1882 Winchester rifle found in Great Basin National Park

[mrjarrell]

For 132 years it had been leaning up against a tree, unnoticed. Now it's being preserved and will be put on display at the park. Good thing the weather there is relatively dry and that they made a good gun back then.

http://www.ksl.com/?sid=33093460&nid=

 

[Alamo]

I can't imagine just leaning a rifle against a tree and walking off. I can imagine leaning it against a tree and unexpectedly kicking the bucket, via heart attack, unfriendly bear, etc. They should look for remains nearby.

(The article's headline is goofed up - it's an 1873 Winchester, made in 1882 according to the serial number.)

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

For 132 years it had been leaning up against a tree, unnoticed.

The gun was made 132 years ago, but who knows when it was left there, maybe many years after 1882 (just saying).


There used to be a cool gun store just north of New Castle, The Ramrod (if you were ever there, you'd remember the full-body mount of the African lion in the glass case). Anyway, he also had another glass case with a very old Colt SAA pistol that had been found in a dry wash some where in the desert southwest. It looked like it could still be made to shoot. There was a little card that explained who found it and when. The serial number of that one was tracked to a hardware store in St. Louis that had sold the pistol to someone most likely as they headed out west. I miss that gun store.

 

[jblomenberg16]

Pretty cool! One of those stories that would be interesting to hear, if they ever determine the origins of the rifle. Amazing how this is an "artifact" that is going to be "preserved" and is being handled as a valuable piece of our history, yet there are those that are trying to take and destroy modern firearms away from us.

 

[87iroc]

I love those kinds of stories. Awesome it was a '73! I'd love to know its story.

 

[calcot7]

I think they better check with Jimmy Stewart's surviving relatives......

 

[chipdog4]

That little tree is older than 130 years!!!

 

[polysom01]

1873 Winchester found leaning against tree after 130 years

1882 Winchester Rifle Found Leaning on Tree in Park : Discovery News

 

[MjQ-G18]

1882 Winchester Rifle Found Leaning on Tree in Park : Discovery News

I find it surprising its lasted all this time with out someone stumbling acrost it. People discover 3000 year old sticks every day. For all the weather it has seen, its not in to bad of shape

 

[ModernGunner]

All, I ever find are old sticks!

 

[MjQ-G18]

All, I ever find are old sticks!

I am not even that lucky! Well I hope it went to a good home and is restored properly.

 

[dbrier]

It's going to a museum. I'm not surprised about the condition. Nevada is low humidity and little rain.

 

[JeremiahJohnson]

Now That's a cool story. Makes you wonder. What could happen to cause someone to walk off from their rifle and never return? Animal attack? Heart attack? If so, they may find some bones nearby. If a person was able to return to retrieve it - or a family member - surely they would have. $25 was a lot of money.

 

[jamil]

Now That's a cool story. Makes you wonder. What could happen to cause someone to walk off from their rifle and never return? Animal attack? Heart attack? If so, they may find some bones nearby. If a person was able to return to retrieve it - or a family member - surely they would have. $25 was a lot of money.

Setup camp. Get a good night's rest. Pack up and leave in the morning, forgetting the rifle. Realizing miles later that you left it leaning against the tree. Maybe you don't go back to look for it. Maybe you do and can't find your campsite. Pretty boring. But I doubt the story is much more interesting than that.

 

[halfmileharry]

Some people just can't handle their drinking, Injuns got 'em, Bad guys jumped 'em, bear ate 'em, and then .....OOPS, s.o.b, what did I do with that darn thing?

 

[Trigger Time]

Sucks the govt got it

 

[shawnba67]

Setup camp. Get a good night's rest. Pack up and leave in the morning, forgetting the rifle. Realizing miles later that you left it leaning against the tree. Maybe you don't go back to look for it. Maybe you do and can't find your campsite. Pretty boring. But I doubt the story is much more interesting than that.

So for 6 months pay, you'd look for 2hr's???? I think i'd be looking for months. Also I feel the story probably has got to be more interesting than that!

 

[jamil]

So for 6 months pay, you'd look for 2hr's???? I think i'd be looking for months. Also I feel the story probably has got to be more interesting than that!

Maybe i loses me 'nother 6 months pay if'n I doesn't bring the herd in on time.

 

[jamil]

Things usually have the simplest explanations. The exceptional part of this story is finding it still standing against the tree for all these years. The how and why, probably nowhere near as exceptional as that.

 

[STEEL CORE]

Could have been left anytime by anybody, I have a 1973 made Ruger New Model Black Hawk in .357 revolver, found on Mt Charleston, near Las Vegas NV, after being left there by somebody for only ten years and it was badly rusted and pitted. I sent it back to Ruger, who re barrelled it, re blued it, and replaced just about everything for free, keeping only the aluminum frame, and reblued still pitted cylinder.