A pretty Novel Find

[Steve D]

http://www.winchesterguns.com/news/articles/132-year-old-model-1873-found-against-a-tree-at-great-basin-nati.html

Original story of the "Forgotten Winchester."

132-year-old Model 1873 found against a tree at Great Basin National Park.

Recently employees of the National Park Service found an original Winchester Model 1873 rifle leaning against a gnarled juniper tree in a remote part of the sprawling Great Basin National Park in Nevada.

According to Nichole Andler, Chief of Interpretation at Great Basin National Park, “The rifle, exposed for all those years 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.”

“Engraved on the rifle is 'Model 1873,' identifying it distinctly as a Winchester Model 1873 repeating rifle,” continued Andler. “The serial number on the lower tang corresponds in Winchester records held at the Center for the West at the Cody Firearms Museum in Cody, Wyoming, with a manufacture and shipping date of 1882. But the detailed history of this rifle is as yet unknown.”

While the specific history of the aged Winchester rifle is as yet unknown, the opportunities for speculation are rich. Perhaps it belonged to a lone cowboy riding the high range. Perhaps it was set aside by a sourdough prospector in his search for a vein of rich ore. Whatever the actual story, it has the makings of a great campfire tale.

 

[ny hunter]

Pretty cool.

[rob-c]

That’s pretty cool..

[mowin]

If only that rifle could talk. 

Now get ready for the idiots to come out of the woodwork and say it was their great grandfather rifle, and there dad lost it in the sixties. 

[Rattler]

The rifle was found in 2014 and has had it's manufacture date determined.  There is no way of knowing how long it has been out there against the tree however.  Nobody knows how it got there, or what is the story behind it's travels, so it will just remain a curio and relic with an interesting origin.  The rifle was loaded when found.

My guess is, some old timer carrying it in the early 1900's or so, put it down for some reason, and suffering from dementia or "old timers" disease, forgot where he left it.

[wolc123]

Young and dumb is another possibility:

That reminds me of something I did on my first year deer hunting, when I was 16.  I had made a climbing tree stand in metal-shop at school that year.   I was carrying it by a strap on my right shoulder and I had my grandad's Ithaca 16 gauge shotgun in my left hand, as I was walking through the woods (not on a trail), about an hour before sunrise on opening day.   Not knowing exactly where I was, in the big woods across the street, I stopped and leaned the gun against a tree.  I took the compass and flashlight out of my pocket, to get my bearings.  

I then continued off in the westerly direction, reaching the far edge of the woods, and crossing an overgrown field to a hedgerow on the opposite side.  When I got to the tree I wanted to climb, I realized that I did not have my gun.  It was still a half hour before sunrise and quite dark.   I attached the stand to the tree and back-tracked to try and find my gun.  Somehow, I was able to walk almost directly to it, despite the darkness and having no clear trail.  

It was a bit after sunrise, when I finally got up in that tree.  A large buck showed up about an hour later.  I think I missed him clean at 40 yards.  It was my first sighting of a deer while hunting, and I think "buck-fever" prevented me from bringing up the rear sight properly.  I imagine that my shot went over his back.  

During the off-season, I mounted a Weaver 1.5X scope on that gun.   That corrected the "sight-picture" issue, and I have not missed a deer with that gun over the next 37 seasons.   I am very thankful that I found it that day long ago and that it did not end up like that old Winchester.   Dozens of whitetails likely think otherwise however.   

 

Edited January 18, 2020 by wolc123

[Rattler]

I was turkey hunting with my camo Mossberg 835 and put it down on the forest floor while looking for a spot to build a ground blind.  I wasn't 15 yards from it, but couldn't see it.  It took me at least 2 minutes to find it and it was already light at the time. 

[Nomad]

Shot a buck that was just inside a thicket with my ML, leaned ML against tree and went after it with a handgun, due to how thick it was in there . By the time I found the deer it was pitch black , I then dragged it the wrong direction, by the time I figured out where the Hell I was , I had no idea where the gun was .

Was planning on coming back the next day, but by chance I finally found it , once I got my bearings again .

[Curmudgeon]

Then there was the time I dragged a deer a half mile uphill to home. I don't know what would have happened had my dad hadn't been there. He asked, where's your shotgun? A half mile walk back to where it was leaning against a tree next to a gut pile an another half mile back up hill.

[grampy]

I've lost all kinds of stuff in the woods while hunting. My firearm was never one of the things lost though. Even for a few minutes. Just lucky I guess?

The story of this old Winchester Model 1873, has been around for awhile now. I've got a vivid imagination, so I've dreamed up all kinds of scenarios that could have put that rifle there. But it was probably something as simple as someone setting it down while taking a wizz, checking a shoe on their horse. Then mounting up, riding away to only realize it was missing later. And not being able to find the exact spot again.

[The_Real_TCIII]

Then there was the time I dragged a deer a half mile uphill to home. I don't know what would have happened had my dad hadn't been there. He asked, where's your shotgun? A half mile walk back to where it was leaning against a tree next to a gut pile an another half mile back up hill.

I did the very same thing a few years back on opening day. Had to go back in the dark


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[NFA-ADK]

I use to bust my friends chops about using the GPS ALL THE TIME.  Well one day he was still hunting in the ADK deep woods and heard a noise when he went to pull up his gun he realized he left it at one of the locations earlier in the day.  Lucky for him he was able to back track and retrieve the gun a few hours later.  Browning stainless stalker in 30-06 bolt action.  

[wolc123]

In all the excitement after killing a nice deer, I have lost several items, including a nice Shrade sharp-finger knife and the Barnett rope-pulley cocking device for my crossbow.   The two T-handles that I made to replace than work a lot better than the original device (I might even be able to reload fast enough with them to get off a second bolt if it was ever necessary).  I still miss that knife though.      

[Nomad]

43 minutes ago, wolc123 said:

In all the excitement after killing a nice deer, I have lost several items, including a nice Shrade sharp-finger knife

And this is why I always check around gut  piles for knives and watches .

Edited January 18, 2020 by Nomad

[crappyice]

And this is why I always check around but piles for knives and watches .

That’s hard core....Do you find much that hasn’t been tainted by stomach and intestine juices?!? And that “butt” is usually spelled with two t’s.
You’re welcome!


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[wolc123]

57 minutes ago, Nomad said:

And this is why I always check around but piles for knives and watches .

Tacks left a butt-out by one a few years ago.

[Nomad]

23 minutes ago, crappyice said:

That’s hard core....Do you find much that hasn’t been tainted by stomach and intestine juices?!? And that “butt” is usually spelled with two t’s.
You’re welcome!


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Aw..... auto correct strikes again !

Only found one knife and that was returned to its owner later in the day .

[The_Real_TCIII]

Tacks left a butt-out by one a few years ago.

False: I threw it so far I required Tommy John surgery