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97-486: It fired a 6mm (0.236-in. caliber) cartridge, which used an early smokeless powder , was semi-rimless, and fired a 135-grain (later 112-grain) jacketed bullet. The 6mm U.S.N. or Lee Navy Cartridge was also used in the navy version of the Colt–Browning Model 1895 machinegun. By 1894, the U.S. Navy desired to adopt a modern small-bore, smokeless powder rifle in keeping with other first-line naval powers. Originally,

194-464: A minute of angle at 100 yards were not unusual with individual rifles. The M1895 was normally issued with a sling, bandoliers, and a modern knife-type bayonet with an 8.25-inch (210 mm) blade. Individual sailors and marines were issued a black leather belt with adjustable cross suspenders, fitted with twelve black leather ammunition pouches. The Lee Navy bayonet was the forerunner of short pattern bayonets still in use today. In December 1894, after

291-492: A .22-caliber bullet. M1885 Remington-Lee The Remington–Lee is a bolt-action , detachable box magazine repeating rifle designed principally by James Paris Lee in the mid-1870s. It first appeared in 1879, manufactured by the Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company . Eventually Remington took over production and produced copies in .45-70 . Arguably this was the most modern rifle in

388-446: A .276 in (7.0 mm)-thick suspended chrome steel alloy boiler plate at 150 ft (46 m). The 112-grain (0.26 oz; 7.3 g) round-nosed bullet had a flatter trajectory than its 135-grain (0.31 oz; 8.7 g) predecessor at all ranges up to 500 yards; above this distance, the heavier bullet began to show an advantage. The new loading had an effective range (individual rifle fire) of 600-700 yards, at which point

485-794: A 112-grain (0.26 oz; 7.3 g) bullet at 2,560  ft/s (780  m/s ) from a 28 in (710 mm) barrel, the 6 mm U.S.N. was the highest-velocity cartridge used by any military force at the time of its adoption. Designed to achieve better penetration than the Army's .30 Army cartridge used in the Model 1892/98 (Krag) rifle, the round was intended to perforate the hulls of small enemy craft such as patrol and torpedo boats, and could penetrate 13 in (330 mm) of softwood at 700 yd (640 m), 0.5 in (13 mm) of low-carbon steel at 10 feet (3 m); 0.375-inch (9.5 mm) of ordinary boiler plate at 100 ft (30 m), or

582-484: A 135-grain steel-jacketed lead core bullet with a 2.35-inch-long case and 0.517-inch rim, with a bullet diameter of 0.244 inches (the bore diameter before rifling was 0.236 inches). The rifle powder for the new cartridge was Rifleite , a flake nitrocellulose smokeless powder originally developed for use in the British .303 cartridge. The new 6 mm cartridge achieved a muzzle velocity of 2,550 fps (777 m/s) and

679-750: A barrel steel made of 4.5 percent nickel steel, with a rifling twist of one turn in 6.5 inches. As the Chief of the Bureau of Naval Ordnance stated in his 1897 Small Arms report to the Secretary of the Navy, "In making what may appear a radical departure in its selection of a caliber smaller than as yet adopted elsewhere...the Bureau is convinced it is looking to the future … it is surely wise to attempt to advance with one stride as far as existing conditions allow toward

776-667: A chamber pressure of 60,000 psi (410 MPa). In the first set of service trials, the naval small arms board tested several submissions, including the Van Patten , Daudeteau , Briggs-Kneeland , Miles , the Russell-Livermore Magazine Rifle , five Remington turnbolt designs (all with side-mounted magazines), and the Lee straight-pull. In a second set of trials the Model 1893/94 Luger 6-mm Rifle and

873-507: A flatter trajectory, the primary reason for the change in cartridge and bullet design was to reduce chamber pressures and extend the life of the rifle barrel: the new 112-grain loading with its copper-jacketed bullet gave an average barrel life of 10,000 rounds as opposed to only 3,000 for the 135-grain steel-jacketed load. Ordnance authorities specified a slightly slower rifling twist for the new loading – one turn in 7.5 inches (19 cm). At some point during later production, this rifling

970-682: A four-day call at Hampton Roads, Virginia, and later during a two-week stopover at Key West, Florida Lt. Col. Huntington ensured that all enlisted Marines aboard the USS Panther underwent target practice on the beaches with the Lee rifle, as well as marksmanship training and small-unit battle drills. This last-minute opportunity for target practice and training proved fortuitous, as Cuban guerrillas later handed Lee rifles had some initial difficulty operating and using them, while Lt. Col. Huntington's Marines had no such problems. The first major combat use of

1067-497: A group of three shots at 50 yards, any rifle not showing the desired accuracy was returned to the line for adjustment, which sometimes involved restocking the entire rifle. At the insistence of the Naval Small Arms Board, the finalized Lee rifle was equipped with a firing-pin lock on the left side of the receiver, which acted as a safety. Pushing down on the slide-type lever unlocked the firing pin striker and made

