Found a Winchester 1905 WSL rifle and Colt 1911 .45!

[theloadroom]

We are still in disbelief! I spent Saturday with a friend new to detecting/ treasure hunting and through his research found some likely areas to hunt. We left for the hills 6am to beat the heat and by 11am we had found these firearms! We were wandering up a steep ridge where he spotted a bent pipe looking object the approximate size of an exhaust pipe, examining it closely we saw more decorative features on the ends and realized it was an old head board to a cast iron bed. We then found the twisted wire section that went with it and could tell it had been in a fire. Several feet up the hill we spotted some other metal objects poking out of the pine needles and after moving the needles and miscellaneous junque aside we could see the remains of ashes and burned wood, I pulled on the end of a piece of metal and out popped the remains of the rifle ! Spence said my expression was priceless! Complete surprise, disbelief and high fives! After examining the piece and calming down slightly we started pulling more material loose and he pulls out the handgun! Now I knew what my expression looked like LOL! The gun still had a loaded magazine in it and the bulge in the grip confirmed the fire damage. We spent another fifteen minutes scratching around but found only melted crapue. We then headed out to other sites we had on the map befor the temperature rose any more. We’ll definitely go back with the detector next time and get more photo’s, hope you enjoyed the post, Scott

 

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[Ant]

Great finds. Back in 1979 while I was rabbit hunting I lost a .22 rifle. I left it leaning aganst a tree and I could never find it. I always wonder if anyone ever found it.

 

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[renegade_7]

Congrats on some fine looking relics. I would surely get back there.

 

[zlathim]

Nice finds loadroom! I would definately return to that area for further investigation. If I was you I would take a certain fellow Treasure Hunter who thinks that you are the coolest dude ever. He lives in your area, I'm sure he would accept an invite.

Think Spencer would take $20 for that Colt?

 

[bjw]

how did you determine the age of the weapons?
BJW

 

[titan]

cool finds now go back and get the rest

 

[theloadroom]

Great finds. Back in 1979 while I was rabbit hunting I lost a .22 rifle. I left it leaning aganst a tree and I could never find it. I always wonder if anyone ever found it.

Sad deal Somebody probably smiling about it now though

 

[theloadroom]

Nice finds loadroom! I would definately return to that area for further investigation. If I was you I would take a certain fellow Treasure Hunter who thinks that you are the coolest dude ever. He lives in your area, I'm sure he would accept an invite.

Think Spencer would take $20 for that Colt?

I'll have to do some reflectin' on the many local T hunters that pm me about how cool I am, man what a list! lol I'm thinkin he wouldn' take a thousand in gold dust right now, his toes were barley scrapin dirt when i last saw him 8)

 

[theloadroom]

how did you determine the age of the weapons?
BJW

WAG I believe the 1950's was the last habitation in this area so wouldn't think the owner would leave them in this area if not living there year round.

 

[r49miner]

Scott, I didn't relize you were the one that found it. If I had known you knew about such great places to MD, I'd of sold my home and moved to ##### sooner. LOL

Does that mean you'll be my friend now? :P If I tie my detector around my neck will you play with me?


I would have been your friend if I would have found the stuff, as for playing with you, UHhhh NO!

 

[theloadroom]

Scott, I didn't relize you were the one that found it. If I had known you knew about such great places to MD, I'd of sold my home and moved to ##### sooner. LOL

Does that mean you'll be my friend now? :P If I tie my detector around my neck will you play with me?

I would have been your friend if I would have found the stuff, as for playing with you, UHhhh NO!




Chicken lol

 

[MonkeyBoy]

few men would leave their guns.

Truer words have never been spoken... "Don't go back in sir.. your wife is ok.. I KNOW.. but what about my gunsssss"

 

[ivan salis]

those guns were most likely burnt in the fire amd ruined ---either the owner died in the fire and later some one scraping around found and chucked them as useless or the owner did after sorting what was left of his home--needless to say-- sadly the guns are unusible due their being in the fire---the fire had to be after 1911 for the pistol to be there but was most likely not too much later say the 20's or 30's due to the old rifle it would have a bit "out dated" past then but then again hill folks do tend to get "attached" to their old guns so who knows? ---I would check the old land deed records with rhe local tax office and see if there are any records of who might have own the land the cabin was on--it might fill in the "blanks" somewhat---Ivan

 

[MalteseFalcon]

Hey, contact the Colt and Winchester firearms companies and submit the serial numbers from each gun , that is, if you can read them, and see when they were manufactured and maybe to which dealer they were sold! Then post the results here!

 

[theloadroom]

Thankyou all for the kind words and helpfull suggestions!

MalteseFalcon not much left if you start scraping the rust off HH

 

[zlathim]

Hey theloadroom, it's been two days now, how are you coming on that research? We want to know who owned the place, when the fire happened, what started it and so on. You've had plenty of time to get it all figured out. Stop stalling!