M1895 Lee Navy: Information from Answers.com

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Lee Model 1895
Type	Straight-pull bolt-action rifle
Place of origin	United States
Service history
In service	1895 to 1899
Used by	U.S. Navy
Wars	Spanish American War
Production history
Designer	James Paris Lee
Number built	Approx. 15,000
Specifications
Weight	8.3
Length	48

Feed system	5 round internal magazine

The Lee Model 1895 (also known as the M1895 Lee, "Navy Lee", "Winchester-Lee 1895", M1895 Winchester-Lee, etc.) was a straight-pull bolt-action rifle adopted by the U.S. Navy in 1895 as a service weapon. The Navy referred to the rifle as the "Lee Straight Pull". It fired a 6 mm cartridge, which used an early smokeless powder, was rimless, and was also used in the Navy version of the Colt-Browning Model 1895 machinegun. The 6MM round was considered to have more penetrating power than the US .30-40 round and in the new steel navy, penetration of mild steel or seasoned wood was considered a desirable characteristic.

The rifle weighed 8.3 pounds (3.7 kg) and was about 48 in (122 cm) long. It held 5 rounds in an internal magazine and was loaded via 5 round clips that looked like stripper clips but stayed inside the magazine until the rounds were expended and then dropped out the bottom. Unlike the Krag-Jørgensen and M1903 Springfield rifle, it did not have a magazine cut-off to enable single cartridges to be loaded when the magazine was not empty. The rifle was designed by James Paris Lee, who had also worked on number other famous designs.

This rifle, like the famous Lee-Enfield 1895 rifle adopted by the British Empire and also basically designed by Lee, was capable of a high rate of fire and its design was "skewed" with that intent. Naval tactics at the time suggested that when firepower was needed, it would be needed quickly. The near desultory firing rate of the Krag might have been acceptable to the US Army when firing from a trench or foxhole, but Naval personnel when engaged would most likely be exposed and outnumbered and needed to smother their adversary. Lee designed in that speed with a back locking bolt (on the Lee Navy it was a straight pull, on the British Lee Enfield it was a turnbolt, but they still had rear locking actions), and a firing pin (on both models) that cocked on final closing where the resistance would be overcome by the forward inertia of closing the action. As a result both actions were considered far smoother than conventional front locking turnbolt actions. In cases of both rifles, their speed and accuracy at speed would be noted in the battles they fought. However, unlike the British Lee Enfield that sees service over 100 years of its adoption in backwater regions and served the empire over sixty years, the Lee Navy's active service life would only be for about three years, but it would still have its impact on military history.

There is conflicting information in secondary histories (with the more modern histories being more accurate) on the production dates of these rifles that had been made for the Navy; The first contract with the Navy was let for 10,000 rifles in Jan. 1896 (serials 1-9999), inspector marked N.C.T., Lt. Nathan C. Twining)with deliveries completed in 1897, but with additional smaller purchases to replace lost weapons, most lost due to a fire at the New York Navy Yard in which about one quarter of the Lees purchased by the Navy were affected about 230 being condemned and the rest either refurnished or damaged to some extent but still being serviceable. A second large contract was let on Feb. 7, 1898 for an additional 5,000 rifles at $18.75 each. This "second contract" (serials 15001 to 20000) was completed in 1898 (inspector J.N.J., Lt. John N. Jordan) and saw delivery until August through December 1898, therefore missing the Spanish American War (the major fighting ended in July 1898). Therefore, Winchester Lee Navy rifles are all pre-1899 and are not covered by the NFA although they are still firearms under local and state laws. Winchester also made civilian marked rifles identical to the Lee Navy's for commercial sale as well as sporting models. The additional small quantity purchases by the Navy as well as all sporting models fall into the 10000-15000 serial range, between the two contracts. Some confusion arises as to production dates for the sporting rifles as many of the commercially manufactured and numbered receivers (not USN marked) were not made into complete rifles until after 1898, the last being sold in 1916.

Fifty four of the USN Lee rifles were recovered from the Maine were eventually sold to Bannerman's. The Maine's complement of rifles would have been about 250. Most were probably located in the bow of the ship where the majority of the enlisted personnel were bunked and these mostly likely would have been destroyed or severely damaged in the explosion. Surviving examples seen of the confirmed Maine rifles have pitted receivers, which would be logical considering the salt water immersion in Havana Harbor.

The Lee Straight Pull rifle saw combat with the US Navy with its most intense use by the Marines in the Spanish American War at Guantanamo at the defense of McCalla Hill and the Battle of Cuzco Wells. There was a minor design defect that came to light regarding the extractor that had previously been noticed in training but became public when reported on by war correspondents. As the extractor was not pinned to the bolt, it could and did occasionally fall out to the ground when the bolt was removed for cleaning or if the bolt release catch was inadvertently pressed and the bolt itself fell to the ground. The rifle of course became unserviceable if the extractor was lost. Cuban guerrilla's given the rifle had some difficulty with it due to lack of training and experience. However, in the hands of the US Marines who had trained with it, its overall record was very good, being fast firing, reliable, and accurate. It was used in conjunction with Model 1895 6MM Colt Automatic Machine Guns and the combination clearly over-matched the Spanish troops at Guantanamo who were equipped with the excellent 1893 7MM Mausers. It was very clear that the Marine's firepower was also superior to the combined US Army's .30-40 Krags, .45-70 1884 Springfields, and .30-40 gatling guns. The Lee would also see some action in the Philippines with Navy and Marine personnel, its last major claim to fame being used by Marines in the defense of the foreign legation at Peking (also with a Colt 6MM Machine gun) and also by Marines in the relief expedition (again with a Colt Machine Gun) during the Boxer rebellion (1900).

Unfortunately, the cartridge was a bit too advanced for the early smokeless powders and as such the rifling did not wear well over time. Additionally, there was the inevitable logic for the expanding Navy/Marines to use small arms compatible with the Army as now, thanks to the acquisition of former Spanish colonies, the United States had overseas possessions that would require joint Army and Navy cooperation. In November 1899 the Navy began ordering Krag rifles in .30-40, the first contract being for 1,000 Krags to be issued to the newest pre-dreadnought battleships Kearsarge and Kentucky. Although new contracts for Krags would be let as the navy continued to expand, the Lee's would continue to see service well into the turn of the century, and would remain in some ships, albeit as a secondary arm, into the twenties. Eventually both the Lee's and Krags would be gradually supplanted by the M1903 Springfield rifle.

The 6mm cartridge was the first US military cartridge to use metric in its official designation. The cartridge would be offered commercially until 1935 when it was replaced by the .220 Swift sporting cartridge, which was merely a necked down version of the Navy cartridge, smokeless powder development having finally caught up to the cartridge.

M1895 Lee Navy

External links

See also

	Springfield Model 1892-99
	List of weapons of the U.S. Marine Corps
	John H. Quick

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