m1895 navy lee manual

7/27/2019 M1895 Navy Lee Manual

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THE

UNITE-DSTATES; A V Y R l F i m ,


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THE

UNITED STATES NAVY RIFLE,Calibre 6 Millimetres .

Model 189).

Description and Nomenclature.

PREPARED BYPROF. P. R. ALGER, U. S. NAVY,

AND

ENS IGN N. C. TWINING, U. S. NAVY,Under direction of the Bureau of Ordnance.

~HARTFORD, CONN.:

PRESs OF TH E CAsE, LocKwooD & BRAINARD CoMPA:-


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THE UNITED STATES NAVY RIFLE.MODEL 1895 .THI S arm is known as the Lee Straight Pull Rifle, and is essentiallya rapid-fire or repeating arm, rather than a magazine gun, sincethere is no provision for cutting off the supply of ammunition

from th e magazine an d usin g the arm as a single loader while th emagazine contains cartridges. I t may be used as a single loader if th emag azine be not charged, bu t in general it will be used as a repeater, fivecartrid ges in a clip being entered in th e magazine an d the gu n not beingreloaded until this charge is ex hausted. In case loose ammunition is furnished, the magazine ma y be charged with single cartridges, any numberfrom on e to five being entered.

Th e calibre of the gun is 6m/ m, or approximately ".2362 ; the gunshould be referred to generally as a "6mjm rifle," as this notation expresses th e calibre exactly, while the English equivalent is only an approximation.

Th e gu n is furnished with an adjustable sling strap, a knife bayonet,an d a cleaning cord, th e latter carried habitually in a recess in th e buttclosed by a sliding cover.Th e gu n and accessories are described in detail in th e following pages.

DESCRIPTION AN D NOMENCLATURE.Th e complete gun, with sights, bayonet, an d sling, is shown in Plate

I: fig. 1, to p view; fig. 2, side view ; fig. 3, section through upper band;fig. 4, section through lower band.Th e weights an d dimensions of th e gun, sling, and bayonet, are given

in Table I, at th e end of th e book.Fo r convenience of description, the gu n ma y be considered as com-

posed of th e following principal parts:1. Stock.2. Barrel.3 Receiver.4 Breech mechanism.5 Trigger mechanism.6. Magazine mechanism.7. Rear sight.8. Bayonet.9 Sling.


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Under these general heads are grouped all th e parts of th e gun, bayonet, bayonet scabbard, and sling; these, with the parts of th e clip, ar eincluded in th e nomenclature table, and are shown in Plate II .

In following th e descriptions of th e parts of th e gu n and their functions, reference should be made to Plates II I an d IV as well as to th e cutsof th e several parts.

1. T h e Stock .Under this head are included th e stock proper, th e barrel-cover, upper

an d lo1oer bands, stacking sw ive l, slt'ng swivel, stock swivel base, an d butt-plate.Th e stock proper (Pl. II , No. 76) is of black walnut, with half pistol

grip, and has a recess 6'' deep in the butt for th e reception of cleaninggear.

Th e barrel cover (Pl. II, No. 2), also of black walnut, covers th e upperside of th e barrel from th e forward end of th e receiver to a point about I"forward of th e lower band, being designed as a protection for the handwhen the barrel is hot. It is secured in position by the lower band an dby a bevel under the forward en d of the rear sight base. Its inner surfaceis eccentric with th e barrel, so that it does no t come in contact with it ex-cept at th e edges. This device serves th e double purpose of preservingthe cover from charring an d of allowing free circulation of air about th ebarrel. It also has an asbestos liner to assist in preventing burning of thecover.

Th e metal fittings of th e stock are of steel, th e swivels being made ofsteel wire. Th e stacking swivel (PI. V, Fig. 17, a) and bayonet lu g (PI. V,Fig. 17, b) are carried on the upper band ; th e sling swivel (Pl. V, Fig. I3,a) on th e lower band. Th e stock swivel base (Pl. V, Figs. 9 and Io) receives the snap of th e sling when th e latter is adjusted for slinging th egu n ; when the sling is secured, th e snap pi n is passed through an eye inth e forward end of th e magazine (PI. X, Fig. 2, a). Th e butt-plate (PI. V,Figs. I, 2, and 3) is provided with a slide (Figs. 7 an d 8), covering th e recess for cleaning material.