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1164-439: A hard substance such as bone or metal. However, when the 6 mm bullet struck muscle or air-filled cavities such as the lungs, the bullet tended to make a perforating wound of small diameter that caused little damage. The 6 mm Lee Navy cartridge proved expensive to produce, with a per round cost approximately double that of the previous .45-70 service cartridge. Delays caused by difficulties in getting smokeless powder of

1261-411: A point-blank or dead aim range of 725 yards (663 m). The latter was intended for use on targets at all ranges from point-blank to 700 yards. The single battle setting was intended to discourage individual soldiers or marines from adjusting their sight elevation unless firing at mass targets at extreme ranges, in which case officers would give commands for ranges to be set in such situations. Owing to

1358-446: A recessed area in the receiver. Pulling the operating handle back causes the bolt to rock back and upwards, freeing a locking stud on the receiver and unlocking the bolt. The firing pin cocked on final closing where the resistance would be overcome by the forward inertia of closing the action. Once the rather odd "up and back" bolt movement was mastered, and as long as the action was clean and well-lubricated, it worked fairly well, though

1455-439: A result, the light, roundnosed 6 mm bullet lost much of its effectiveness at 600–700 yards, while the 220-grain (0.50 oz; 14 g) round-nosed bullet of the .30 Army service cartridge was still considered effective at ranges of 1,000 yards or more, an important consideration in the days when rifle and indirect machine gun fire at distant targets such as massed enemy infantry was considered necessary. While by no means

1552-422: A rimmed 6mm round was envisioned, but after problems encountered with cartridge feeding, naval authorities decided that the new cartridge should be semi-rimless or rimless to facilitate optimum functioning in both clip-fed rifles and machine guns. As the military forces began adopting smaller and smaller caliber rifles with higher velocity cartridges, U.S. naval authorities decided to leapfrog developments by adopting

1649-663: A second contract was let on February 7, 1898 for an additional 5,000 rifles at $ 18.75 each. This second contract (serials 15001 to 20000) began delivery in August 1898 and was completed in December 1898. Overall, the Lee had a reputation for reliability in the field, though some issues were never overcome during the rifle's relatively short service life. Beginning in 1898, during the Marine expeditionary campaign in Cuba, reports emerged from

1746-583: A semi-rimless cartridge in 6-mm caliber, with a case capable of holding a heavy charge of smokeless powder. On August 1, 1894 a naval test board was convened at the Naval Torpedo Station in Newport, Rhode Island to test submitted magazine rifles in the new 6mm Navy government chambering. Per the terms of the Notice to Inventors, the new government-designed 6mm U.S.N a.k.a. Ball Cartridge, 6mm

1843-462: A series of test evaluations with both rimmed and rimless 6mm cartridges, the U.S. Navy adopted the 6mm U.S.N. or 6mm Lee Navy cartridge. It was the first U.S. military round to use a metric caliber in its official designation, the first cartridge designed for use in both rifles and machine guns, and the smallest-caliber cartridge to be adopted by any military power until the advent of the 5.56×45mm NATO cartridge in 1964. The original 6mm ball loading

1940-423: A single 3 ⁄ 8 inch (9.5 mm) thick steel boiler plate at 100 feet (30 m), or a 0.276 in (7.0 mm) plate of chromium steel (no backing) at 150 feet. Another advantage to the 6mm cartridge was in the reduced weight of the ammunition: 220 6mm cartridges weighed approximately the same as 160 cartridges in .30 Army caliber. The basic combat ammunition load of an 1898 naval bluejacket or marine

2037-529: A universal opinion, the lack of shocking power of the 6mm Lee reported by some Marine units in combat may also have weighed against the idea of delaying a change to the .30 Army for all services. A further complication was that issues of barrel wear from the Rifleite smokeless powder and corrosive primer used in the 6 mm cartridge continued to plague Navy ordnance authorities. Finally, due in part to its long, thick-gauged semi-rimless rim case and beveled rim,

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2134-436: A year. In March 1897, after reports of excessive chamber pressures and short barrel life (3,000 rounds) despite the use of 4.5 percent nickel-steel barrels, the specifications for the 6 mm round were changed to incorporate a 112-grain (0.26 oz; 7.3 g) round-nosed lead core bullet with a copper jacket, which was then tin-plated to prevent corrosion from salt air. Winchester and UMC had difficulty in achieving

2231-553: Is pushed forward loading the first cartridge into the chamber. It thus combines the advantages of the two systems most widely used, not requiring to be stripped into the magazine like the Mauser clip, and not being an essential part of the magazine like the Mannlicher clip. After inserting the clip, the bolt was then given a push to ready the first round for chambering. Closing the bolt stripped off each round in succession, feeding

