It's Magic

One huge change from our world to the Sabers and Shamans world is, of course, magic.

European magic is quick, dirty and chaotic.  While most of the energy that makes a spell go is ripped from the aether, it still requires much effort on the part of the spellcaster.

Something which became somewhat common, necessitating the retention of weapons like sabers, are missile shield and reverse missile enchanted items.

If you and your foe are equipped with such a device, you're left with closing to literal spitting distance and using good old fashioned steel to finish the job.

Indian magic is also capable of making such enchanted items, but their magic is more ritual based and it takes much longer to accomplish, but is less draining on the caster.

Roman Nose, for example, had a war bonnet with the missile shield enchantment with many ritual limitations assigned to it.

There are lots of affordable enchanted items available from both the sutler and mail-order houses such as Sears and Roebuck; as are potions and elixirs.

Alchemy is an actual science here!  As is thaumatology.

An old joke is, "what do you call someone who graduated last from medical school?"

"Captain."

This also applies to mage officers in the US Army.  The low and erratic pay does not attract the most talented or experienced mages, unless there's some external drive to seek adventure that doesn't regard the poor pay and conditions.

Enlisted mages are people with a trainable magical aptitude without the means to obtain training in civilian life.  They tend to learn a narrowly focused, utilitarian, and small, group of spells.

There are also "untrainable" mages in the ranks who've accumulated a few spells here and there.  These are mostly the people who's aptitude in magic is limited to a single discipline or by sun, moon and or stars.