2. The Barrel.Under this head are included the barrel proper, an d th e front sight base,

tip and pin (Plate VI). Th e barrel is of nickel steel, 28 inches in length,and is rifled on th e Metford plan (Fig. s). There are six grooves of a uniform depth of ".oo4, having a twist of one turn in 7S inches. Th e groovesare arcs of circles of ".o89 radius, and have a width of ".Ioo measured ont he ar c of th e bore. Th e lands ar e " .0237 wide.

Th e cltamber (Fig. 4) consists of the body a, rear slope b, neck c, frontslope d, and bullet seat e. At th e point d in th e bullet seat th e rifling commences, the depth of th e grooves increasing from o at that point to" .oo4at the point g.

Th e front sight base (Fi g. 7) is brazed to th e barrel, and ha s a groovein its upper side into which th e tip (Fig. 6) is snugly fitted, being held in

position by a pin. Th e front sight is exactly in the center line of thebarrel.

3. The Receiver.Embraced under this head ar e th e receiver, th e bolt stop, bolt release, fir-

ing-pin lock, an d th e lock-pin.Th e receiver (Plate VII, Figs. I-S) is a single forging of high grade

carbon steel. It s forward end ha s a screw thread on it s in ter ior surface,which receives the end of the barrel for a distance of " .7s ; it is open atth e top to receive th e bolt, and at th e bottom for th e magazine mechanism.

Th e recoil shoulder (Fig. z, a) , against which th e correspondingshoulder on th e bolt lies, backs up and supports th e bolt when th e gu n isdis charged.On the left of th e receiver ar e three locking devices, each of whichlocks its particular part when in it s upper position>. in other words, to unlockany one of them, it must be pus/ted down.

Th e bolt stop thumb-piece (PI. VIII, Fig. I6) operates th e bolt stop (Pl.VIII, Fi g . IS), a flat steel block having a vertical motion in a groove inside th e receiver. When this is in it s upper position an d th e bolt is drawnback, th e tail of th e extractor strikes against it and brings th e bolt toa stop.

Th e bolt release (PI. IX, Fig. s) serves to unlock th e bolt when the latte r is closed, and it is no t desired t o pu11 the trigger. When th e bolt isclosed, an d before th e trigger is pulled, th e notch a in th e fly (PI. IX, Fi g.6) lies ag ainst the lu g a on th e ca m lever (Pl. VIII, Fig. n) , and th e boltcannot then be opened. When the trigger is pulled th e sear spring and t hepressure of th e fly against th e cam lever hold th e fly in position, thussti11 keeping th e gu n locked. When, however, th e tr igger is released theupper branch of th e se ar, rising, forces th e fly against th e lu g a on th e fir-in g pin (Pl. VIII, Fig. 6), and causes it to sink into th e slot b in the sear(Pl. IX, Fig. 2), thus releasing th e ca m lever and allowing th e bolt to bedrawn back.

To provide for unlocking the bolt without pulling th e trigger, a lu g bis placed on th e fly which engages with a corresponding lu g bo n th e innerbranch of th e bolt release, so that when th e bolt is closed a downwardmovement of th e bolt release draws th e fly down into th e slot bin th esear, releasing th e ca m lever.

Th e third locking device (Pl. VIII, Fig. I3) locks the firing pin whenth e gu n is cocked. Th e lu g a on it s inner side ha s a cam action againstthe lug a on th e firing pi n tail (PI. VIII, Fi g. s), forcing th e pin to th e rearand off th e sear. Th e trigger and sear ar e then free to move, while thefiring pin is held from going forward. This lock is held in its lockingposition by friction an d a small wire spring (PI. VIII, Fig. I4) in a recessin it s forward surface.

Th e lock-pin (PI. IX, Fig. 7) locks th e bolt release and firing pin lock


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in position. I t ha s a split shank an d a notch in one side of it s head forconvenience in dismounting.

4. Breech Mechanism.Th e breech mechanism includes the moving parts of the breech ac

tion which ar e no t connected with any other part of th e gun. These arethe bolt, firing pi n and collar, main spring, cam lever an d !tandle, extractor an dspring .