2328-516: The Durst rifle were also considered, along with a Lee turning-bolt design. The Durst prototype fractured the receiver in firing and was withdrawn from the test, while the Luger Rifle performed excellently. Luger's submission had only one major disadvantage: it failed to meet government specifications, having been chambered in a non-standard rimless 6mm cartridge. The Lee turning bolt design

2425-633: The Guantánamo Bay campaign. The lighter weight of the 6 mm Lee cartridge meant individual riflemen could carry more cartridges, since one-hundred and sixty .30 Army cartridges weighed as much as 220 rounds of 6 mm. The extra cartridges proved useful when early ammunition resupply from Navy ships was disrupted at the outset of the Guantanamo operation, allowing Marines to continue their assault even while individually resupplying Cuban rebels who had run short of ammunition. Later, during

2522-490: The Naval Torpedo Station in Newport, Rhode Island , to test submitted magazine rifles in the new 6mm Navy caliber developed by naval ordnance authorities. The government notice of bid requirements said no other calibers or cartridges would be considered. Winchester made the ammunition for the government, which in turn provided each competitor with 6 mm USN cartridges and 0.236-inch caliber rifle barrels,

2619-492: The en bloc charger-loaded magazine of the M1895 rifle. The revised cartridge was designated the 6 mm U.S.N., but continued to be referred to in naval stores reports as the ball cartridge, 6 mm. Owing to difficulties in obtaining acceptable lots of Rifleite smokeless powder for the cartridge, as well as cartridge clips, Winchester and UMC did not fill the initial April 1896 Navy order of 1,000,000 cartridges for more than

2716-470: The .30 Army for the Navy and Marine Corps might be postponed until a rimless version of the .30 Army had been developed. The board's recommendations were later adopted by the War Department. In the end, the Navy and Marine Corps decided not to wait. As early as November 1899, the Navy placed its first contract for 1,000 Model 1892/98 "U.S. Army magazine rifles" in .30 Army (.30-40 Krag) caliber, with

2813-487: The .30 Army or the 6mm Lee. In 1899, the Navy officially adopted the .30 Army cartridge for all small arms, though it continued to use the 6 mm for existing stocks of Lee rifles and Colt machine guns. In 1907, the Navy adopted the .30-06 Springfield cartridge for both rifles and machine guns. 6mm Lee ammunition still in military stores in 1917 was sold at auction by the government to a private military surplus dealer, F.W. Bannerman & Co. Unfortunately for Bannerman,

2910-523: The 1920s, albeit as a secondary (drill practice) arm. 6mm Lee Navy The 6mm Lee Navy (6×60mmSR), also known as the 6mm U.S.N. or .236 Navy , is an obsolete American rifle cartridge . It was the service cartridge of the United States Navy and Marine Corps from 1895 (therefore replacing the .45-70 Government rifle cartridge) to 1899, when it was then itself replaced by the more modern .30-40 Krag rifle cartridge. By 1894,

3007-604: The 6 mm Colt–Browning machine gun. Along with the M1885 Remington-Lee and the M1892 Springfield, the M1895 Lee was one of the first infantry weapons adopted by U.S. forces to be equipped with a repeating action. To operate the straight-pull mechanism, the operating handle is first pulled up at an angle to disengage the bolt and its wedge lock, then pulled sharply to the rear to extract and eject

M1895 Lee Navy - Misplaced Pages Continue

3104-650: The 6 mm Lee rifle did not begin to receive their new rifles and ammunition until 1897, two years after adoption of the cartridge and rifle. Colonel-Commandant Charles Heywood of the Marine Corps reportedly refused small initial allotments of the 6 mm Lee rifle to the Corps until he was given assurances that the Corps would be immediately issued at least 3,000 Lee rifles, improved target ranges, and most importantly, enough ammunition for Marine units to continue their existing marksmanship program. Despite this threat,

3201-581: The 6 mm round had two principal disadvantages: first, as a small-caliber round, the 6 mm bullet would not sufficiently wound an enemy to put him out of action, and second, the "shock" or stopping power of the smaller bullet would not "stop the onset of excited men at short range". In answer to these objections, the report gave three responses: first, "the battle of the future will be fought at long range, and men will not live to come to close quarters with an enemy who stands his ground"; second, "99 percent of wounded enemy soldiers were unlikely to investigate

3298-417: The 6mm Lee bullet may have overpenetrated without causing sufficient shock and trauma to the enemy, a situation which the Chief of the Bureau of Naval Ordnance had foreseen as early as 1895, when he acknowledged the concern that "the wounds produced by small-caliber bullets will frequently not be sufficient to put the wounded out of action and their shock will not stop the onset of excited men at short range". On

3395-436: The 6mm Lee was one of the most expensive service cartridges to produce in terms of cost per round, yet it was already becoming obsolescent in comparison to ammunition that used more efficient powders and true rimless cases. Rapid developments in military small arms ammunition would soon demonstrate the advantages of a magazine-fed rifle and machine gun cartridge with a rimless case and spitzer bullet, features not found in either

