Found an old gun.

[appagohm]

Sweet, I have a DSLR camera that sees no action anymore. Do you travel alone or with some people as it does seem peacefull and nice but you never know what may happen.

[olhunter]

How do you find buried glass?
Just randomly dig around and hope you don't break it with the shovel?

[rod]

I used to find old dump sites out in the desert. Those were loaded with glass bottles. I collected several hundred over the years. Unfortunatly, they're not worth much. I gave my collection to a friend who decorated her house with antique stuff. I once found a single shot 22 at an abandoned mine out in the desert. It still worked. I'll post a picture one of these days. Now I'm into Civil War relics. It's kinda hard to find places to hunt relics in Virginia, but there's still a lot to be found on a few pieces of public land. Private property is the best. So far I've found several mini balls and some buttons.

[Spyder]

That's an AWESOME find. Totally irrepairable, but way cool still. Start looking into what .32 revolvers were popular in that era and see if you can find any distinguishing features. The shape of the butt could lead you in the right direction.

[diginit]

I used to find old dump sites out in the desert. Those were loaded with glass bottles. I collected several hundred over the years. Unfortunatly, they're not worth much. I gave my collection to a friend who decorated her house with antique stuff. I once found a single shot 22 at an abandoned mine out in the desert. It still worked. I'll post a picture one of these days. Now I'm into Civil War relics. It's kinda hard to find places to hunt relics in Virginia, but there's still a lot to be found on a few pieces of public land. Private property is the best. So far I've found several mini balls and some buttons.

I wouldn't say these are not valuable. Civil war buttons are also. The green Carters 1897 ink is worth $75-$90 depending upon condition. The Ginger bottle is worth $45-$70. This one is excellent and worth 70 easy. Could go higher on ebay. But I'm not a seller. Just a collector. Still need to research weather or not the Longfelds is rare. My collection is already willed to a nearby museum. Won't they be suprised.
The gun has no monitary value, But is priceless to me. I found a piece of history. Wish it could talk... I'm glad so many people find our history as interesting as I.

[bjl333]

I found Bambi once! Guess dad was someones' dinner. Mom wasn't around either...Took this pic from about 5'.

What ever happened to Bambi ???

[diginit]

How do you find buried glass?
Just randomly dig around and hope you don't break it with the shovel?

Very carefully. It's all about knowing where to look and probing with a spring steel rod. Glass makes a different sound than rocks or steel. Privy diggers use 8' rods. I usually don't dig that deep. Most of my finds are within 3' of the surface. My oldest bottle is dated 1840 to 1860. Ca was declared a state in 1850. Here's part of my collection. Everything here is pre 1900. The carters ink fits perfectly. The bottle that looks like a milk bottle is a pickle jar. Everything was smaller 100 years ago. The German agate marble in front/center is worth 90 bucks.This part of my collection, about $1000. I have alot more on other shelves.

[bsg]

i would guess the fellow that owned the handgun met his end somewhere close by.

[JRob]

It seems strange that it has no barrel

[diginit]

It seems strange that it has no barrel

You noticed! Smart. It's snapped about 1/16" into the frame. The hammer and hammer screw has been completely removed also. That's the reason I think it was a either a miners' wife or even the miner that didn't want it in the homestead anymore. The hammer pin should still be in the frame unless someone pulled it. It is a clean hole in the frame. I'm not sure if the barrel was broken off by the owner or a bulldozer. No way to tell unless I meet the owner in the afterlife...

[SickofSoCal]

Real sweet dude!

I collect old soda bottles. My favorite era being about 1910 to around 1960.

[bruceflinch]

Neat!

[Mr. Burns]

Nice collection you have going there!

[diginit]

Nice collection you have going there!

Thanks. This is maybe 1/4 of it. Been doing this awhile. The screen name "Diginit" is a carryover from antique-bottles.net. Years ago...I've actually found a hand etched cream bottle from Ashire Farms, Which is now Stanford University. Have no idea what it's worth yet. Not that I care.
As for the gun. It was manufactured without a trigger guard. By the way it was disassembled. I really think that someone was really upset when they junked it... I am assuming that an accidental discharge is responsible. I hope no one was accidentally killed with it. There is no way to tell for sure...But all the evidence points towards this conclusion. It was found in an 1890-1920's dumpsite, Seems deliberately disguarded. The hammer removed and the barrel broken off. Any other conclusions???

This particular piece of history really makes me wonder...Bottles and marbles can be easily explained, dated, and appraised. But this is firearm is open to interpitation and imagination.

If any gun I own ever accidentally hurt someone I cared about, I'd beat the hell out of it and bury it also. Lives and limbs are hard to replace. Guilt and sorrow last a lifetime.

[yzErnie]

I always thought the old mining sites (like Calico) were protected by the Historical Preservation Act...or is that just for certain locations?