Th e bolt (Pl. VIII, Figs. r-4), which is perhaps the most importantpart of th e whole system, an d is peculiar to this gun, is a single forging ofhigh grade steel, hardened. I t is bored ou t to receive the firing pin, an dmachined to a general rectangular form to fit th e receiver.Th e recoil shoulder a, as already stated, lies against th e corresponding shoulder in th e receiver, an d transmits to the receiver the shock of th edischarge ; it has an area of about % of a square inch ; it s upper edgeis in a horizontal plane with th e center of th e firing-pin hole, thus causingth e thrust of th e discharge to be slightly downward, tending to keep th ebolt firmly closed.

Tw o lugs b an d c on th e left side of th e bolt limit the motion of th eextractor; the lug d moves in th e slot d in th e tail of the extractor (Fig.18) when th e slight downward motion is imparted to the bolt at the moment of closing.

A hole e in the bolt leading into the firing-pin cavity provides an escape fo r gases in case a primer is pierced, otherwise th e whole pressure ofth e ga s would be exerted against the firing pin, tending to blow it back,to the detriment of th e main spring.

Th e slots . f in th e sides of th e bolt ar e clearances fo r th e ends of thefollower guides.

The firing pin (Pl. VIII, Figs. 5, 6, an d 7) is carried in the bolt, beinglocked in by the cam lever stud (Fig. r r, b) ; the latter can be drawn ou tonly when th e semi-circular cu t c in the firing pin registers with th e holeg in the bolt. Th e tail of th e firing pin engages with th e nib of th e sear.Th e lu g a (Fig. 5) is an element of the locking device already described,an d also serves as a stop to prevent th e pin being blown ou t to the rear incase of a "blow-back" of ga s through a pierced primer.

Th e function of the collar (Pl. VIII, Fig. 8) is to compress the mainspring and assist in cocking the gun ; when th e ca m lever handle is firstmoved after firing, th e ni b of th e cam lever bears against the tail of th efiring pin and pushes it to th e rear, the collar meantime having no longitudinal motion, as it is held by th e stud of the ca m lever ; th e rear en d ofth e bolt rises, the rearward motion no t commencing until the cam d (Fig.ro) has come upon the straight portion b of th e cam-seat on th e receiver(Pl. VII, Fig. 2) at th e same moment the nib of the ca m lever slips intoth e notch in the tail of th e firing pin, and the first part of the cocking iscomplete.

I f the bolt is now pushed smartly home the firing pi n tail engages th eni b of th e sear ; th e lower branch of th e sear bearing against the trigger,the upper branch cannot rise, consequently th e forward motion of th e firin g pi n is arrested while th e bolt an d th e collar (still held by the ca mlever stud) move forward, an d the main spring is fully compressed. Assoon as the firing pi n is arrested th e ca m lever nib leaves th e notch inwhich it has rested an d the pin is held to th e rear by th e sear, th e ni b ofwhich lies against that portion of the firing pin tail below the notch.

The main sprittg (Pl. VIII, Fig. 9) is of spring tempered steel pianowire an d is screwed on the firing pi n from th e front end. I t abutsagainst th e firing pin shoulder b (Fig. 5) and against the collar. Whenth e gu n is cocked it is compressed between these two abutments, andon th e release of th e firing pi n from th e sear, its expansion being limitedto th e rear by th e immovable collar, th e spring forces th e pin sharplyforward against the cartridge in th e chamber.

The cam lever (Plate VIII, Figs. ro an d n) is one of th e essentialfeatures of the gun an d peculiar to it. As already explained, it is automatically locked into th e bolt and can only be removed when all tensionis off the main spring, and th e semi-circular cu t c in the firing pin registers with th e hole g in th e bolt. While this condition obtains after thegu n is fired, th e ca m lever cannot be drawn or thrown out as it s lowerportion is held from transverse motion by the side of th e receiver ; thelever cannot therefore be removed under the conditions named unless thebolt is out o.f the gun.Th e function of th e ni b a of th e lever has been explained in thedescription of the fly.

There remains to be considered th e action of th e ca m d, itself, fromwhich th e piece takes it s name. The gun having been discharged an d th etrigger released, th e bolt is free to move ; on grasping the lever handleand moving it, its first motion is a circular one, th e curved part of thecam moving about a shifting center in th e ca m seat of th e receiver, as th erear end of th e bolt rises. Th e first operation of cocking having beenompleted as above explained, th e cam becomes tangent to the straightportion of the cam seat an d th e circular motion of the cam lever is converted into a rearward movement, communicated to the bolt itself.Th e reverse takes place on closing th e bolt.

