This quite rare short rifle was almost certainly transferred by the Russians to the Afghans "non-consensually" during the first Russian invasion of Afghanistan, perhaps during the Panjdeh incident in 1885 when Russian forces attempted to seize Afghan territory in the Panjdeh.  The British were also heavily involved in Afghanistan during this time (there was a strong rivalry between British and Russian expansionist desires then), also accounting for the large numbers of Martinis and Snider-Enfields to be found in Afghanistan today, along with a variety of 19th century Russian weapons.  
This little dragoon rifle certainly shows a great many years of ongoing usage, but it remains solid, sound and in good working condition.  The numbers are all matching and, while the rifle has obviously been cleaned (badly, by thoughtless Afgans), there is no significant pitting of any of the metal, the markings remain clear and legible and the wood is fundamentally sound (although showing several former decorative tack marks).  The rifle is only missing its cleaning rod and the bolt retainer stop screw on the left side of the receiver, which I believe was dispensed with entirely in later production.  The bore is not a high point of this rifle, as you might imagine, but the rifling remains sharp and deep and surely restorable.  What commends this rifle is its unqualified scarcity and a necessity for any 19th century russian collection.