Читать книгу Gun Digest 2011 онлайн

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Maquire’s collection of long guns included a representative gathering of pioneer and immigrant guns of the common sort. Some of these had seen their first service in foreign lands. One such was a matchlock brought over by a naïve Chinese merchant who must have had no idea what to expect on the plains but recognized the need for a gun of some type. A Swiss Army rifle, the .41 caliber Vetterli, and other out of date European military weapons were also included.

There were others. American guns were represented by the Jennings, the rare Colt Model 1855 revolving rifle, the proven and ever-present Remington Rolling Blocks and the .45 caliber Springfields which were cheap, plentiful and frequently seen in the company of a pioneer family. No worthwhile collection of Western items is complete without a Sharps rifle, and Maquire’s was an early conversion to fire metallic cartridges. Confederate and Union rifles that had made their way westward with discharged or deserted veterans were reminders of these guns in the overall picture of the American West’s settling. Maquire didn’t consider the shotgun to be deadly enough for “men of our class,” but one specimen merited a place in is collection. This was a double barreled hammer gun carried by Niel House, who used it to ride Express guardsman for Wells Fargo to Virginia City from Sacramento in the early days.