That the rearward pressure developed by th e explosion of th e cartridge cannot open th e bolt is evident. First, th e fly holds th e b ol timmovable until the trigger is released ; secondly, th e first motion of th ebolt in opening is a circular one an d not rearward ; thirdly, th e line ofthrust of the discharge is from the center of th e bolt face to the center ofth e recoil shoulder an d this latter is machined to such an angle thatth e line of thrust is perpendicular to it. The thrust may therefore beresolved into two components, one acting in th e axis of the bolt an d


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having no effect on th e locking, th e other acting vertically dow nward an dtending to close th e bolt more firmly.The extractor (Pl. VIII, Fig. 1 8) serves in three capacities, viz.:extractor, ejector, an d magazine stop. Th e magazine being charged, an dth e bolt drawn fully to th e rear, th e extractor lu g a lies against theforward lu g c on th e bolt, the point of the spring lying in the triangulardepression c (Pl. VII, Fig. 2) in the inner side of th e receiver ; on pushingthe bolt forward, th e friction between it an d the extractor carries th el atter with it until the point of th e spring strikes th e forward side of th edepression in which it lies. Th e shank of th e extractor in the meantime,under the pressure of th e spring, lies diagonally across the mouth ofth e magazine preventing the follower spring from forcing th e cartridgeup ou t of th e magazine ; its position in th e vertical plane is such that th eupper cartridge lies high enough to be engaged by the face of the boltand thus pushed forward into th e chamber. As th e forward motion ofth e bolt continues, the extractor having been arrested by the point of th espring striking th e shoulder in th e receiver as above explained, the boltforces the extractor against th e side of th e receiver, compressing th espring; when the rear lu g b on th e bolt comes in contact wi th th e tail ofth e extractor th e forward motion of th e latter is resumed, th e springis forced ou t of th e triangular recess an d th e whole system moves forward,th e extractor spring traveling in th e groove d (Pl. VII, Fig. 2). As th ecartridge is forced into the chamber, th e bullet is pointed at an angleupward and, moving along th e upper side of th e chamber, is graduallyforced into a horizontal position, thus causing th e head of th e case to risebetween the face of th e bolt an d th e extractor, whose projection is suchthat the ni b enters the cannelure . From this point, bolt, extractor, spring,and cartridge move together until th e forward motion of the bolt is completed . When th e circular motion begins th e small center lu g d on th ebolt travels in th e slot d in th e extractor tail, th e rear bolt lu g pushesclown th e ti p a of the extractor spring (Fig. q) , and th e latter, guided.by the feather bin the feather slot in the extractor tail , rotates about it spi n c until its point lies along th e raised portion of th e extractor head,holding it firmly against th e cartridge h ea d.

The gu n is th en discharged, the bolt ra ised and drawn to th e rear,when th e reverse movements of th e extractor take place. It will benoted that th e extractor does no t begin it s motion to th e rear until thebolt ha s moved about r%", when the front lu g strikes it an d draws it toth e rear with a sudden jerk. This takes th e place of th e caroming ac tionby which th e empty case is started from a turn-bolt gun. Th e bolt beingdrawn fully to th e rear, th e tail of th e extractor strikes th e beveled frontface of th e bolt stop, which arrests it suddenly and imparts to it a quickth ough short transverse motion by means of which the empty case isej ected. The extractor spring plays no part in th e ejection.

5. Trigger Mechanism.This embraces th e trigger, sear, an d fly, with their pins, screws, an d

spri11gs .Th e sear (Pl. IX , Fig. 2) is an S-shaped piece of which th e lower

branch c engages the trigger an d th e upper branch a th e cocking-toe or tailof th e firing pin. Th e functions of this piece an d of th e fly have beenpreviously described in detail.

The sea?' spring (Pl. IX, Fig. 4) is a double branch flat spring ; it slower branch lies in th e notch a in the trigger (Pl. IX, Fig. r) an d it supper branch in th e notch d in th e sear. It s ow n upper en d is notched toreceive th e fly.

Th e t?-igger (Pl. IX , Fig. r) is of the" double" o r" arrested" pull ty pe.The trigger spri11g (Pl. X, Fig. 15) bearing on th e shoulder b (Pl. IX, Fig. r)keeps the point of th e trigger away from th e sear until about half the pullis completed.

