132 year old Winny found in the desert.

[wallenba]

Just came across this article with pics, nice story. Wish it was me that found it. :smile:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/01/14/the-mystery-of-the-132-year-old-winchester-rifle-found-propped-against-a-national-park-tree/

[shredder]

Wow. Pretty cool. No hope for that stock though. I hope they keep it just like it is and lean it against a fake tree in a museum so it can get back to living out it's life in peace!

[MtGun44]

Third thread on this one.

Bill

[waksupi]

Third thread on this one.

Bill
Fourth.

[osteodoc08]

Fourth.

Maybe WILCO should start a poll about it. What to do with the found rifle....

[725]

How old do you think the tree is?

[Markbo]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?265864-Old-Winchester-found-in-the-woods

[wallenba]

Oops... missed all the other posts.

[quilbilly]

How old do you think the tree is? From the picture, easily 200 years old and possibly much much older.

[wallenba]

From the picture, easily 200 years old and possibly much much older.

Is that one of those 'Joshua' trees? I heard they can live thousands of years, and still look almost dead. We don't have them back here.

[ammohead]

Joshua tree looks like a yucca. Nothing like a juniper. You may be thinking of the Bristlecone Pine some of which were around when Jesus walked the earth.

This is just living proof that ADD is not a new malady. Someone absent mindedly set it down and didn't remember it until his wagon was days down the road or someones child who did not sit down for the rest of the trip!

[rhbrink]

I would be betting that the owner is resting not far away.

RB

[Alexn20]

This was posted by a forum member in the random facebook photo thread but it belongs here:

128383

[fouronesix]

How old do you think the tree is?

Looks like one of the Juniper Spp. of the high desert areas of the SW or W. Doesn't look like a really old tree but hard to tell from the photo.

But hey, old Win 73 found leaning up against a tree…… let the imagination run wild. :)

While not common, guns have been found and continue to be found all over the place. Because the gun is 132 years old doesn't mean it's been there for that long. The metal condition and the stock deterioration look like it's been there quite awhile though. An interesting novelty conversation piece- yes. A priceless antique of great historic value- no... not without provenance.

Generally those things are simply called relics. A friend found a similar Win 73 out on the plains of Eastern Colorado in the area of an old broken down homestead. Of great value- no. A conversation piece- yes. Interesting that he also found a Colt M1851 in the bottom of a small creek. Of great value- no. A conversation piece- yes. Heck, when I was 9 years old, I found an H&A single shot 16 ga (ca 1900) leaning up against a tree. Cleaned it up and used it to hunt birds with until I was 18 years old. Still have it. :)

[bouncer50]

Funny a few years back a friend show me a 1860 colt pistol in bad shape. He said they were tearing down a old buliding in Chicago. They found it under the floor of the basement. Hell by the shape of it. I would guess it been down their at least a 100 years or so. How or why is any one guess.