01-15-2015, 11:26 PM
(01-15-2015 11:31 AM)caprock Wrote: [ -> ]That's really cool!
I lived in the Great Basin of Nevada for several years and the air is so dry there, that if you pull out a couple of pieces of bread to make a sandwich, and don't do it right away, within about 20 minutes the bread is already getting pretty crispy!
Totally believable that this gun survived in that climate.
Actually it doesn't surprise me a bit that it's still in pretty good shape. Out here in the Southwest the lack of moisture mummifies everything , I'm reminded of that every morning when I brush my teeth and look in the mirror to see Yoda looking back at me.
The tree that thing was leaning against is probably 200 to 250 years old and has grain rings that are microscopic. I've cut Utah Junipers ( some call them Cedar here) for firewood and your chain saw sparks because of all the sand and grit that gets grown over by the bark. Up in the mountains where there's actually some moisture the logs left from the timber industry 100 years ago have never rotted , they just petrify. The sap solidifies and turns into an explosive fuel when it ignites in a forest fire and burns
like creosote soaked railroad ties.
That's a terrific find that may well have been standing next to that tree for more than a century--wouldn't doubt the possibility a bit.