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Winchesler-Lee 6mm Model 1895 Navy Rifle
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Very very nice. I had the sporter for many years and shot it regularly. I don't recall even seeing a bayonet before now. Nice rifle...
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Here are a box of 20 Remington-UMC 6mm USN cartridges; attached bayonet and clip/wire.
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Ah yes, the even scarcer clip. A friend swears he has a couple and will produce one for my cartridge collection...that was 20 years ago...
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Nice rifle. If you don't have one already, you might want to get "The Winchester Lee Rifle, by Gene Myszkowski. It's not expensive and contains great info on the rifles. This is what it says about your rifle. Your serial number is within the 2nd contract. The 2nd contacted ones had some improvements over the first contract ones and the first deliveries were in August 1, 1898 and to be completed September 27th. It was inspected by Lt John N. Jordon. I have a first contract one, nice rifles, Ray
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Quote:
Originally Posted by
rayg
Nice rifle. If you don't have one already, you might want to get "The Winchester Lee Rifle, by Gene Myszkowski. It's not expensive and contains great info on the rifles. This is what it says about your rifle. Your serial number is within the 2nd contract. The 2nd contacted ones had some improvements over the first contract ones and the first deliveries were in August 1, 1898 and to be completed September 27th. It was inspected by Lt John N. Jordon. I have a first contract one, nice rifles, Ray
Thanks for comments, Ray. Yes, I just bought Gene's book and it's a wealth of information about this rifle. I'm waiting for the shipment information letter for this rilfe from the Cody Firearms Museum and will be interested to find out which USN Base/ship etc received this rifle. Have you shot your rifle?
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Very nice, great pictures.................Thanks.
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Now you need to find an original sling to complete it, Ray
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Here's an item I'm sure you can't live without...the pull through and brush. Cheap at twice the price... Super Scarce Original Impossible TO Find Winchester LEE Navy Rifle Cleaning KIT | eBay
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Jim; at $850 I think I'll wait for a more reasonably priced one or a repro if it ever shows up!
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I couldn't believe how much he thought he wanted for it...no one would possibly pay that...would they?
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Quote:
Originally Posted by
browningautorifle
I couldn't believe how much he thought he wanted for it...no one would possibly pay that...would they?
Hi Jim; the seller accepted the "best offer" which wasn't specified in the listing. Be interesting to know what it sold for.
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I'd just settle for the clip my friend offered me. I since saw three bayonets for sale on one website. Anywayzzz, I had the sporter and even though the barrel was less than stellar, shot it regularly. One day I shot 40 rds, which must have been the most ammo shot through one in 50 years. I had bullets disintegrate in flight, some struck the gong with all the authority of a .30 cal. When they came out, they would have done the job quite well. Just a bit of a nightmare of delicate parts. The small S shaped spring for instance...the bolt lock upon firing too...
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I bought a nice Navy contract WLN a few years ago and it had this in the butt. It's not a US contract one but apparently a Winchester one made for their civilian military and sporter models as it is slightly different, Ray
Attachment 56437Attachment 56438Attachment 56439
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Quote:
Originally Posted by
rayg
I bought a nice Navy contract WLN a few years ago and it had this in the butt. It's not a US contract one but apparently a Winchester one made for their civilian military and sporter models as it is slightly different, Ray
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Ray, thanks for posting your rifle. I see you have the bandoleer and pull-thru cleaner; I'll have to see if any of those show up at prices I can afford!
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Believe me nothing is cheap for these rifles. The bandoliers do come up for sale once in awhile but not at give away prices, usually some what over a $1,000, depending on condition and a lot higher with the suspenders. But the hardest thing to find, and if you do, again big bucks and that is an original Winchester made sling. One dealer about five years ago had two of the slings for sale for over $2,200 each, I called to see if it was a misprint in his catalog and he said no, and also that they were already sold. I then put a WTB add and was able to get one for about 1/3 of that, but still not cheap. Bayonets run about $600.
