GREEN RIVER — The Sweetwater County Historical Museum in Green River christened a new service on Wednesday – vintage firearms research.

“When it comes to guns, ‘vintage’ covers a lot of territory,” said Dick Blust, a museum researcher. “While a Sharps buffalo rifle from the 1870s is beyond question ‘vintage,’ so, in many respects, is a Smith & Wesson revolver manufactured in the 1920s or a Colt Model 1911A1 semi-automatic pistol made during World War II.”

The museum recently researched a badly rusted rifle found years ago in Uinta County that the owner had been unable to determine much about. It turned out to be a Winchester Model 1894 lever-action chambered for the .30 WCF (.30/30) cartridge with a 26-inch octagon barrel manufactured in 1903.

The Model 1894, designed by John Moses Browning, was one of the most popular sporting rifles every manufactured; in fact, it’s still in production.

People with a vintage firearm (or firearms) who would like to learn more about them need only contact the museum at (307) 872-6435 or via email at sweetwatercountymuseum@outlook.com.

Blust said there will be no charge for the museum’s firearms research service.