🥇 BANNER Dream find realized...and it tells a story!

Ironman!

Sr. Member
Mar 25, 2009
381
309
🥇 Banner finds
2
Detector(s) used
MXT/Gold Bug Pro
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I know some of you out there were like me back when I was a kid...a dreamer! In my preteens I absolutely loved watching the old western movies and even those swashbucklers having those great adventures. I always dreamed of finding buried treasure or a gun that someone lost in a gunfight!! I would literally have these dreams in my early teens of a shootout on a hill or cliff with the bad guy being shot off his horse and his gun that was in his hand ends up going over the side too. Well after getting into the hobby in 1975 and graduating from coinshooting to my passion of relic hunting in 1987, one of my dreams has been fulfilled...not buried treasure, but finding a complete revolver!! Not only finding, but eyeballing it!!!

Here is the story - I decided to break away from my norm of relic hunting and hunt a local route used by emigrants, trappers, miners, soldiers, etc. After pretty much exhausting the day with some occasional lead & Henry shell casings being found and a friendly wave to the rancher and his dog as they pass by on his ATV, I change my strategy. I noticed some high rock outcroppings away from the normal area traveled and on a whim started up a wash to go hunt them. Some more fired round balls were found along with various caliber fired bullets. Then, there...about 15 feet ahead, on the side of the wash, under a bush, I thought I saw a cylinder of a gun peaking out through the grass! Upon getting closer to it I knew I wasn't dreaming, it was a cylinder. My immediate thought went back to my childhood days and the countless dreams of finding a complete gun. As I slowly bent down to check it out and the closer I got, I could barely see the grip under the grass!! My heart really started racing then and I was so hoping that it was in a whole state. After setting down my detector and taking the "as found" pictures, I gently pull it from it's resting place and immediately see that it is not a whole gun. It was missing part of the barrel. I turned it over and then saw the big picture! In the lower part of the barrel were round balls all compressed together still fused together attached to the barrel. No wonder the barrel blew apart! I then noticed that half of the main spring was missing and there was one round ball still in the cylinder! After some pics. were taken of the revolver my main focus was now on finding the blown apart barrel, even if it took me until dark! Fortunately for me, it only took me about 20 seconds!! There about 1 foot away was the barrel, the other half of the main spring and a conical bullet!!! You can just imagine how ecstatic I was in finding the rest of the revolver!!!! It may not be a whole gun but it is a whole gun pieced together and what a story it tells!!!!! Because, in the blown off barrel piece I find another bullet wedged in it as well! I have spun so many scenarios in my mind as to just how this happened and what was going on that I think I could write the screenplay for a movie!!!!! What do you guys & gals think?

Research - Upon researching it I believe what I have is an 1851 Model Colt Navy Revolver. The serial number is 134083 and my hunting partner CC Hunter researched it to have been manufactured in 1863. Right in the middle of the Civil War!!!!!!! Also upon researching, found that it was a popular gun used by such guys as Wild Bill Hickok, Doc Holliday, Robert E. Lee, Quantrill's Raiders to name just a few.

I hope you can appreciate one of my personal dream finds becoming a reality! I would even go on to say that I am placing it right up there with one of my "top 10 finds" I have ever found!! Yes, even more so than some of my gold coins I have found! (and I have found two more since my last time posting)

Okay enough of the dialogue...here are the pics.!!

IM
 

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Upvote 95

joesmarbles

Hero Member
Sep 17, 2012
633
590
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I know the guy who fired that gun! His name is "Stumpy".....Joe McDonough
 

ANTIQUARIAN

Gold Member
Apr 24, 2010
12,841
27,384
Upper Canada 🇨🇦
🥇 Banner finds
1
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
3
Detector(s) used
XP Deus, Lesche Piranha 35 Shovel & 'Garrett Carrot'
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
I certainly can appreciate one of your personal dream finds becoming a reality IM! :hello2:
Congratulations on having eye good enough to spot the gun, then the where with all to search for the 'lost' barrel!

Congrats on making the BANNER with that incredible find!
Dave
 

Michiganne

Silver Member
Mar 27, 2007
4,402
550
SW Michigan
Detector(s) used
Explorer SE
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Congrats on one unique find, Ironman! :hello2: Too bad we'll never know the whole story. WTG on the Banner, too. :thumbsup:

HH
 

MichiganMan

Sr. Member
Jun 13, 2008
452
203
Kalamazoo County, Michigan
Detector(s) used
A cheap one until I can decide on a very good brand-name one to buy.
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
That's probably the gun that Tuco lost in The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.

Fantastic find! :headbang:
 

joesmarbles

Hero Member
Sep 17, 2012
633
590
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
thanks Michigan man, in this world a little humor can go a long way.....Joe McDonough
 

Silver Tree Chaser

Bronze Member
Aug 12, 2012
1,371
2,992
🥇 Banner finds
8
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Incredible find! Very unique. I enjoyed the narrative that you provided. Funny - I now have this irresistible urge to watch The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly. Congrats on a find that takes one back to a moment in time long ago.
 

Valley Ranger

Silver Member
Mar 24, 2011
2,515
1,368
Shenandoah Valley
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
Minelab Equinox 800, Garrett AT Pro (2), Makro Racer 2, Garrett AT Pinpointer (2)
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
Epic, just epic. Congratulations!
 

OP
OP
Ironman!