6. Magazine Mechanism.This includes th e tr igger guard an d magazine, with dowel, screws, an d

bushi11g, th e elevator arm, elevator spring, shaft, an d pins, th e fo llower, followerguides, pim, an d rivets, an d th e clip guide.

The trigger guard an d magazi11e (Pl. X, Figs. 1-5) ar e in on e piece, asolid forging machined to shape ; the tangs at the ends furnish bearingsfo r th e trigger guard screw an d th e receiver tang sc1ew J. th e former (F ig. 8)is entered from th e bottom and engages a female thread in the lower forward portion of th e receiver; th e latter (Pl. VII, Fig. 6) is entered fromth e top, tying together the rear end of th e receiver and trigger guard.It ha s a bushing (Pl. VIr, Fi g . 7) th e function of which is to take up th erecoil of th e gu n and distribute it through the stock to prevent the splitting of th e latter. It also insures th e receiver an d guard being kept intheir proper relative positions . In side th e guard, at th e rear end, an dcomposing a part of it, ar e th e two clip release ways (Pl. X, Fig. 2, b); thesear e sharp at their upper ends and when the clip is pushed into th e magazine from th e top, on e or th e other of them, as th e case ma y be, passesbetween the body of th e clip an d th e loop of th e locking wire ; beingwedge-shaped, th e releast way turns th e loop over, releasing the cartridges.

In th e forward en d of the guard is a hole a for the latch pin of th esling strap snap swivel. Just above this is the seat c fo r the elevatorspring and shaft.

Th e follower guides (Pl. X, Fig. 6) ar e curved pieces of steel riveted toth e inner sides of the magazine an d serving as guides fo r th e tail lugs(Fig. 9, a) of th e follower. They ar e hook-shaped at their upper ends, th ehooks acting as stops to limit th e upward motion of th e follower when ith as reached a horizontal position.

Th e elevator arm (Pl. X, Fig. ro) an d follower (Pl. X, Fig. 9) ar e con-nected by a hinge rivet and, together with the elevato r sp rin g, constitute


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a parallel motion system for raising the cartridges from the magazine in ahorizontal position and presenting them successively in front of th e bolt.

Th e e/er}a/or spring (Fig. 14) is a flat coil spring placed upon a shaft(Fig. I3) and engaging by means of a hole in its inner end a book onthis shaft. Th e ends of th e elevator arm being placed over th e endsof the shaft, th e sp r ing is seated in position at the forward en d of th emagazine an d a tension is maintained by a small pin, d, on the guarditself, which en ters a hole in the outer end of th e spring.

Th e extreme ends of the elevator spring shaft ar e round and havea bearing in th e guard, at c, an upward pressure and fixed center ofmotion being assured by the tension of th e spring.

Th e follower stop pin (b, Fig. 9) serves to prevent the front en d of th efollower from flying up when th e tail lugs bring up against th e stopson the guides.

Th e clip guide (Pl. X, Fig. 7) is a sm all piece riveted inside the magazine at the points e (Fig. 2) between th e clip release ways an d slightly toth e rear of them; its function is to prevent th e clip being entered in th emagazine in rear of th e release ways an d so cause failure to unlock th ew1re.

7. Rear Sight.Th e rear sight consists of the base, leaf, leaf spring, an d slt"de with

th e base screws, and the small parts of th e device for holding th e slide inth e desired position.

Th e base (Pl. XI , Figs. 8- I2) is secured to the barrel by two screwsan d carries th e flat spring (Fig. 21) by which th e leaf is held erect. Th etension of this spring and its bearing on th e leaf ar e so adjusted as to holdth e leaf erect (Fig. 7) or to hold it firmly down either to th e rear (Fig. 6)or to the front (Fig. 3).

Th e slde consists of three pieces, th e slide itself (Fig. 22), th e catch(Fig. 28), and catclt spring (Fi g. 27). Th e catclt is a pinion thrust throughth e slide and having a small spiral spring in its left end by which a knifeedge a on tn e lu g on the left end is forced into the notches on the sightleaf. Th e right end, b, of th e catch is enlarged and knurled fo r easein manipulating ; pushing in on it releases th e knife edge from th e leafnotch an d leaves th e slide free to be moved as desired.

