1885 Remington Lee Navy

[rayg]

I know this is a trap door thread but I think this rifle might be allowed as where the TD was the Army rifle, the Rem Lee was the Navy rifle during the same period.
Anyway I just purchased this rifle at a gun show because I have had a rare magazine cartridge belt for the Rem Navy Lee for many years and I knew I would eventually have to get the rifle and this one came along as a walk in at the show at a reasonable $1,050 price. It's not perfect but liveable and has good rifling and I intend to shoot it.
The rear sight uses, I believe the standard 1879 TD Springfield rear sight, with the exception that the sight base is stamped R-L. The sight on this rifle needs a complete ladder w/sliding sight, (1200 yd range), as the one on the rifle is broken. Also it's missing the cleaning rod. Anyone have any of these items I can buy?
The belt is Khaki color and not blue, so it is Navy, not Army or militia. So I had to get a Navy Lee, The belt has a patent date of 1889 which would be correct for the rifle's early 1890's date. I believe these belts were in existence earlier and used with the earlier rifles also as there is early referrence to the belt. The belt probably didn't receive a patent stamp until later. About an hour before I bought the rifle I found the early TD sling I posted on here earlier, and it will work for the Rem Lee also. Ray

[rayg]

more photos

[Dick Hosmer]

Nice find. Lucky you have the sight base, as the screws are longer. If the leaf IS different (I'd have to look) it would not be very different, and a TD one should certainly suffice - I might be able to help you there, if not, they are readily available. The rod is the typical Remington rod of the period, plain cylindrical shaft with separate applied head. Don't have a spare, but can provide the correct length for you.

[rayg]

I just looked through my TD book and see all I need for the sight is the sliding buck horn sight. That part is missing, the 1200 ladder is intact. Ray

[Dick Hosmer]

I'll see what I have. Forgot to mention the rod threads in.

[Dan Shapiro]

I envy you Ray. Been looking for a Lee-Navy for several years. One's I've come across so far have all had major problems.

[rayg]

I'll see what I have. Forgot to mention the rod threads in.

Thanks Dick, appreciate it. Would like to take it shooting, Ray

[rayg]

Dick you mentioned that the cleaning rod is the same as the other Rem rifles. I assuming that includes the Rem 45/70 rolling block rifles. What is the length of the rod? Would a 50/70 RB rifle rod be the same or too large a dia. I ask, only as I will be looking for an original rod and one of those may turn up, Ray

[Dick Hosmer]

I envy you Ray. Been looking for a Lee-Navy for several years. One's I've come across so far have all had major problems.

Dan, stay in contact. The R-L is one of my more peripheral items, and might be an early release from the collection, when that time comes. It's probably in a bit lesser condition then Ray's, but no "problems". It is also one of the 280 rifles from the California Naval Battalion, as mentioned in Gene Myszkowski's book.

[Dick Hosmer]

Sorry, Ray, meant to answer you first, and forgot to hit "post" before getting side-tracked.

Here are the dimensions for the rod in my M1885 R-L:

OAL: 31-3/8"
Shaft (uniform): 3/16"
Head length: 1-3/8"
Thread length: 3/8"
Setback when threaded-in: 1/4"

Have no info on Remington commercial rods. The R-L rod MIGHT be similar to the .50-70 New York contract rolling blocks, but the Springfield RB rods are completely different.

[Dan Shapiro]

Thanks Dick. Keep me in mind when the time comes.

[jon_norstog]

Good score, Ray. The Remington-Lees were a pretty decent rifle, and the detachable magazine was a real breakthrough in military rifle design.

James Paris Lee was a genius who never had John Browning's luck. Perhaps Mr. Hosmer will post some pictures of Lee's redesign of the trapdoor, one of the finest military single shot rifles I've ever seen.

jn

[Dick Hosmer]

This is what Jon is talking about:

[Dan Shapiro]

Dick, please elaborate. How did the action function? Extraction? Tks.

[Dick Hosmer]

Nutshell: If empty, slide a round in at top, just like loading a Winchester on the side, block springs back up, cock hammer, fire. If fired, strike hammer from rear, shell pops out, block stays down, loading a round releases it, cock and fire. Full rifle ballistics in the length of a Cadet (action is 3" shorter). Slicker than ice on teflon. Massively strong. Victim of OD politics. Will be covered in much greater detail in forthcoming book.