Winchester found in the Desert

J

Jessica319

Inactive
A few years ago I found part of what looks like a Winchester rifle of some sort and can't seem to find a lot of information about it. It has the serial number on it but that's not giving me any info either. If you guys could take a look at it and get me any information as to its model or a date range that would be awesome!!
 

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You show the back half of a Winchester Model 1890 takedown pump .22 rifle.
The top tang trademark is the style used from 1912 til 1926.
The serial number would pin down the year more closely.
 
Thanks!! That looks to be exactly what it is. That's pretty impressive! The serial number is 550733. Don't know if you have access to info where that would be useful but in case you do, there it is. Thank you again!
 
Proofhouse.com and Madis say made in 1915.
Bert H. over on the Gunbroker board works at the museum and says those old date charts are not always accurate but for a dugup like that, I think 1915 is close enough.
 
Very cool indeed!

The cool factor would go way up if the story of its use and eventual loss could be found too.

I wonder if records of who it was sold to still exist.
 
And maybe not even that. Winchester always sold through a system of distributors, or to major chains like Wards or Sears. Very few sales were direct to a local store and even fewer to individuals, although some special orders were taken from notables, like Buffalo Bill or Teddy Roosevelt. A few distributors would handle Winchester rifles for huge regions, like the entire southeast. Almost needless to say, the records, beyond the Winchester books, no longer exist.

Jim
 
from RJay:

The only records that would exist is what hard ware store it was first shipped to.
Click to expand...

No, but the History Detectives could have fun with it!

More seriously, we have a rifle residing in the desert long enough for dry rot to almost completely destroy the wood in the stock but a complete serial number.

Getting a handle on the last date and location the serial number was recorded gives a place to start doing a little research on newspaper coverage of events that might shed more light on the rifle's history.
 
I suspect that rifle had been used in some less-than-legal activity and was broken down and the parts scattered. Had it just been lost, it would be in one piece.

Jim
 
You know, just thinking, it could be the same rifle that Kit Carson carried when he guided the Lewis and Clark expedition up the Rio Grande, I believe he lost it after killing the Brown Bear that charged Belle Starr. Just wondering.;)
 
I looked all over the area for more parts but it was near what used to be a drilling rig of some sort so there were cans and trash everywhere. I'm told the rig was operated using water and steam. Kind of a first time drilling set up. Anyway, the people working and living there were in the area for quite some time so there were bits and pieces of just about anything you could think of. I wonder if it had broken so they just tossed it. Like to think there's a crazy story behind it though! And considering it's from Southwest Wyoming, it almost has to have a good story!
 
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