Ironman!

Sr. Member
Mar 25, 2009
381
309
🥇 Banner finds
2
Detector(s) used
MXT/Gold Bug Pro
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
"Thank You" one and all for the replies, kudos, and banner votes! I was out in the field today and was pleasantly surprised to come back and see that I made the banner!! This is a good day doubly now, after almost 39 years of metal detecting I found another 1st!!! I finally found my first nickel 3 cent piece. I have found 2 silver 3 cent coins but the nickel one was still eluding me until today. It was dated 1865 and I attached a couple of pics.

Also I have to go back to work tomorrow so I will try and get on a computer some time this weekend and make the replies more personal! Thanks again everyone!! Don't stop dreaming...as I can attest to. The good Lord has really been blessing me lately in the finds department!!! From mid 19th century silver & gold coins to a really nice gold quartz specimen. Not to mention the cool relics I find consistently.

IM
 

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greaser

Sr. Member
Oct 21, 2014
265
74
minnesota
Detector(s) used
Nokta Fors CoRe, Bounty Hunter Land Ranger PRO, Fisher F2
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Wow that is an amazing find and story, thanks for allowing us to enjoy it.
 

Yard Digger

Sr. Member
Dec 20, 2009
370
91
Manila, Arkansas
Detector(s) used
Bounty Hunter Pioneer 101 with Bounty Hunter Headphones and TX-2002 Pin Pointer
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I saw that gun up in the banner and I just knew there would be good story to read about it and you did tell a great story Ironman. Thanks for sharing.
 

Devonrex

Sr. Member
Jan 6, 2012
351
1,260
SE Virginia
🥇 Banner finds
4
Detector(s) used
XP DEUS, Nautilus DMC IIB
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
What an awesome find! I am very happy for you! Definitely banner worthy! Devonrex
 

Dec 12, 2010
311
147
Kentucky
Detector(s) used
Fisher Gold Bug DP, Fisher F19 LTD, Minelab Safari, Garrett AT Pro, Garrett AT Pro Pointer, Garrett Pro Pointer, Lesche Digger, Lesche Ground Shark Shovel, 9.5x5.5 NEL Sharpshooter Coil (Safari), 9.5x
Holy crap, that's awesome! :icon_thumleft: Voted Banner.
 

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myfantasia1

Sr. Member
Oct 3, 2008
496
167
Colorado, Denver
Detector(s) used
Ace 350, and now AP Pro. and AP Pro Pointer
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
So Happy for you. That is an amazing find. Glad that it was a dream come true for you. Congrats
:occasion14:
 

fongu

Bronze Member
Mar 30, 2012
1,335
875
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Gut instincts, attention to detail and eyes like an eagle led to a great find. Got my imagination working over time and wondering if this man or woman was facing outlaws, Indians or a wild animal and if he survived the gun exploding in his hand, did he survive the reason he was firing the gun in the first place. Walter Mitty would have a field day with this story....I can't remember the author who wrote the Walter Mitty stories, but he had the imagination of a child and a world traveler at the same time. Dream on because dreams do come true.
 

bofusmosby

Jr. Member
Apr 28, 2011
95
61
Tampa Florida
Detector(s) used
Many many different ones
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
This is one outstanding find! I have found a few guns over the years, but nothing to come even close to the age of/or the story of yours. OK, let's see if we can figure out a few things by simple logic.

1) Who ever was firing (and loading) this gun was scared, and because of this, some mistakes were made. My guess would be that he/she was in fear of his /her life, and trying their best to protect their own life.

2) In order for there to be these rounds jammed in the barrel, my guess would be that either the the barrel was damaged, or more probable would be that dirt or mud became jammed in the barrrel, causing these rounds to jam.

3) Because of the panic'ed state of the shooter, a low measure of power was being used. If a full charge was being used, the barrel would have blown from the first jam.

4) In order to have this many jammed rounds, it is obvious that the shooter had no idea that any of of these rounds were becoming jammed.

5) The owner of this revolver was fighting for their own survival.


Most of these can be ascertained by simple logic. I would dig very deep with your research. You may find out more of the actual story involved with you treasure.
 

dieselfool

Full Member
Dec 27, 2012
208
293
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
That is so cool! I have read stories of soldiers in the civil war who had misfires in the heat of battle and reloaded their already-loaded rifle. When it fired with the stacked loads the gun inevitably blew.
In this case the shooter kept firing, not realizing that a bullet had stuck so nothing was coming out the muzzle, and kept firing until the barrel let go. What caused him to be so preoccupied that he failed to notice? He had to be shooting as fast as he could thumb back the hammer. I agree with others that the person's life was in danger. And what happened when his gun went permanently silent? I hope he could still run.
 

uglymailman

Bronze Member
Feb 3, 2010
1,266
1,463
Very cool find and congrats on the Banner.
To play Devil's Advocate to bofusmosby. The person that fired that gun did not necessarily have to be in fear of their lives. I can see drunken Cowboy,miner or an Indian that had never really seen one before.
I wonder if just firing a cap can propel a ball with no powder in the chamber?
It reminded me of a story in the 60's where a Civilian had been found sitting up in a nest of rocks with a Trapdoor Springfield still in his hands with the hammer back. He had been there for nearly 100 years. I never saw a follow up. I think it was in NM or AZ. I figure THAT guy was in fear of his life.
Good luck.
 

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