these rifles were good guns, well made firearms, intended mainly for sale in SPAIN and in the many latin american countries.
a short story could be as follows:
unlike what many people think, they were initially made under WINCHESTER PATENT, paying royalties, by GARATE, ANITUA y COMPAÑIA (GAC) from 1919 onward. Winchester sold them, according to some authors, a patent for only 5 years, to make the Carbine version of the W92.
As the company feared that Winchester would not grant another license to make this rifles after 1919, they decided to develop "a their version", which was just the same rifle, but with sligth diferences : in sights, with a dovetail in the barrel, a slightly longer overall longitude, and thicker barrel too, and a slide cover in the stock, for a cleaning device.....changes big enough, according to the very special spanish patent laws of the time, to avoid a demand by Winchester.
they were made from 1919 until 1936, and those from 1924 onward are bank proofed, and from 1927 on they have an alphanumeric code, and the ones from 1931 until the end have republican bank proof stampings.
these guns were adopted by the GUARDIA CIVIL, for scorting trains. They were also popular for hunting and were also used by gamekeeper until the 1980´s.
they saw a lot of use in the SPANISH CIVIL WAR, specially in the REPUBLICAN ARMY, as many pictures of the time show. This is the president of the spanish Republican government, FRANCISCO LARGO CABALLERO, in plain Spanish Civil War, visiting the war front, and holding a TIGRE :
These guns were well made, and the proof is that they saw a lot of use and are still around...i have examined one recently, and manufacturing, fitting, and finish was up to winchester standards.....rust and heat blueing and forged frame and internal parts.
i have seen several rechambered for 44 magnum, not very safe, but they work.
i prefer a TIGRE in good condition, forged and rust blued, with a lot of history behind, either in SPAIN or in Central America, to a laser cut and CNC machined italian ARMI CHIAPPA .
the 44/40 cartridge was known in SPAIN as 44 largo. It is interesting that they are increasing in price if well preserved, but many saw a lot of of use, specially in LATIN AMERICA, but still work....
in general spanish guns have allways being labelled as poor copies of the originals, but several makers were the exception...ORBEA, GARATE, TROCAOLA, CHARITOLA and ANITUA, EL CASCO, RUBY, making guns as good as the originals, or almost as good. In general these spanish fine copies are increasing in value, specially in GERMANY.
all the best
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