First,I know you'll want to comment on the CIA memos of 11-25 & 11-28-63 stating the gun was in fact a 7.35 Mauser(25th) and that the press reports indicating the gun was a Mannlicher-Carcano " ARE IN ERROR"(28th). What a crackerjack job of crime solving....case wrapped up in 24 hours but THREE and even SIX days later the CIA is disputing the Mannlicher Carcano as being the gun.
So where did the CIA get their information? AFAIK, Mauser never made a 7.35mm rifle. That caliber is well-associated with the Carcano, however. Italy was in the process of moving to 7.35 from 6.5 when WWI broke out, and went back to 6.5 as an expediency. Most 7.35 Caracanos then in existence were converted to 6.5, and the rest of the 7.35s were issued to rear echelon and other second-line troops.
And from the biography it states " Craig worked for the Purex Corporation before joining the Dallas Police Department in 1959. He was named Man of the Year by the sheriff's office in 1960 for his work in aid in helping to capture an international jewel chief. He had a successful career in the DPD and was promoted four times".
Craig didn't work for the DPD. He was a deputy Sherriff.
Lastly, Alyea film :
Who thinks this gun at the beginning looks like the scoped Mannlicher-Carcano with sling that is held up later in this same short film ? Of course, it could be some more crackerjack detective work...you know, why hold it by the sling and have a scope when you can just grab the gun with your hand.
It does look like the rifle held up later in the film. And if you can't tell that the rifle that Day is holding at the end of the clip is a Carcano, well, I just don't know what to tell you.
