In 1879 Springfield Armory conducted a study of hundreds of captured Indian firearms to investigate whether the western tribes had any weaponry superior to that of American troops. The study concluded that although some Indians had repeating magazine-fed firearms, the Army’s single-shot arms had the long-range power and accuracy needed for trans-Mississippian warfare. Below is part of that report:
Report on Indian Arms by National Armory, Springfield (27 July 1879)
Of the large number of arms received by the National Armory from the various Indian agencies, the larger portion of which were muzzle-loaders— some even having flint-locks— four were evaluated as being the most powerful or the most rapid firing guns in the collection. The four evaluated were:
No.1— Sharps breech-loading target rifle, cal. 44 CF, old model, set trigger; weighing 12 pounds, 12 ounces; 30-inch octagonal barrel, buckhorn rear sight.
No. 2— Sharps breech-loading target rifle, cal. 44 CF, old model, set trigger; weighing 9 pounds, 6 ounces; 23-inch octagonal barrel, buckhorn rear sight.
No. 3— Winchester repeating (17 shot) rifle. Cal. 44 RF, Model 1866, 24-inch barrel.
No. 4— Winchester repeating (17 shot) rifle. Cal. 44 RF, Model 1866, 24-inch barrel, no rear sight (broken off).
On account of the small charge carried by the Winchester repeater it was tested in comparison with the Springfield carbine for accuracy, rapidity and accuracy combined, power both by penetration in white pine and computed energy, and initial velocity. Similar comparisons were made between the Sharps and Springfield rifle. Note: In 1879 saw the first Regular Army trials of the Winchester-Hotchkiss magazine fed bolt-action six-shot rifle and carbine, but this was not the Springfield rifle used in these evaluations.
“One thousand yards was the extreme limit at which the Sharps with long barrel could be fired unless special sights were prepared for it. As the evaluation board was required to text these arms in the condition received, and as used by the Indians, this, was, of course, inadmissible. It may be said briefly that the long-barrel Sharps is a more powerful arm than the Springfield rifle, its barrel alone weighing more than the Springfield complete. It is not, however, a practical service arm on account of its great weight, 13 pounds, and that of its ammunition. While this one gun is undoubtedly capable of firing at longer range than the Springfield, this very quality has been ignored by the Indians, as may be seen by examining its sight and those of other arms received at this armory from the Indian agencies. Both the Sharps have had peep-sights, and the longer one probably a telescopic sight, judging from the slots in the barrel. All of these have been removed. Evidently the Indians did not desire to waste their ammunition (which they probably obtained with more or less difficulty) at long ranges.”
An inventory of some 200 breechloading rifles, carbines, and muzzleloaders all captured from the Sioux and Cheyenne Indians and shipped from Cheyenne, Wyoming Territory to the National Armory at Springfield for evaluation, of the last category, some 94 of 148 muzzle-loading rifles were made by one maker, H.E. Leman of Lancaster, PA, in calibres .38 to .58. Ten others were made by J.P. Lower, Philadelphia, PA and six by S. Hawkens of St Louis, MO, while six others were by J. Henry, St Louis, and four by Henry Folson, also of St Louis. Five others were by other civilian makers. Of muzzle-loading military arms, included: two Model 1863 by Savage (one with Springfield lock); Model 1861 Spl by Colt (short rifle); Parker Snow & Co; E. Whitney; Watertown (razee); two M1822 smoothbore muskets (one of which was razeed); M1855 Whitney; M1842 Harpers Ferry; two M1841 Harpers Ferry rifles (one razeed); 1863 Whitneyville musket; M1841 rifle by Whitney; three 1861 and one 1862 Tower Enfield muskets; also 1861 Enfield by London Arms Co, and one (not dated) marked Enfield; and assorted other makes, mostly civilian.
Of breechloading rifles and/or carbines, there were four Henry rifles, 12 Winchester rifles (three of which were 1866 and the rest carbines), 13 Sharp’s carbines (metallic cartridge); as well as 23 Spencer carbines, Model 1865; three Warner carbines; three Josyln; three Starr; four Wesson; two Remington (.50 caliber); three Ballard rifles (one razeed); as well as a Gallagher, a Smith, and a Merrill carbine.
[Annual Report to the Chief of Ordnance to the Secretary of War for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 1879 (1879) , App. V, pp303-320]
Archaeological studies of the Custer Battlefield in 1984 and 1985 show "overwhelming evidence that the Sioux and Cheyenne outgunned the soldiers." Of probably 1500 warriors in the battle, "perhaps 200 carried 16 shot repeating Winchester and Henry Rifles." More than a third had one of the forty-one different types of Indian firearms identified. See Robert Paul Jordan, "Ghosts on the Little Big Horn," National Geographic, p. 797; and Douglas D. Scott and Melissa A. Connor, "Post-Mortem at the Little Bighorn," Natural History, pp. 50-51.
Curiously, 30670 still retains its original military rear sight without further modification and certainly not a buckhorn sight like the Army soon afterwards adopted for the trapdoor owing to the difficulties soldiers found in using the military ladder sights.