Posted on 01/14/2015 6:40:49 PM PST by 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.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
LOL
Awwww, it’ll buff right out.
Ping to a nice find.
I was thinking about this. If the gun were resting against the tree when it was just a bush back then could it have been still standing as the tree grew into a tree?
cool thx
Pretty cool!
Gotta think of the scene in Jeremiah Johnson where he finds the dead mountain man with a note bequeathing his rifle to whoever finds him, and hoping that it’s a white man. “Being of sound mind and broke legs ...”
The photo does not look realistic. I think the gun was placed in that location recently.
...
Just watched that movie this weekend
First thing that came to mind. ;-)
My first thought too LOL!
The only reason the place isn’t covered with old small towns and cabins is because they mostly got burned or scavenged/dismantled on the advent of reasonably priced off road capable vehicles like surplus jeeps, power wagons and the second+ hand Broncos, Scouts, etc...
I’ve found 45-70 casings and cartridges in the high Sierra where the casings were nice but the cartridge I found was rotted open, probably just a hint of moisture need get in to powder to roach them.
I’d be climate and them being in the tube there though would give any loaded in it still being fire able, all be it maybe just a fizzle.
In that arid climate
Clean it up and shoot it with a cowboy BP load
I bet it’s fine
I got 1000 rounds of .303 British made in 1918 and the 400 or so I’ve fired have all been perfect. The Enfield needs sore cleaning after a batch of them though!
No. The gun was probably not there for 132 years. The gun is old, but might have been left there much more recently.
[[132 Year-old Winchester rifle found against a tree at Great Basin National Park]]
Dangit, so that’s where I left it?”
[[Have a buddy who owns one. His uncle paid $5 for it.]]
Tell him I’ll give him $10 for it
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