Geringer thought he had uncovered an old toy pistol until he held it in his hands and realized it was the real deal.”

WHEATLAND – “It was a lucky find,” Fred Geringer said after he recently uncovered a heavy rusted treasure while hoeing weeds near an old Russian olive tree on his property east of Wheatland.
He had decided to hack the weeds unable to be reached by the lawn mower and hit something metallic at the base of a tree planted over 80 years ago. Approximately four to six inches below the surface, Geringer thought he had uncovered an old toy pistol until he held it in his hands and realized it was the real deal. No toy would have used that much high-quality iron or been so realistic – even “back in the day.”
After some investigation, it was determined the revolver was a single action 1875 .44 caliber centerfire Remington – the first large-caliber model the famous firearm company issued. The model was only manufactured from 1875 to 1889, and approximately 30,000 units were produced. Most of them were sold to Mexico and some to Egypt since they had missed the opportunity to lock in U.S. Government contracts by two years to their competitor: the Colt Peacemaker. The sturdy firearms were purchased and appreciated by lawmen and ordinary citizens, but Remington did get a contract for 650 of the 1875 model weapons for “Indian Police.” Only the .44 centerfire cartridge produced by Remington could be used in the 1875 model revolver. Its effective firing range was 160 yards.
“I think I’ll leave it how I found it, maybe put it in a frame. It’s pretty well preserved,” Geringer said.