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Gun Part Discovery Rewrites Part Of Colorado History

MESA COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4)- A part to a 500-year-old pistol was discovered on the Western Slope that is rewriting Colorado history.

The part was found in the Kannah Creek area in Mesa County. The piece is called a "dog" which is used along with a trigger guard on a Spanish pistole.

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Experts think the discovery could mean the Spanish arrived in the 1500s or 1600s and not the 1700s as first believed.

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"You know you have a standard history book, but every time you make a new discovery you change the history. We're continually adding to our history and heritage in this area," said Museums of Western Colorado spokesman David Bailey.

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The gun part will be part of an exhibit called "New Discoveries" at the Museums of Western Colorado which is slated to open next year.

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