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The mystery of the 132-year-old Winchester rifle found propped against a national park tree
Post ^ | 1/14/15 | Elahe Izadi

Posted on 01/15/2015 6:23:25 AM PST by NowApproachingMidnight

Archaeologists conducting surveys in Nevada’s Great Basin National Park came upon a gun frozen in time: a .44-40 Winchester rifle manufactured in 1882. It was propped up against a juniper tree.


(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: History; Outdoors
KEYWORDS: 1873; 1882; banglist; godsgravesglyphs; greatbasin; greatbasinnp; guns; history; model1873; nationalpark; nevada; park; rifle; rifles; treasure; winchester; winchester73; winchesterrifle
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To: NowApproachingMidnight

If I had found it you wouldn’t be reading about it.


41 posted on 01/15/2015 7:09:25 AM PST by rfreedom4u (Do you know who Barry Soetoro is?)
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To: WKUHilltopper
Maybe it was at home, enjoying a pipe and a quiet evening alone, then decided to take a walk and just went off accidentally in the woods.

Firearms will do that kind of thing, you know.

42 posted on 01/15/2015 7:11:39 AM PST by Fightin Whitey
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To: NowApproachingMidnight

I was wondering if the feds are going to destroy it just because they can?


43 posted on 01/15/2015 7:16:46 AM PST by Duckdog (If it wasn't for NASCAR my TV would have gone out the window years ago!)
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To: Fightin Whitey

LOL! There should be a law that all rifles have a compass imbedded in their stocks. That way they won’t get lost.


44 posted on 01/15/2015 7:26:32 AM PST by WKUHilltopper (And yet...we continue to tolerate this crap...)
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To: Tijeras_Slim
It's a model 1873.

Is that the same one in the movie, Winchester '73 with Jimmy Stewart and Shelly Winters? I love that movie.

45 posted on 01/15/2015 7:27:24 AM PST by sportutegrl
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To: al_c

Exactamundo.


46 posted on 01/15/2015 7:29:20 AM PST by Mr. Lucky
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To: sportutegrl

Yes.

Herb Parsons did the trick shooting in the movie. He was Winchester’s showman in the 50’s.


47 posted on 01/15/2015 7:29:54 AM PST by Tijeras_Slim
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To: CrazyIvan
If it was an AK, I would have tried it.

/johnny

48 posted on 01/15/2015 7:39:54 AM PST by JRandomFreeper (gone Galt)
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To: NowApproachingMidnight

1873 Winchester, one of the most beautifully designed rifles ever made.


49 posted on 01/15/2015 7:52:05 AM PST by Ruy Dias de Bivar
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To: babble-on

A century in the open would have resulted in much more rust that what this pic shows, even accounting for a very dry climate.


50 posted on 01/15/2015 7:53:38 AM PST by jstaff
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To: jstaff

that’s a question the scientists will answer, but a good point to raise. Also, if it had been leaning against the tree that long, wouldn’t the tree have engulfed it to some extent, the way cedars do to barbed wire fences? Unless it’s a REALLY slow growing tree, and a REALLY dry climate.


51 posted on 01/15/2015 8:07:37 AM PST by babble-on
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To: jstaff

that’s a question the scientists will answer, but a good point to raise. Also, if it had been leaning against the tree that long, wouldn’t the tree have engulfed it to some extent, the way cedars do to barbed wire fences? Unless it’s a REALLY slow growing tree, and a REALLY dry climate.


52 posted on 01/15/2015 8:07:38 AM PST by babble-on
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To: MaxMax

I do not think so. The picture shows the stock resting on leaves and twigs which it would definitely not have been if there a long time.

The article said the stock was buried partly into the ground.


53 posted on 01/15/2015 8:37:01 AM PST by wbarmy (I chose to be a sheepdog once I saw what happens to the sheep.)
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To: NowApproachingMidnight
You're correct. It's a Model 1873. The octagonal barrel fooled me. And I didn't remember the 1873 having a sideplate on the receiver.

My mistake.

So it appears to be an 1873 manufactured in 1882. But that doesn't mean it's been sitting against that tree since 1882.

54 posted on 01/15/2015 8:38:55 AM PST by IronJack
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To: IronJack

Probably have you arrested for having a firearm on protected land.


55 posted on 01/15/2015 8:39:18 AM PST by TheThirdRuffian (RINOS like Romney, McCain, Christie are sure losers. No more!)
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To: al_c

Thanks for that! Sure sounds like a non event.....in another time it would be a big deal....oh well....nothing to see here. Moving on....


56 posted on 01/15/2015 8:39:27 AM PST by uncitizen (When's the last time you heard: "It's a free country"?)
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To: NowApproachingMidnight

I doubt if there is any mystery. It’s a hunting rifle. The guy (or gal) got a muley, had to drag it out, set his gun down, then couldn’t remember where in the tarnation it was when he went back to get it.

It happened before the National Park was created on October 27, 1986, and hunting was still allowed. The gun even old at that point, probably didn’t shoot well, didn’t have a scope, and didn’t have a lot of monetary value therefore not a great deal of time was spent looking for it. My dad let me use his rifle just like that in the 70’s so I could hunt. Of course Dad had a newer 30.06 with a scope - the relics were used by kids and for plinking.


57 posted on 01/15/2015 8:47:03 AM PST by colorcountry (The gospel will transform our politics, not vice versa (Romans 12:1,2))
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To: IronJack

“But that doesn’t mean it’s been sitting against that tree since 1882.”

_______________________________________________________

Exactly! Someone could have left it there, for whatever reason, at some point during the 20th century. We’ll probably never know the exact year.


58 posted on 01/15/2015 8:57:54 AM PST by july4thfreedomfoundation (Everytime the cash register rings in a gun store, a Founding Father gets his wings.)
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To: babble-on

Babs Boxer might want to know if the rangers with the rifle have had their background checks done.


59 posted on 01/15/2015 9:51:39 AM PST by DPMD
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To: NowApproachingMidnight
So one guy has a glove on one hand..and not on the other.

And the other guy has a compass dangling..and a bandaged right hand!

What's up with these guy's?? ha!!

60 posted on 01/15/2015 9:54:32 AM PST by Osage Orange (I have strong feelings about gun control. If there's a gun around, I want to be controlling it.)
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