While watching 'The Last Samurai' again this past weekend, I locked-in on the firearms and weaponry and wanted to pose a question to those that have a better grasp on Foreign Military weaponry than I. The film takes place during the time period of 1876-77, is set in Japan with Tom Cruise as a 'hired gun'/contractor, his job is to train the existing Army using modern techniques the Japanese needed to defeat the Samurai and their 'old ways'. Cruise is seen drilling the Japanese soldiers using caplock muzzle-loaders on a rifle range in late 1876. In the latter part of the movie during the battle sequence with the Army pitted against the last of the Samurai in 1877, we now see the Japanese soldiery carrying bolt action Mauser-type rifles, supported by Howitzers and tube-fed Gatling Guns with octagonal barrels.
Obviously it is a bit 'Hollywierd', but since Japan was trying to emulate a modern force and buying arms from all over the modern world at that time, was this feasible?
Best regards and good thinking!
'Ol Gabe