Editing Rough Riders (section)

=== Equipment ===
Before training began, Lieutenant Colonel Roosevelt used his political influence as Assistant Secretary of the Navy to ensure that his volunteer regiment would be as properly equipped to serve as any regular Army unit. The Rough Riders were armed with Model 1896 Carbines in caliber .30 US (i.e., [[.30-40 Krag]]). "They succeeded in getting their cartridges, [[Colt Single Action Army]] revolvers, clothing, shelter-tents, and horse gear ... and in getting the regiment armed with the [[Springfield Model 1892–99|Springfield Krag]] [[carbine]] used by the regular cavalry."<ref name=TR />{{rp|5}} The Rough Riders also used [[Bowie knife|Bowie]] knives. A last-minute gift from a wealthy donor were a pair of modern tripod mounted, gas-operated [[M1895 Colt–Browning machine gun]]s in [[7x57mm Mauser|7mm Mauser]] caliber.

In contrast, the uniforms of the regiment were designed to set the unit apart: "The Rough Rider uniform was a [[slouch hat]], blue flannel shirt, brown trousers, leggings, and boots, with handkerchiefs knotted loosely around their necks. They looked exactly as a body of cowboy cavalry should look."<ref name=TR />{{rp|22}} This "rough and tumble" appearance contributed to earning them the title of "The Rough Riders."