M1885 Remington-Lee

The M1885 Remington-Lee (also known as the M1885 Lee, and "Navy M1885") is a bolt action, box magazine repeating rifle designed principally by James Paris Lee. It first appeared in 1879, manufactured by the Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company. Eventually Remington took over production and produced the famous Model 1885 Remington Lee Navy Rifle in caliber .45-70. Arguably the most modern rifle in the world until the introduction of the 8mm smokeless powder using Lebel M1886 rifle, the Lee utilized the first successful box magazine, unlike the Lebel which still used a tube 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 the 20th century. Unfortunately for Remington the version they produced only saw limited use by the U.S. Navy and was passed up in favor of the Krag-Jørgensen by the U.S. Army in 1892.

New Zealand purchased 500 M1885 Remington Lee's for its militia in 1887. These were chambered in Remington's .43 Spanish (11.15x58mmR) caliber. These were quickly replaced after complaints about ammunition quality.^[1]

Sources

1. ^ Scarlata, Paul. The Military Rifle Cartridges of New Zealand. Shotgun News, 2008, Volume 62 Issue 28, p. 18.

• .45-70 Rifles by Jack Behn. C1958 by Stackpole Publishing.
• Small Arms of the World by WHB Smith and Joseph Smith.