3492-618: The First Battalion, additional rifles were later distributed by navy quartermasters to elements of free Cuban forces revolting against the Spanish government. The Marine assault force had only just been issued their Lee rifles, and enlisted men aboard the Panther were hurriedly given lectures on operating and field-stripping their newly issued rifles aboard ship, along with ten 6mm rounds each to fire for familiarization purposes. During

3589-499: The Lee had not received either rifles or ammunition until 1897, two years after the adoption of the cartridge and rifle. Colonel-Commandant Charles Heywood of the Marine Corps reportedly refused initial deliveries of small numbers of Lee rifles to Marine battalions until he received assurances that an appropriation would be made to the Corps for at least 3,000 Lee rifles, improved target ranges, and enough ammunition to continue existing marksmanship training programs. Despite this threat,

3686-508: The M1895 occurred during the land campaign to capture Guantánamo Bay, Cuba from June 9–14, 1898 with the First Marine Battalion (Reinforced), in particular at the battles of Camp McCalla and Cuzco Wells. During the battle of Cuzco Wells, marines using the M1895 Lee effectively engaged concentrations of Spanish troops at ranges up to 1,200 yards, using volley fire against groups of enemy soldiers while their officers called out

3783-831: The Marine Legation Guard, which used the 6mm Lee in the defense of the foreign legations in Peking during the Boxer Rebellion (1899–1901), together with Marines and Navy bluejackets serving in the expedition relieving the besieged legations, apparently had no such criticisms. However, the high velocity 6 mm round was ahead of its time in terms of powder technology and barrel steel metallurgy. In addition to complaints of bore fouling with corrosive nitro-compounds M1895 rifles in service began to display signs of early barrel wear and throat erosion caused by inconsistent chamber pressures and powder burn rates, despite

3880-614: The Navy as well as all sporting models fall into the 10000–15000 serial range, purchased between the two major 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 1902, and sales continued until 1916. Military rifles have 28-inch (71-cm) barrels and navy anchor stamp, while rifles made for civilian sale have 24-inch (61-cm) barrels and no anchor. While serial numbers 13391 through 15000 were made after Dec. 1 1898 and are not categorized as antiques by ATF,

3977-556: The Navy caliber from 0.45 to 0.236 will result in a lighter gun, less shock of recoil, almost double muzzle velocity and danger space, more than double penetration, and a more than double quantity of ammunition carried on the person." However, the 6mm U.S.N. cartridge may have been too advanced a concept for existing technology in 1895. The Navy experienced continual problems with the Rifleite smokeless powder used, which apparently varied in consistency from lot to lot, while also becoming unstable over time. These problems were exacerbated by

M1895 Lee Navy - Misplaced Pages Continue

4074-465: The Navy had originally expressed interest in a fixed rear sight for the M1895. However, in the end the M1895 was fitted with a ladder-type rear sight adjustable for elevation to a maximum of 2,000 yards, determined by actual firing at Winchester in March 1896. Because of the relatively high velocity and flat trajectory of the 6mm Lee cartridge, authorities calibrated the sights at their lowest setting with

4171-441: The Navy's requirement of nickel-steel barrels. Several factors led to the discontinuance of the 6mm Lee as an official U.S. military cartridge. The most important was the decision of the war department, based upon a recommendation by a board composed of Army, Navy, and Marine Corps officers, to standardize on the .30 Army cartridge for all services. Additionally, the 6 mm's special—and expensive—semi-rimless beveled-rim case

4268-867: The Pacific during the Spanish–American War and the early stages of the later Philippine–American War with U.S. Navy and Marine personnel. During the Moro Rebellion of 1899–1913, it was reported that some Marines preferred the M1892/98 Springfield (Krag) rifle and its .30-caliber ammunition to the M1895 Lee Navy and its 6mm U.S.N. cartridge, believing the latter to have inadequate shocking or stopping power against frenzied bolo -wielding Moro juramentados , who attacked from jungle cover at extremely close distances. In this situation,

4365-585: The September 1897 report of the Marine Corps Quartermaster to the Secretary of the Navy urgently requested a minimum additional $ 10,000 in funding to purchase sufficient 6 mm ammunition to allow Marines to conduct live fire and target practice with the Lee rifle. The report warned that, except for drill practice, enlisted Marines were "entirely unfamiliar with the use of this arm", since all target practice still had to be conducted using

4462-468: The U.S. Navy adopted the round in 1895 as the Lee Rifle, Model of 1895, caliber 6mm . As adopted by the Navy after tests at the Naval Torpedo Station, the ball cartridge, 6mm or 6 mm USN cartridge, featured a long, bottle-necked semi-rimmed brass case and a 135-grain (0.31 oz; 8.7 g) round-nosed, cupro-nickel coated, steel-jacketed, lead core bullet. The initial version utilized

