now as mine was in the high 47,800 range and received in November 2005.  The Custer gun is also worth getting, but I would go for it as the second choice since some 14,000 Ainsworth guns will be made.  My Custer gun was in the high 6,000 range and received in January 2006.  My intentions are to also order a Clark and Carr gun, making the Clark a 5 1/2", and leaving the Carr as regular.  This way my Inspector series collection will have some variety.  If your are able, go for both now as you can't go wrong owning USFA's.

As a side note to Rawhide Rio, the Custer gun is not marked in any way to infer Custer himself.  It is a nice Ainsworth gun in the Antique Patina finish, and does look period correct in many ways. 

Either way, you will be happy!

[Capt. John Fitzgerald]

Well, I guess I will be ordering the Nettleton first.  Not that there is any shortage yet, but the Nettleton will be the smallest run made.  Thanks all, for your input.
CJF