User blog comment:Elgb333/National Icons: Cowboy vs Samurai/@comment-379205-20180403213039

119's "Magnificent Seven Samurai" Edges

Melee Weapons: The Katana takes the edge in this battle for its superior length and its cutting ability, which will slice through an unarmored man like the cowboys in this fight. Edge: Samurai

Handguns: The S&W Model 2 may have an extra round in the chamber (of course, I'm not sure if the same issues that led to the Colt usually being carried with five rounds would also apply to the Smith and Wesson- I believe modern safety mechanisms didn't become common until the turn of the 20TH century), but apart from that, the Colt has an overwhelming advantage in terms of firepower, having over three times the muzzle energy of a the .32 rimfire fired by the Model 2. Edge: Cowboys

Rifles: The Winchester has the superior design thanks to the mechanism that cocks the hammer and rechambers a new cartridge in once step, unlike the two-step process of the Spencer. Add to that the superior magazine capacity of the Winchester, and the Cowboys take the edge here.

X-Factors: In terms of training, some cowboys might have been former soldiers, and no doubt were at least informally trained in marksman ship if they weren't- living on the frontier at that time, shooting was a life skill. While most Samurai trained in kenjutsu because of tradition, they may have only taken up marksmanship more recently with the modernization of Japan in the late 19th century. As for combat experience, both would have some, but perhaps not as much as some other period soldiers- much of being a cowboy consisted of sitting the saddle, watching cows for hours on end, with only periodic danger, while by the time of the Boshin War, many Samurai were more administrators, or, at best, police, with Japan not having had a war for centuries during their period of isolation. In terms of weapons mastery, the samurai would have a definite advantage in close combat, but the the cowboys would have a the advantage at a distance. Overall, the two are about evenly matched, but with a slight edge to the Cowboys due to their skills being more useful in modern warfare.

Overall Winner: The cowboys take this victory with their superior firearms, as well as their superior tactics- the use of a defensive position will give them a decisive advantage. At the Battle of Ueno, the Imperial forces suffered heavy losses in their assault, while the exact number is unclear, the Shogunate forces suffered about 300, so the Imperials likely lost more. With only five men, the samurai will simply not have the numbers for their attack to be effective.