4559-447: The U.S. Navy desired to adopt a modern small-bore, smokeless powder service cartridge and rifle in keeping with other first-line naval powers for both naval and marine forces. Naval authorities decided that the new cartridge should be adaptable to both rifles and machine guns. Noting that the world's military forces were adopting smaller and smaller caliber rifles with higher velocity cartridges, U.S. naval authorities decided to leapfrog

4656-422: The blunt-tipped bullet rapidly lost velocity and energy. The 112-grain (0.26 oz; 7.3 g) bullet, like its predecessor, demonstrated an inclination to instability unless rapidly rotated. The M1895 Lee rifle therefore received a rapid barrel rifling twist of one turn in 7.5 inches (19 cm) (with right-hand twist) to keep the bullet from wobbling or tumbling at extended ranges. At some point, this rifling

4753-411: The bolt handle. The rifle has a safety located on the top of the receiver, which is released by pushing down with the thumb on the safety button. Unlike many other military rifles of the day, the Lee was not fitted with a turning bolt. Though frequently described as a straight-pull action, the M1895 Lee actually uses a camming action in which a steel wedge or locking block beneath the bolt is forced into

4850-456: The conditions of service may require the use of loose cartridges, or may result in the disabling of the magazine, it is desirable that the small arm be susceptible of use as a single loader, and that the magazine be capable of being replenished by single cartridges. The new Lee rifle and its magazine met all of these requirements, enabling a rifleman in an emergency to use the loose cartridges taken from loaded belts supplied to machine gun crews for

4947-553: The custom of keeping ammunition aboard ship for long periods under conditions of high heat and humidity. After some use, many Lee rifles developed bore and throat erosion, which was exaggerated by the Metford rifling chosen by the designer, along with metal fouling due to unburned powder compounds, a problem intensified by substandard internal barrel finishing at the factory. The M1895 Lee was carried aboard Navy ships for use by naval armed guards ( bluejackets ) and landing parties, and

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5044-491: The early to mid-20th century. Remington 's version of the Model 1879 saw only limited use by the U.S. Navy and the Model 1882 was tested by U.S. Army and issued on a very limited scale. Ultimately, it was passed up in favor of the Krag–Jørgensen in 1892. In 1884, China acquired 13,000 Remington-Lees chambered in .43 Spanish (11.15×58mmR). Of these, around 4,000 Model 1882 rifles were rechambered in .43 Spanish. During

5141-474: The early stages of the Moro Rebellion (1899–1913) in the Philippines, the 6 mm cartridge was criticized by some Marines for failing to stop the frenzied charges of bolo-wielding Moro juramentados at very close ranges. The possibility that a 6 mm bullet might lack stopping power had been raised as far back as 1895 when the cartridge was in the process of being developed for adoption. However,

5238-553: The field criticizing the floating extractor design. The firing pin lock and bolt-lock actuator were relatively fragile, and would occasionally break or malfunction, while the tension in the en bloc cartridge clips proved difficult to regulate, occasionally causing failures to feed. The Lee's magazine system was improved over the prior Navy rifle, the M1885 Remington-Lee , by incorporating a clip-loaded magazine system and an action capable of handling high-velocity, small-caliber smokeless cartridges. Designed by inventor James Paris Lee ,

5335-486: The first M1892/98 rifles issued to the newest pre-dreadnought battleships Kearsarge and Kentucky . New contracts for M1892/98 rifles were let as the U.S. Navy continued to expand, though the M1895 Lee and its 6mm cartridge would continue to see service aboard Navy vessels well into the turn of the century. The U.S. Marines continued to use the M1895 Lee rifle until January 1900, when they received Model 1892/98 rifles in exchange (Philippines and Far East Marine battalions were

5432-458: The first to receive the new rifle and ammunition). The Navy continued to use the M1895 Lee as its primary small arm through at least 1903. From 1910 to 1911, both the M1895 Lee and the M1892/98 "Krag" service rifles were supplanted in Navy and Marine Corps service by the new M1903 Springfield rifle in .30-06 caliber, though the M1895 Lee would remain in service aboard some ships of the fleet into

5529-419: The goal to which the world is moving with slow steps." The report went on to list the advantages of the smaller 6 mm caliber: greatly increased velocity, the flatness of bullet trajectory, reduced recoil, a 100% increase in penetration compared to the former .45-70 Government cartridge, and the ability to carry twice the number of cartridges per individual sailor or Marine. The report also acknowledged that

5626-464: The initial shipment of 10,000 rifles were not completed until 1897, owing to delays caused by manufacturing issues, as well as contract changes imposed by the navy. The latter included a significant change in ammunition specification, which required extensive test firings followed by recalibration of the sights. Of the 10,000 rifles produced under the first contract, 1,800 were issued to the U.S. Marine Corps. Marine battalions scheduled to be equipped with

5723-451: The latter supplied unchambered and with receiver threads uncut. The rifle action was required to withstand the firing of five overpressure (proof) cartridges with a chamber pressure of 60,000 psi. Several inventors and rifle manufacturers submitted models for testing, among them James Paris Lee , who offered two designs, a turnbolt and a cam-action or locking bolt type, the Lee straight-pull . The Lee straight-pull won in repeated trials and

