{"id":13050,"date":"2026-06-26T17:28:13","date_gmt":"2026-06-26T17:28:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sawahsolutions.com\/range\/five-interesting-firearms-of-custers-last-stand\/"},"modified":"2026-06-26T17:28:13","modified_gmt":"2026-06-26T17:28:13","slug":"five-interesting-firearms-of-custers-last-stand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sawahsolutions.com\/range\/five-interesting-firearms-of-custers-last-stand\/","title":{"rendered":"Five Interesting Firearms of Custer\u2019s Last Stand"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Colonel George Armstrong Custer, along with the 700 men in the U.S. 7th Cavalry were ultimately defeated in the infamous Battle of the Little Bighorn in southeastern Montana in June of 1876, but they certainly weren\u2019t without firepower. Based on archeological findings, over 50 different types of firearms were used at the Battle of the Greasy Grass\u2014these are 5 of the most notable.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/picture>\nSpringfield 1873 Trapdoor Carbine.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Springfield 1873 Trapdoor Carbine<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
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U.S. troops in the frontier found themselves undergunned, stuck using slow muzzle-loading rifles amid flying arrows, charging horses, swinging war clubs, and more. In 1865, the army started converting muskets into \u201ctrapdoor\u201d breechloaders. Being able to load ammunition from the rear both increased reloading speed and allowed shooters to reload in more concealed positions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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While the Trapdoor only loaded one round at a time, soldiers would\u2019ve been able to fire about 12 to 15 rounds per minute based on the ease of reloading.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Springfield produced both a rifle and a carbine in the Model 1873 Trapdoor. While the rifle had an impressive barrel length of 32 \u215d inches, the cavalry was supplied with shorter-barreled carbines, which had a 22-inch barrel and weighed about 7 pounds. These were ideal for the guerrilla combat of the Great Sioux War. While it might have been easier and faster loading than its musket predecessors, it was certainly not without faults.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The Trapdoor was chambered in .45-70 Government. This big, slow-moving bullet was made with a copper case at the time, which disastrously tended to expand when the gun fired, leading to many a round stuck in the barrel in the midst of battle. Some blame the loss of the battle on this very fact, but most historians believe that fully functioning guns alone wouldn\u2019t have been enough to turn the tides\u2014Custer\u2019s lack of numbers was the real determining factor.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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To see the Trapdoor carbine in action, check out this video:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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