132 Year-old Winchester rifle found against a tree at Great Basin National Park

The Washington Times ^ | January 14, 2015 | Douglas Ernst

[jazusamo]

Archaeologists traversing the Great Basin National Park in Nevada came across an interesting find: a 132-year-old Winchester Model 1873 repeating rifle.

The Facebook page for Great Basin National Park said in a post last week that researchers found the rifle, known as “the gun that won the West,” leaning up against a tree.

“The 132 year-old rifle, exposed to sun, wind, snow, and rain was found leaning against a tree in the park. The cracked wood stock, weathered to grey, and the brown rusted barrel blended into the colors of the old juniper tree in a remote rocky outcrop, keeping the rifle hidden for many years,” Great Basin National Park said in a statement.

The website said that “Model 1873” was distinctively engraved on the weapon and that the serial number corresponds with Winchester records held at the Center for the West, Cody Firearms Museum in Cody, Wyoming, with a manufacture and shipping date of 1882.

[glasseye]

You had a boating accident too?

Heheheh

[Axenolith]

Easily, probably twice that. S*** grows SLOW out there unless it’s something like cottonwood in a creek bed.

[HartleyMBaldwin]

It was shipped from the factory in 1882, but that doesn’t mean it was placed against the tree that year.

[jmacusa]

‘’and it kilt the bear that kilt me...’’

[jmacusa]

“Singing ki eye yippe i e’’.

[jmacusa]

Could be.

[jmacusa]

Cliffs holding a muzzle loader.

[jmacusa]

I reckon guess and calculate that might be a powerful true.

[jmacusa]

Seen it.

[SunkenCiv]

Pretty interesting. The gun that won the West -- I'd wondered what happened to it.

[rellimpank]

—in the entry to the Mojave County Museum in Kingman , Arizona , there is an elderly Winchester on display , grown into the “Y” of a large tree trunk—was in a horizontal position—similar situation—somebody left it and never came back to get it-—

[Bigg Red]

I wonder what happened to the poor fellow. Bear? Indians? This mystery could be the basis for a great movie, but, these days, the movie would be a story of a rifle owner who refused to check his white privilege and was oppressing the poor Indians.

[Graybeard58]

I have no idea what it’s worth but I can call my buddy who is an expert in guns found against trees

You want 5,000, my guy says it's worth 2,000, I gotta go with my guy. Tell you what................I'll give you 200 bucks for it.

[TomServo]

lol - don’t think that’ll happen.

BTW - it’s a pretty nice piece...I got to hold it :-)

[WKUHilltopper]

They’re assuming that was left there in the 1880’s. Could have been last week.

[ElkGroveDan]

I have a few questions that the articles on this that are now all over the Internet don't seem to answer.

The contact surface of the tree where the gun was leaning, what did that look like? How about the ground where the butt was resting, was there an impression was there dirt caked all around the base of it? If you lean something against a tree for a very long time it tends to become part of the tree. Same with the ground. Something resting on the ground for a long time has a way of settling in.

My hunch is that someone recently found this down a ravine, or hidden between large rocks and then stood it up there.

[Swanks]

I think it kind of a stretch to think it was there for 132 years. Appears the thinking is: Take manufacturing date and add 20 years when it would be an older less valuable rifle. I suspect it was taken out there much later maybe 1920 or so when it was really a relic and not worth much. Probable one last try to fire it - didn't perform well, and [whoever] didnt want the hastle of lugging it back.

Because I can't see it remaining upright in the elements for 132 years.

[Bob434]

aww shucks, ok then, well, I hate to do it, but I’ll offer $20 then- lol

[pabianice]

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0734541/

[jazusamo]

Agreed, I have the same thoughts. For sure it hasn’t been leaning against that juniper for anywheres near a hundred years.