5820-418: The necessity of supplying the Navy with rifles as soon as practicable, no provision for drift (windage) was included in the rear sight. The prominence of the front sight and its exposure to damage led to the adoption of a sheet metal front sight cover for the 10,000 rifles in the original order. The front sight cover was browned (blued) to reduce glare. Each rifle was tested at Winchester for accuracy by firing

5917-527: The next cartridge into the chamber. The clip itself dropped free from the magazine when the first cartridge had been loaded. Unlike the M1892 Springfield (Krag) and the later M1903 Springfield rifle, the Lee straight-pull did not have a magazine cut-off to enable the cartridges in the magazine to be held in reserve in keeping with the prevailing small arms military doctrine of the day (for use in rapid-fire, close-range combat only, fed single rounds

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6014-486: The old single-shot Springfield and .45-70 ammunition. Issued to both naval armed guards ( bluejackets ) and Marine battalions, the 6 mm Lee Navy cartridge saw combat service with U.S. forces (primarily Marine riflemen and Colt machine gun detachments) in both Cuba and the Philippines during the Spanish–American War . The round was also issued to small formations of attached Cuban rebels participating in

6111-496: The old single-shot Springfield and .45-70 black-powder ammunition. Rifles with a serial number below 13390 (approx.) were made prior to December 31, 1898. Additional smaller purchases were subsequently made to replace lost weapons, mostly in response to a fire at the New York Navy Yard which damaged or destroyed about 2,500 rifles; around 230 rifles were condemned as unrestorable. The additional small quantity purchases by

6208-510: The other hand, the Marine Legation Guard, which used the 6mm U.S.N. cartridge in the defense of the foreign legations in Peking during the Boxer Rebellion of 1900, apparently had no such criticisms. U.S. forces equipped with the Lee rifle in the first (Seymour) relief expedition advancing from Tientsin to relieve the Marines at Peking were able to transport some 10,000 rounds of 6mm ball for

6305-417: The outbreak of the Spanish–American War , the M1895 was issued to the 650 marines of the First Marine Battalion (Reinforced) aboard the naval transport USS Panther , commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Robert W. Huntington, including a Colt M1895 machine gun detachment. As far as is known, all Marine companies involved in the Cuba combat operations were equipped with the 6mm Lee rifle. In addition to service with

6402-490: The part of the operator." The Lee straight-pull rifle with its clip-loaded magazine was duly chosen as the winner after the completion of the small arms trials, and was selected for adoption by the U.S. Navy in 1895 as the Lee Rifle, Model of 1895, caliber 6-mm , a.k.a. the M1895 Lee Navy. The first naval contract for the M1895 was let to Winchester for 10,000 rifles in January 1896 (serials 1–9999). However, deliveries of

6499-501: The powder used in the 6mm Government cartridges had deteriorated to such a degree they were determined to be unfit for sale, and the company destroyed the entire lot rather than resell them to the public. A commercial sporting version of the M1895 Lee Straight Pull was sold by Winchester. It did not sell well in U.S. markets due to a heavy preference by American consumers for lever-action rifle designs. The cartridge

6596-401: The pressure limit specification (43,000 psi) for the new loading with Rifleite, and chamber pressures varied widely from lot to lot of powder, ranging up to 60,000 psi. The new M1895 Colt–Browning machine gun was also modified to accept the new 112-grain (0.26 oz; 7.3 g) loading the same year, and a further 500,000 cartridges were ordered to accommodate machine-gun usage. Firing

6693-555: The proper specification postponed shipments of ammunition under the Navy's contract with Winchester (WRA) and UMC, and shipments of the 6 mm Lee rifle were also delayed due to manufacturing issues and contract changes. As a result, the .45-70 Government cartridge and small arms chambered for it continued in front-line service with the Navy until 1897, when the latter cartridge was made substitute standard for second-line vessels. Because of arguments over inadequate congressional appropriations, Marine battalions scheduled to be equipped with

6790-428: The range settings. Though some problems were noted with the new rifle, the flat ballistics, accuracy and rate of fire of the M1895 and the light weight of its 6mm ammunition proved to be of considerable benefit during offensive infantry operations over mountainous and jungled terrain against both Spanish regulars and loyalist guerrilla forces. The extra cartridges proved useful when early ammunition resupply from Navy ships

6887-416: The report of the Marine Corps quartermaster as of September 1897 begged the secretary for an additional $ 10,000 appropriation for 6 mm ammunition to allow the Marines to conduct live fire and target practice with the Lee rifle. The report went on to warn that, except for drill practice, enlisted Marines were "entirely unfamiliar with the use of this arm", since all target practice had to be conducted using

