Battle of Little Big horn weapons?

Answer 1

Lakota weapons were just the same as those of their neighbours on the Great Plains, the Cheyenne, Arapaho, Crows, Blackfoot and others - the differences were in decoration and sometimes the types of materials used.

Missile weapons were limited to bows and arrows, with spears, clubs, knives and hatchets for hand-to-hand fighting. Circular hide shields were often carried; these were generally quite small and usually between 17 and 23 inches across (43 to 59 cms).

The arrival of White traders made metal arrowheads, knife blades and axes available; knife blades were sometimes set in a large wooden handle to make a fearsome war club. Guns of various types were also obtained in trade, though often with very limited supplies of ammunition.

Lakota warriors would often carry "non-weapons", including coup sticks, crooked lances and feathered staffs which had religious, status and warrior society significance. Simply striking an enemy ("counting coup") with a decorated stick was considered more of an achievement than killing him from a distance, since he was still in a position to fight back.

The links below take you to images of Lakota weapons:

Answer 2

Although repeating firearms had been available since the Civil War, the 7th was issued with the single-shot Springfield carbine. It was reliable when using quality ammunition, but it was prone to jamming when using the cheap cartridges supplied by the US Army. Each trooper also had a 6-shot single-action Colt revolving pistol. No sabers, as they were required to turn them in before the battle.

The Sioux and their allies were armed with a variety of weapons, most importantly the 15-shot Henry repeating rifle which they had recently been provided with the hunt buffalo. Some used bows and other traditional weapons.

Answer 3

Rifles