I guess I ought to clarify Geno's point. Presents from commoners to the Tsar on special occasions were not unheard of, but there was a strict, if unwritten, etiquette as to who can give what. For example, craftsmen could give a sample of their craft, but nothing else, and the production and presenting of the gift would be carried out under supervision of the relevant Ministry or the Governor of the province. Officers in a regiment directly under the Tsar's command could give him a present, but under the assumption that they're congratulating not a Tsar but their beloved commander, and the present would have to be connected with the military service (e.g. a saber). To cut a long story short, I can't think of a context under which such a gift could be given. The whole story would have been much more plausible if the gun was ordered by an American citizen.
P.S. I'm asamed to admit I haven't read the letter mentioned. Being a linguist and ESL teacher by profession, I could probably tell if it was likely to have been written by a Russian. But, unfortunatly, I'm limited in on-line time. So, if anyone here will be so interested in the matter and so very kind to send that letter to my mailbox kafeen@mail.ru as an attached file, I'll be happy to see what I can do
