Following the Civil War, we had boatloads of leftover Muzzleloading Springfields.
The Army decided to re barrel them using the trap-door conversion.
They were .45/70, with the Cavalry carbine being slightly loaded down for recoils sake.
They were better at longer range than the few lever action Henry’s and Winchester’s the Indians had, but remember also that repeating guns were a rarity in The Sioux and Cheyenne camps. Most of them had old muzzleloaders or bows and arrows.
They also had overwhelming numbers.
Had Custer kept the regiment together, he’d have survived, albeit with some egg on his face.
As it was, he divided his command, hoping for a repeat of his victory at Washita.
Indians always split up and ran away from soldiers... except this time they didn’t.
7mm
