Thread: 1800's .44's
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Old August 3, 2012, 01:32 PM   #10
Scorch
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Join Date: February 13, 2006
Location: Washington state
Posts: 15,248
Quote:
Regular Army troops were issued the then standard Krag Jorgenson rifle.
The changeover to the Krag-Jorgensen was one of the worst in the history of the US military. It was generally peace-time, the Government was still paying for Civil War indebtedness and veterans compensation, and there was no urgency. By the time the Springfield 1903 was issued, the Army had not completely replaced all of the Trapdoors. The Navy had supposedly switched to the 1895 Lee Navy several years before, yet the US Marine Corps fought with Trapdoors as well as 1895 Lees.
Quote:
Volunteer troops were all issued Trapdoors in .45-70.
Except for one unit.
Teddy Roosevelt apparently pulled some strings as former Ass't Secretary of the Navy and got the Rough Riders Krags.
State militias were outfitted by the states, and there was not a lot of perceived need to upgrade the state militias. Militias were armed from the armories kept by the government of those states, and most states did not have the wherewithal to purchase arms. Some militias showed up in Florida unarmed, assuming that the US Army would outfit them.

Teddy Roosevelt was instrumental in getting private funding to arm and clothe his units. Even so, they did not have enough ammunition.
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