6984-409: The rest of the time). The Chief of Ordnance considered the Lee clip to be superior to either the Mauser stripper clip or the Mannlicher en bloc clip, as cartridges were not required to be stripped from the clip into the magazine (like the Mauser 'stripper clip' system), yet the Lee clip was not an essential part of the magazine (like the Mannlicher system), since it dropped out after the first cartridge

7081-477: The rifle weighed 8.3 pounds (3.8 kg) and was about 48 in (120 cm) long. It was the first American military rifle to be loaded by charging an (optional) en bloc clip of five 6mm cartridges into the rifle magazine, similar to the Mannlicher clip system (except the Mannlicher required the clip to operate). Lee later claimed in an unsuccessful lawsuit that his single-row clip-loaded magazine patent

7178-537: The riflemen as well as a Colt machine gun crew, and consequently never ran short of ammunition, unlike other Western forces, who were forced to capture the Imperial Chinese arsenal at Hsiku to find enough cartridges to continue fighting. During the same expedition, Marine sharpshooters using the Lee Navy rifle managed to eliminate the gun crews of two heavy artillery batteries using only rifle fire. However,

7275-420: The rimmed .30 Army round was less than ideal when used in modern machine guns, and the decision to adopt it for the Navy and Marine Corps might be postponed until a rimless version was developed (which would eventually take place in 1903 in the form of the .30-03 ). Another factor in the demise of the 6mm Lee was its bullet; the 6 mm Lee was adopted prior to the invention of the spitzer -shape bullet. As

7372-409: The service life of the M1895 as a first-line infantry weapon was soon to end. In December 1898, a board of officers from the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps recommended that all services adopt the .30 Army cartridge and the small arms and machine guns chambered for it. The board did acknowledge that the rimmed .30 Army round was less than ideal when used in modern machine guns, and that the decision to adopt

7469-414: The severity of their wound, but simply retire to the rear", and last, "the explosive effect of a small-caliber, high-velocity bullet against the human body—the bullet tumbles or fragments to produce devastating wounds against bone or fluid-filled organs—would be more incapacitating at all ranges than wounds made by a slow-moving bullet of large caliber". On August 1, 1894, a naval test board was convened at

7566-477: The slightly inclined opening stroke proved awkward for some men when the rifle was operated from the shoulder. Despite this, the Navy's Chief of Ordnance noted with approval that the Lee rifle could be fired "with great rapidity", achieving a rate of fire considerably faster than most existing turn-bolt rifles of the day. Because of the 6mm cartridge's flat trajectory and resultant increased danger zone when firing at enemy personnel (compared to prior service rifles),

7663-425: The spent case. Pushing forward on the bolt handle strips a round from the magazine; as the bolt is slammed home, the bolt's wedge lock seats into place, the firing pin is cocked, and the fresh cartridge is seated in the chamber. Once the M1895 is cocked, the rifle's bolt cannot be retracted unless the bolt-release lever is pushed downward. This prevents opening of the action caused by an inadvertent bump or contact to

7760-583: The third round of the service trials. With the absence of the Luger rifle, the Board found Lee's straight-pull design superior to the Miles and Russell-Livermore entries, and particularly noted the superiority of the Lee clip-feed mechanism. In their Report, the Board stated that the Lee rifle "is strong, simple, composed of few parts, and is susceptible of very rapid manipulation without great experience or aptitude on

7857-413: The trend to smaller and smaller calibers by adopting a cartridge in 6 mm (0.236 inch) caliber, with a semi-rimmed case capable of holding up to 40 gr (0.091 oz; 2.6 g) of 'Rifleite' smokeless powder and proof chamber pressures of up to 60,000 psi. While the government cartridge was being developed, the Navy tested rifle barrels in various alloys and rifling twists, eventually settling on

7954-456: The weapon ready to fire. With its slim-contour 28-inch (710 mm) barrel, the rifle was slightly muzzle heavy. With practice it could be rapidly fired, recocked, and reloaded without taking the rifle from the shoulder: tests proved the arm could fire 5 aimed shots in three seconds, and 71 shots in two minutes. Contemporary reports and subsequent tests indicate that the M1895 and its ammunition were exceedingly accurate: target groups approaching

8051-568: The world, until the introduction of the 8mm Lebel M1886 rifle using smokeless powder , the Remington-Lee rifle utilized the first successful detachable box magazine , unlike the Lebel rifle which was still using a fixed tubular magazine . The design was incorporated by the British into the Lee–Metford and Lee–Enfield rifles, thereby becoming one of the most widely used rifle designs of

8148-430: Was 180 rounds of 6mm ammunition packed in five-round clips carried in black leather ammunition pouches. Outfitted in this manner, a navy bluejacket or marine could carry considerably more ammunition than that of the typical Army trooper of the day, who usually carried 100 rounds of .30 Army ammunition in individual cartridge loops on his Mills canvas cartridge belt. The Navy Secretary's Report enthused that "the change in

