Remington Lee 45/70 Model 1885 Navy Rifle

[old tanker]

Here is mine. The bore is pristine. Navy number 2743, inspected by Lieutenant W.W. Kimball. Part of the second order of rifles ordered by the Navy in June of 1889.

No idea of where it's been or what it's done, but what an astounding bit of US military history. While the US Army was running around the plains chasing Indians with single shot trapdoor Springfields the Navy was issuing the Remington-Lee, first detachable box magazine, repeating rifle in the world.

You don't have to squint much to see the James Paris Lee's seminal bolt action, magazine rifle evolve to the Lee Speeds, Lee Metfords and the Lee Enfields that served the Armies of the Commonwealth for the better part of a century.