Th e leaf (Figs. I7 and I8 ) has notches on its side to receive the knifeedge of th e slide catch as above explained. I t also ha s a stop screw at ato prevent th e possibility of th e slide being accidentally slipped offth e top .

Th e assembled sight is shown in Figs. I-7, Pl. XI.Th e marking of th e sight is as follows : Leaf down, and slide in rear

po sition (Fig. 3), 3oo yards. Leaf down an d slide pushed forward (Fig. s),6oo yards. Th e sight has been adjusted in this position for a range ofso o yards, bu t it is marked 6oo as the error at that range will be less

by using th e so o yard sighting than by going to the next mark, 8ooyards.

Th e figures 3 an d 6 wi11 be found on the left of the sight base underth e corresponding positions of th e slide. Th e leaf is marked for each Io oyards from 8oo to 2,ooo yards inclusive. Each range is indicated by a line towhich the upper edge of th e slide is to be brought; resting on each line isa large figure denoting the range in hundreds of yards ; thus 8 means 8ooyards, ro, r,ooo yards, etc. Even ranges ar e on th e right-hand side of theleaf, odd ones on the left-hand side.

Th e sight is adjusted fo r "medium " sighting at all ranges ; that is,the front sight should just fill the lower portion of th e notch, its upperedge being brought on a line with the shoulder between th e straight an dth e inclined portions of th e notch (aa, Fig. I3).

Th e marks on the leaf mark the correct position of the slide foran initial velocity of 2,460 feet ; with service ammunition this ve locitywill seldom be exceeded while it may frequently not be reached; consequently it ma y be necessary at long ranges, to set the slide a notch or twohigher than th e mark. Th e notches are ".o2 apart and give amplemeans of adjustment in individual cases.

Th e leaf-notch is exactly in th e center of th e leaf, no allowance beingmade for drift, which is so small as to be almost inappreciable at 300 an dso o yards. Th e notch in the slide is se t to the left about " .os, accuratelycompensating for the drift at 8oo yards ; a slight left holding will correctan y excess of drift for greater ranges.

No wind gauge is provided an d due allowance must be made in firing.8. Bayonet.

Th e blade, a, an d th e !aug, b, of the bayonet (Pl. XII, Fig. 2) are in oneforging, of fine cutlery steel, while th e guard (Fig. Io), an d pommel (Fig.2, c), are separate pieces. Th e guard ha s a ring d, which fits over the en dof the barrel, an d is held between th e shoulder e (Fig. I) and th e pin d.

Th e pommel is riveted to th e tang; i t has in its upper side aT-shapedgroove (Fig. 3, f ) which slides over the bayonet-lug on the upper band ofth e rifle when the bayonet is fixed. In this groove is a spring catch(Fig. 4) which, lying behind th e bayonet-lug, holds th e bayonet againstan y force tending to draw it off th e gun; it is released by pressing th ebutton ( g , Fig. 2) on the side of the pommel.Th e grasp scales are of black walnut, riveted to th e tang.

Th e bayonet scabbard (Pl. XIII) consists of five principal parts, th ebody (Fig. 6) and frog (Fig. 1) of leather, and the tip (Fig. 5) an d moutltcasings (Fig. 3) andjaws (Fig. 2) of steel.

Th e cas ings are fastened to th e body by cement and rivets, while th ejaws ar e entered in th e top of th e mouth casing an d secured to it by


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a screw. Their function is to exert a pressure on th e blade to hold it inth e scabbard .

Th e scabbard and frog ar e riveted together, and ar e attached to th ecartridge belt by a brass hanger, passing through th e loop of th e frog.

9. Sling.Th e sling (Pl. I, Fig. 7) consists of strap, a, securing hook, b, slide c, map

swivel d, and button e. Th e snap swivel and button are of forged steel,th e other fixtures of steel wire.

Th e snap swivel is in five parts, shown in th e plate (Pl. II). Onpushing in on th e head of th e spring plunger, th e latch pi n is releasedfrom it s seat in the fixed arm of th e swivel, and th e latch and pin are freeto rotate about th e en d of th e plunger.

Directions for assembling, attaching, and manipulating th e sling ar egiven under the head of" DISMOUNTING AND ASSEMBLING."

10. Cleaning Cord.This consists of th e cord, th e weight, th e bristle, and the loop.Th e cord is extra indicator cord tested to 45 lbs. strength. Th e

weight, loop, an d bristle-head ar e of yellow brass, while th e bristle consists of a piece of short hair bristle twisted in with a brass wire. Th eknots of th e cord are entirely inside th e brass pieces so that they presentno obstruction to th e passage of th e cleaner through th e bore.

