http://www.winchesterguns.com/librar...ail.asp?id=652

This is a neat story. The firearm was made in 1882, and obviously spent a long time in the elements, but I think it was placed against the juniper in more recent years.

Not because the tree would have grown around it - not out there it wouldn't. The Great Basin is total desert, and everything looks half dead. They don't even grow good sagebrush out there. There's a story that goes with the rifle, but leaning against a tree for 60 or 80 years isn't part of it though.

 

Thanks for sharing Ted, was a neat story

 

Very interesting story.

I sure wish that Winchester '73 could talk. I sure would like to know where it's been and who the 'dummy' was that left it layin' there!

 

It would be interesting to see what overall kind of terrain that was found. A lot of places like the photo show with cedars or junipers are dry creekbed washes, they don't see water very often, but when they do, watch out. It just seems to me the stock would have been almost completely buried after any serious length of time if in a dry wash. On a dry cliff edge, that would be different.

 

i did not read this article, but did read one that said it was found in an area that was very hard to access, and that is most likely why it was never found until just recently. .

 

They must mean really hard to access, the whole place is pretty desolate I bet. Have spent a lot of time pokin' around places like that. The jeep trails were made by cowboys, ranchers, uranium prospectors and not a little dynamite. Still amazing some of the stuff laying around out there.

 

I think they should be looking for a pile of bones nearby....a "bar" or mountain lion could have had a nice supper....

 

This rifle and its story are the things of legend. All legend has shred of truth it. We probably will never know that truth, but I do wish I had found it. :-)

 

Yeah me too! Half the fun of those places is poking around to see what's what. Ya never know. Well, kind of. Coffee cans, tobacco tins and old beer cans. The dry desert air preserves things a lot better. Like this gem from Arizona or Utah, no rifles yet. Always on the lookout for a pair of Navy Colts though, ha ha