1877 Bolt action Battle Rifle?

[Ol Gabe]

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

[Dr. Bob]

Morning 'Ol Gabe,

I'm NO authority, but having spent a bit of time recently on GunsAmerica and other gun auctions sites, I can state that Switzerland, Germany and IIRC France all had some sort of bolt action rifle by then.  The Swiss Vetterli was in production by 1871 and there were German ones in 1868.  I have no idea if the Japanese imported any of them.  There are also pre-1898 Japanese mfg rifles listed, but I think that they were later ?

[Delmonico]

Japan was buying Gras rifles from France by this time and was working on a similar one they made at home. 

[Bull Schmitt]

Additional info.:

http://www.militaryrifles.com/Japan/Murata13.htm

http://www.hbsa.fsnet.co.uk/murata.htm