Winchester Model 1895 Lee (Navy Lee)

Winchester 1895 Navy Lee History

The Winchester Lee Model 1895 (Model 1895) rifle is based on the work of James Paris Lee (1831-1904), a Scottish-born inventor/gunsmith who ended up in He acquired U.S. citizenship during his lifetime. He is best known for the Lee Metford and Lee Enfield service rifles, both of which have a long history. His work on the integrated box magazine approach, as well as the straight-pull "cam-on" design, allowed his guns to be sold without patent infringement by traditional bolt-action rifle manufacturers.

In 1895, the US Navy accepted Lee's Model 1895 (M1895) and adopted a rather limited 6mm caliber. Serial production of this weapon then fell to the Winchester Repeating Arms Company. The U.S.

Navy commissioned 100,000 rifles, and the Model 1895 was the first U.S.-origin rifle to support a clip magazine.

This rifle went by various names during service, but maintained its traditional layout, using a one-piece solid wood that combined the shoulder rest and grip. A strap connects the barrel to the stock to provide rigidity near the center of the rifle. The action is contained in most stocks, and the one-piece magazine sits directly in front of the trigger assembly.

Traditionally, sights are also added to the receiver behind the muzzle. Sling loops are present under the stock and under the nose. The overall length of the rifle is 48 inches, and the barrel assembly is 28 inches long. Total weight is 8.3 lbs.

The gun uses 6mm Lee Navy or 6mm USN ammunition via a wedge/cam lock action and can be loaded with five rounds in a fixed magazine.

In terms of performance, the Model 1895 has a muzzle velocity of 2,560 feet per second and an effective range of 600 and 2,000 yards (maximum range). Aiming is through the front of the blade, with a U-shaped notch at the rear for adjustable wind deflection and elevation.

The main difference between the Type 1895 and its contemporary bolt action is that the Type 1895 uses a "cam action" system. Unlike the bolt action type, the Type 1895 bolt does not have cam rotation in action but is locked to the receiver by cam action and is managed by a cam handle located on the right side of the gun.

Visually, this is very similar to a real bolt-action rifle, although not so much in general service. In practice, while it became a quicker move for the marksman in the heat of battle, it ended up being an uncomfortable blow for many.

Actual service ultimately demonstrated the shortcomings of the Winchester-Lee design, despite the rifle's robust construction and functionality. The more traditional and widely used bolt-action rifles continued to grow in the market and quickly overshadowed alternatives such as the Winchester-Lee, to the point that very few actually entered circulation.

The commercial sports version didn't even get the sales needed to continue production. Because of this, the U.S. Navy re-evaluated its service rifles and decided not to procure the remainder of its initial request for 100,000 rifles.

As the name suggests, production of the rifle began in 1895, although the total production at the end of history was only 15,000. However, these saw some notable conflicts between 1895-1907, including the Spanish-American War (1898), the Boxer Rebellion (1899-1901), the Philippine-American War (1899-1902), and the Moro Rebellion (1899-1913) ).

The official designation of the rifle is "Lee Rifle, Model 1895, 6mm caliber".

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