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A friend of mine has one of the repro trap-door Springfields. He lent it to me a few years ago when I did a presentation on the Little Big Horn at our Church's men's breakfast.

Yes, the original was in 45/70. The Calvary also carried the 1873 Colt Army Model revolver, also in 45/70 (it came to be known as the Peacemaker). Thus, the ammunition was common to both weapons.

For years, historians believed that a major contributor to the Cavalry's loss at Little Big Horn was because the Springfields were prone to cartridge jamming after repeated firing. The 1883-84 field surveys at the battlefield turned up little corroboration, although evidence did show it happened.

Yes, I read that story also about the alleged jamming of the trapdoor Springfields.

I also read that a lot of Custer's troops were foreigners and had never seen an Indian in battle before and we psyched out by them.

But at any rate, the fault lay with Custer for incredibly bad generalship.

Custer was a great fighting leader but a lousy tactician.
I read a book that came out recently on Gettysburg and Lee's real plans for that battle and why they didn't succeed.

The author credits Custer and his cavalry for attacking Stewart's forces which greatly outnumbered him, as they were attempting to assault the Union rear just behind the point where the Confederates were aiming their major offensive on the third day.

Stewart apparently didn't deploy his men in line and envelope Custer's men which he could have done as he thought it would have delayed his appearance. Custer's smaller force attacked in column, delaying Stewart's arrival and foiling the whole plan. Custer demonstrated his ability to fight and lead men in battle there, but he fought impulsively, without thinking.

He would have lead the Anglo-Saxon charge at Hastings which lost the battle were he there, and the Mongols would have LOVED to run up against a guy like him.

His "luck" ran out at the Little Big Horn and his impetuosity caught up with him - and his men, unfortunately.