[Edward Tinker]

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">Originally posted by John -Melb:
<strong>...At the time the US army was still issuing it's troops a single shot breech loader firing a black powder cartridge, the Italians were issuing a clip loading bolt action rifle ...
The US army was probably still using obsolescent arms (by European standards) at this time because that was all that was needed, the US soldiers weren't facing a modern well equipped and possibly hostile army just across their borders</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">Well, this might get some feedback John...
The US Army in the American Civil War had developed multi-shot weapons, but with the drawdown of the army, it was decided to go cheap, and refurbish, and thus make the vast quantities of single shot rifles into a breechloader. Then as they used up all the parts, the bean-counters back east kept the Trapdoor for another 20-30 years, even tho they then had to make new models. Meanwhile, civilians were using Winchesters, Spencerâ??s, Colt Revolver Rifles, etc.

Although we had little to worry about the Canadians or Mexicans attacking us, the "hostiles" in their many tribes and affiliations were definitely the best guerrilla fighters the world had ever seen.

Ed