1873 Winchester found against tree

Mack C-85 · Jan 14, 2015

WOW!!!!!!Wifey sent me this!

NPS workers find an 1873 Winchester leaning against a tree......

http://www.winchesterguns.com/library/articles/detail.asp?id=652

SummitCnty · Jan 14, 2015

Would love to know the story behind that and how long it was there.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

MattTheGunslinger · Jan 14, 2015

That is awesome! Would love to hear it's story.

Jimet · Jan 14, 2015

That's to effin cool. Reminds of Jeramia Johnson finding the 50 in the froze trappers hand.

44man · Jan 14, 2015

is that where I left it?? just kiddin, that's cool!!

vinjet700 · Jan 14, 2015

That is amazing. Makes me wonder the story to how it ended up there.... Start the imagination

kenpo333 · Jan 14, 2015

Can you imagine the excitement of finding it. One minute you are walking in the woods and the next you find an historic firearm. Gets me a little excited.

engineerbrian · Jan 14, 2015

Jimet said:
That's to effin cool. Reminds of Jeramia Johnson finding the 50 in the froze trappers hand.

Hatchet Jack.....

Love to know the story too

Streetgang · Jan 14, 2015

Really cool find!

BossmanPJ · Jan 14, 2015

Man that is cool! I would love to stumble across a classic winchester somewhere. Can't imagine the owner would just not come back for it. Something must have happened to him.

WeaponsCollector · Jan 14, 2015

Very cool! I have a similar '73 Winchester, my sister found it in the trash in front of an old house that was being renovated. It was wrapped in a blanket and most likely hidden under the porch and forgotten.

fidelity · Jan 14, 2015

Shipped out in 1882. There were still some Native American/Indian conflicts at this time, but don't know if Great Basin National Park would have been close to one. The 1873 was certainly popular with the Sioux and the Apache (which were in different geographic areas), so could have been adopted by other tribes. Wonder if it was forgotten by a tree, the owner was killed and somehow separated from the firearm, or a rifle might have been left near a burial. Really amazing find.

Alea Jacta Est · Jan 14, 2015

I've often heard said "if only that old gun could talk..."

Clifjr · Jan 14, 2015

http://www.ksl.com/?sid=33093460&nid=1070&fm=home_page&s_cid=toppick1
What a find!

Overboost44 · Jan 14, 2015

Anthony Brown was there...

fidelity · Jan 14, 2015

Clifjr said:
http://www.ksl.com/?sid=33093460&nid=1070&fm=home_page&s_cid=toppick1
What a find!

Nice pics in the linked article. Must resist the urge to take my 1873 out of the safe to admire it ...

fidelity · Jan 14, 2015

Some famous pictures of 1873 Winchesters from the same era that this gun was lost.

Billy the Kid in New Mexico

Geronimo in a final surrender negotiation with the U.S. (across the Arizona border in Mexico) ... Geronimo's son Chappo, second from the left, with an 1873 (Geronimo is on the far right) ...

Apache_chieff_Geronimo_(right)_and_his_warriors_in_1886.jpg

Geronimo frequently raided and killed "white eyes" (as the Apaches referred to them) in the Arizona territory to get cartridges for the Apache's beloved rifles, so they could return to Mexico and kill even more. Geronimo hated the Mexicans - they had killed his mother, first wife and kids - when he was a young warrior. Geronimo was photographed with a 50-caliber Springfield a few times, and is reported to have turned in an 1866 Winchester, 1876 Winchester, a Colt SAA, and Bowie knife upon his final surrender.

Buffalo Bill Cody

Half-cocked · Jan 14, 2015

“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.”

It's friggin' cool, that they were able to glean a serial number from it after so many years exposed to the elements.

I hope that somehow, someday, they're able to learn who the original purchaser was, and perhaps piece together the gun's history from there.

protegeV · Jan 14, 2015

now that is just too freaking cool :thumbsup:

Boom Boom · Jan 14, 2015

Judging by the furniture, it's been there a very long time. Incredible it didn't fall down and end up lost to history.

1873 Winchester found against tree

The #1 community for Gun Owners of the Northeast

Member Benefits:

R.I.P.

Ultimate Member

Ultimate Member

Active Member

Ultimate Member

No one of significance

Ultimate Member

JMB fan club

OP4

Ultimate Member

EXTREME GUN OWNER

Attachments

piled higher and deeper

Extinguished member

Active Member

6th gear

piled higher and deeper

piled higher and deeper

Senior Meatbag

Ready to go

Hold my beer. Watch this.

Users who are viewing this thread

Log in

Forum statistics