Recently I was lucky and traded a guy a Japanese sling for a sling for a 1895 Russian contract rifle he had. It's basically the same sling as for the Lee Navy and 95 Winchester rifles but was contracted out later by Winchester for the Russian rifle contract and is not the quality of the Winchester made slings.
The Winchester made sling has the Winchester proof star on it and photos #2 & 3 are of the Russian contract sling. You can see the difference in the stitching quality also the Russian ones have a patent date. Keep checking the WTS and dealer internet sites as you can find sleepers. Ray
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Per the Winchester Repeating Fire Arms letter the serial number was applied to the on July 22, 1898; Caliber: N; received in warehouse on August 12, 1898 and shipped from warehouse on August 20, 1898; Order number 2689. It just missed the Spanish-American War but may have served during the Relief of the Foreign Legations in Peking during the Boxer Rebellion in 1900 or during the Philippine Insurrection 1899-1902. I'll have to see if I can track down the USN or USMC ship/unit which eventually received this rifle.
---------- Post added at 11:07 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:06 AM ----------
Ray; thanks for the photos of your accoutrements; I'll keep looking for some for my rifle.
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Some of my favorite related Winchester-Lee photos: U. S. Sailors in 1899 N. Y. C. Dewey Parade, N. C. Twining (Inspector and Manual Co-Author), manual fold-out page, and Jim Curlovic display at recent Michigan Antique Arms Show.
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Was that the expo centre in Novi? I used to live down the street in Northille. Great show used to find all kinds of good stuff.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by
butlersrangers
It looks like the sailors marching in the first photo are squeezed in and not enough room to march abreast correctly, or else there's a personal battle going on between a couple of sailors :) ,
Here's a photo of some Marines marching with WLN rifles, Ray
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PS, Jim, were those 40 rds you shot reloads? If so, what powder and loads were you using? I reload for mine, Ray
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Yes Ray, they were reloads. I would buy factory ammo at the gun shows and pull it down. The primers would be punk mostly and the powder...well... I'd use a large rifle primer and 29.5 gr of IMR 4064. I used factory original 112 gr bullets. Next time I used factory bullets and used 30 Gr of IMR 3031. Cartridges of the world has several bullet weights posted. I think I used 220 swift dies to load with...I also remember using a box of factory bullets for some of my loads but I don't have the info here on what bullets they were exactly. Just the info here. The loads were mild enough but half the time the bullets went puff out at 150 yds, the rest hit the gong with authority.
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There was a guy who had a WTB on a site for a hand guard for his WLN and I advised him of one I saw for sale and he bought it and was so happy he sent me a box of Buffalo Arms 6mm ammo as a thank you, and which I shot and reloaded the cases.
I used the 220 swift dies to reload also and read you could use the 220 Swift cases for the WLN also. Although shorter, they would work. So I tried them and they did work ok you just had to seat the bullets out further so there was not as big a jump for the bullet to the rifling because of the shorter case. Cheaper then buying the 6mm cases for the Winchester LN. I tried cast bullets once in the rifle but they were not accurate because the cast bullets could not get a tight grip on the rounded shoulders of the shallow Metford rifling. Ray
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Attachment 56483Attachment 56484Attachment 56485Attachment 56486Michigan Antique Arms Collector Shows are now held at 'Suburban Collection' hall in Novi, Michigan. (Next show is Week-end after Thanksgiving). The Sailors in the 1899 Dewey Parade in New York were being pressed-in by the huge crowds.
Jim Curlovic's (a fine and interesting Gentleman) display included a 'Bannerman' Winchester-Lee salvaged from the Maine. (Now here's a mean Marine - I wouldn't salute him with a Latte! - Mr. President).
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Quote:
Originally Posted by
rayg
the rounded shoulders of the shallow Metford rifling
And here I thought my barrel was just a bit down. That never occurred to me. And sites like this didn't exist to ask...
