Читать книгу Gun Digest 2011 онлайн
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Though not a Civil Guard Model in the classical catalog-specified sense of the word, this two-band rifle using the full house .50-70 center fire cartridge has the E. Remington & Sons address on the tang with the last patent date of March 1874 and is equipped with a rotary extractor. Upon removal of the forearm, a cartouche of A.F.G. can be seen on the rear flat. A genuine anomaly among rolling block rifles in .50-70 Govt. caliber, it would almost fill the bill as the elusive but scantily advertised Cadet Model 301 once sold by Charles Godfrey in New York City; however, it is physically quite different. The presence of tang markings indicating production prior to the 1886 receivership of the Remington company is one of the physical traits which give this rifle a full-size look, in addition to its very uncommon smaller frame. Further research suggests that the A.F.G. cartouche has an affiliation with the pre-1898 Spanish Customs and Tariff Service located near present day Guantanamo, Cuba. In the nineeenth century, this region was one of the main ports where Spain received all incoming military goods shipped to Cuba. It was also one of the main offices of the Spanish “Aduanero,” which is the customs branch. Thus it appears that the customs officers were armed with rifles and revolvers different in caliber and sometimes type from those issued to the army.