Th e method of using th e cleaner is explained under " CARE AN DPRESERVATION."AMMUNITION.

Th e standard Navy ball cartridge consists of cartridge case, primer,bullet, and charge. Th e case is of solid drawn brass and has no rim , bu tis provided with a cannelure in which the nib of th e extractor engages.

The primer is similar to primers used in 45 calibre and othe-r smallarm ammunition, and requires no special description.

Th e bullet is of hardened lead (95 %lead, 5%antimony) with a jacketof a material known as cupro-nickeled steel. I t is steel plated with analloy of copper an d nickel. Th e weight of the bullet is 135 grains.

Th e charge of powder varies in weight as it ma y also in kind. Th eammunition at present issued to th e service is loade d with 33.2 grains ofTroisdorf smokeless powder, which gives an average velocity to th estandard bullet of 2,460 feet pe r second at 6o ft . from muzzle, with amaximum chamber pressure of 49,ooo lbs. pe r square inch an d an averagepressure of 46,ooo lbs.

With this velocity a penetration of 62 inches in pine at 5 feet fromth e muzzle is obtained. Th e penetration in steel boiler plate is about"7 jr 6 at th e muzzle and "3/8 at roo feet.

Th e ammunition is furnished to th e service in steel clips, five cartridges in each, an d packed four clips in a box, fifty boxes to th e case.

Th e clip (Pl. XIV) consists of th e clip body and th e locking wire. Tocharge it, place the wire in th e groove, th e loop through th e hole, placefive cartridges in it successively, th e edges of th e clip lying in the cannelures ; adjust th e cartridges centrally so that the wire projects th e samedistance beyond each of the end cartridges ; then with th e fingers orin any convenient way, turn the loop flat against th e back of th e clip.This turns the wire on edge, firmly locking th e two end cartridges, andth e hooked ends, lying along th e chamfer on th e cartridge heads, holdthem against transverse displacement. Th e middle cartridge is left freeto turn. Th e pack is now firm and solid and will rarely come adriftunder rough handling. Th e clip wire is turned and the cartridges an dclip automatically released in the gu n as described under the head of"MANIPULATION."

Th e clips ar e intended to be used only once and cannot be dependedon to work satisfactorily after the first time, consequently th e packs mustnot be tampered with, ttor the loops turned except in the gun.

BELTS.Th e belts issued to the service ar e of dark blue woven material,

with twelve woven pockets, each covered by a leather flap, buttoning toth e front of the pocket; each pocket is designed to hold three packsof five cartridges each, th e middle one of the three being pu t in thepocket with th e clip up, th e others with th e points of th e bullets up.With each belt are two shoulder straps, eyeletted together, and havinghooks in each end which hook into th e eyelets in the belt both in frontand behind. These should never be unhooked, bu t the belt pu t on an dremoved by throwing th e straps on an d off the shoulders.

Th e belt is usually to be worn high up above th e waist, with th ecross of th e straps at the back bu t for convenience in reaching ammunition the belt may be shifted front in rear if desired.

MANIPULATION.Th e operation of th e various parts of th e gu n has been described in

detail in th e foregoing sections ; th e descriptions are here reviewed andconnected in an abridged form. Th e description ma y be followed by reference to th e plates of th e individual parts and to Plates II I an d IV,which, to avoid confusion, ar e no t lettered.Th e gu n being completely assembled, th e bolt closed as after a cartridge has been fired (Pl. IV , upper figure), th e breech is opened by drawin g th e bolt smartly to the rear with the right hand on th e cam lever handle. Th e motion of th e hand, while no t strictly "straight pull," is suchin effect, as the operator makes no other motion of the hand than in a direc-


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tion straight to the rear. Th e conformation of th e cam and cam seat, asalready explained, causes the first motion of the bolt to be a circular one,the rear en d rising and carrying the hand with it.

Th e rising of the bolt effects the first operation of cocking, as beforeexplained.

Th e rearward motion of the bolt is checked by the striking of the extractor tail against th e bolt stop. Supposing an empty case to have beenin the chamber, it ha s now been extracted an d ejected as heretofore explained.