8245-562: Was again changed to one turn in 10 inches RH (25 cm). The U.S. 6mm Lee Navy (6mm U.S.N.) cartridge used by the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps was initially supplied by Winchester Repeating Arms (WRA) and later, the Union Metallic Cartridge Company (UMC). The rifle powder was Rifleite , a nitrocellulose flake powder supplied by a British company, the Smokeless Powder Co. Ltd. The cartridge

8342-524: Was chambered for a time in the Remington-Lee and Blake magazine rifles. With a reputation for penetration and explosive effect, the 6mm Lee was reportedly quite popular as a hunting cartridge in Alaska and Northwest Canada. It was discontinued from commercial production in 1935. The 6mm Lee cartridge case later served as the basis for the .220 Swift , which used a necked-down 6mm Lee case with

8439-426: Was changed in later production rifles to one turn in 10 inches RH (25 cm). Contemporary medical reports of the day noted the 112-grain (0.26 oz; 7.3 g) bullet produced noticeably greater damage to tissue and bone than other contemporary military cartridges when fired at full velocity (2,560 fps), and the bullet's copper jacket frequently fragmented or detached entirely from its lead core after penetrating

8536-483: Was considered to be a good one, but marred by its magazine system, which the Small Arms Board found to be problematic. The Board thought so highly of the Luger Rifle that it recommended purchase of either a prototype or an option to purchase the rights to manufacture. Apparently this never came to pass, as Luger not only declined to submit its design in the Navy's government 6mm chambering, but withdrew from

8633-411: Was designed to work optimally in the charger clips of the M1895 rifle. This proved an unnecessary complication when adapting the cartridge to other, more modern machine guns and small arms. Aside from the benefits of interchangeability between the services, the board noted the government had its greatest investment in the .30 Army cartridge and rifles chambered for it. Nevertheless, the board acknowledged

8730-497: Was disrupted at the outset of the Guantanamo operation, allowing Marines to continue their assault even while individually resupplying Cuban rebels who had run short of ammunition. After the battle of Cuzco Wells, the surviving members of the retreating Spanish garrison informed the Spanish General Pareja at Ciudad Guantánamo that they had been attacked by 10,000 Americans. The M1895 would see considerable action in

8827-403: Was infringed by von Mannlicher, but most historians agree that Mannlicher and Lee independently developed their en bloc magazine systems along separate but parallel lines. In the Secretary of the Navy's Annual Report, the Lee system was mentioned as follows: The method of using the [Lee] clip is to insert it with its five cartridges into the magazine of the gun...from which it drops as the bolt

8924-522: Was initially manufactured by Winchester (WRA) for the Navy. Because of production delays and the desire to have a secondary ammunition source in the event of war or another emergency, the Union Metallic Cartridge (UMC) Company was also awarded a contract to produce 6 mm ammunition. After the adoption of the M1895 Lee, the case rim of the government cartridge was redesigned with a slight bevel (rebated rim) for optimum performance in

9021-514: Was loaded, and since single cartridges could be loaded into an empty or partially loaded magazine to replace cartridges fired (unlike the Mannlicher). This conclusion was in conflict with the Naval Small Arms Board, which did consider the Lee clip to be an essential part of the magazine. When specifying the requirements for its new service rifle, the Navy emphasized that it desired a repeating rifle loaded by means of chargers or clips, but "since

9118-460: Was semi-rimmed, and was designed to function in machine guns such as the M1895 Colt–Browning as well as in infantry rifles. Intended primarily for shipboard use against enemy naval forces in small boats, the 6mm Lee had considerably more penetrating power than the U.S. Army's .30 Army (.30-40 Krag) cartridge, and could perforate 23 inches (58 cm) of soft wood at 700 yards (640 m),

9215-411: Was supplied by Winchester, and used a roundnosed, cupro-nickeled steel-jacketed lead-core bullet with a total weight of 135 grains. In March 1897 a new military loading was adopted using a 112-grain (7.3 g) round-nose, copper-jacketed (FMJ) military loading developing 2,560 feet per second (780 m/s) and 1,629 ft⋅lbf (2,209 J) of energy at the muzzle. Besides providing increased velocity and

9312-451: Was the only cartridge permitted for rifles tested before the Naval Small Arms Board. Both the ammunition and rifle barrels were supplied by the government; the barrels, made of 4.5 per cent nickel steel, used Metford -pattern rifling with a rifling twist of one turn in 6.5 inches, and were supplied unchambered with the receiver thread uncut. The rifle action was required to withstand the firing of five overpressure (proof) cartridges with

9409-597: Was the standard service rifle for enlisted Marines, both seaborne and guard forces. Fifty-four USN Lee rifles were recovered from the USS Maine , which was sunk in Havana harbor in 1898. These were eventually sold to Bannerman's , a military surplus dealer. Surviving examples seen of the confirmed Maine rifles have pitted receivers, which would be logical considering the salt water immersion in Havana Harbor. After

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