Th e chamber is now empty an d the breech open, bolt drawn back toit s full extent (Pl. III). With the right hand grasp a pack of five cartridges between the thumb and the first two fingers, preferably near theheads, and pushing the extractor to the left with the lower cartridge, insertth e pack in the magazine, either side up, keeping the clip close to the faceof the bolt. With the thumb of the right hand press the pack down hard asfar as it will go. This forces the loop of th e clip wire down in rear of oneor the other of th e clip release ways, while th e clip itself is made to passdown to the front by the clip guide; the wedge-shaped wa y turns theloop and wire an d frees the cartridges, which are at once raised by th efollower until th e top one brings up against the extractor, lying partiallyacross th e top of the magazine.

Th e clip is now free, and will drop through and ou t th e bottom ofth e magazine at the first or second fire.

Th e magazine being charged, push the bolt smartly forward; the to pcartridge, having a portion of its head in front of the bolt, is pushed for-ward and into the chamber. When the bolt is about two-thirds closed,the cartridge assumes a horizontal position, the cannelure rising directlyunder the extractor and being grasped by it.

Th e operation of th e extractor and spring during the forward motionof th e bolt have already been described.

Th e bolt having been pushed entirely forward, is cammed down intoposition, th e recoil shoulder resting against th e shoulder in the receiver,th e main spring being compressed meantime as already described.

Th e cartridge is now in th e chamber, held tightly against th e face ofth e bolt by the extractor, and the bolt is bearing against th e recoilshoulder of the receiver (Pl. IV, lower figure).

Th e bolt cannot now be opened, unless the trigger be pulled an d released, or th e bolt release pushed down. Th e method by which the flythus holds the bolt ha s been previously described.

I f it be not desired to fire the gun at once, the firing pin may belocked by pulling up the lock on the left of the receiver; this cams th etail of th e pi n off th e sear, and the trigger may be pulled without releasin g the firing pin. Th e lock must be pulled up smartly to its full travel, it ismoved with some difficulty, having to draw back th e firing pin against th ealready compressed main spring.

!

Pushing the lock down releases the firing pin, and if the trigger benow pulled th e piece is discharged.

Upon discharge, release th e trigger and draw the bolt back smartlyas at first. Th e empty case will be extracted an d ejected, and, on closingth e bolt again, a second cartridge is loaded into the chamber.

Care should be taken to make the rearward motion of the bolt sharp,as a failure to eject the fired case will cause a jam, a second cartridge bein g lifted and started into the chamber with the empty case lying aboveit, which will ja m against th e receiver. "Double loading" is no t possibleif this precaution is observed, as a second cartridge cannot be pushed for-ward unless the bolt be drawn fully back, in which case the first cartridgewill have been thrown out whether fired or not.In special instances it ma y be desired to use ammunition withoutclips. Th e magazine may then be charged with single cartridges, whichshould be pu t in under the extractor and near the rear of the magazine,though a considerable latitude in position is practically allowable.

Th e magazine will hold only five cartridges ; a sixth may, however.be placed in the receiver forward of the extractor, in which case, beforeclosing th e bolt, those in the magazine must be pushed down slightly todisengage the head of the upper one from the face of the bolt ; if the boltbe now closed the gu n is charged for six shots.

In single loading, no special care need be observed in placing th ecartridge ; it may be placed either in front of the extractor or under it.Th e bolt ca n be closed and th e cartridge loaded into th e chamber equallywell in either case, th e ni b of the extractor gripping the shell in anyevent.

Th e direction of th e ejection is to the right and slightly to the front,so that the empty shells clear the operator and the man at his right in thecase of squad or company firing in close order.

Th e fact that this arm is essentially a repeating or rapid-fire rifleshould be borne in mind. I t is not a magazine gu n in the sense that itha s a reserve supply of ammunition for rapid fire at a critical moment,bu t it is always ready fo r rapid fire, as th e time consumed in opening the' breech and inserting a clip is very short, when five shots are instantlyready for delivery, and this can be repeated as long as the individualoperator's supply of ammunition lasts. Th e five shots ma y be deliveredwithout taking the gu n from th e shoulder, as it need only be brought tothe loading position when a new clip is to be entered.

Th e gu n should, therefore, be habitually carried empty and with firingpin down, i. e., after closing the breech the trigger should be pulled. It isthen ready for immediate loading. In situations of great danger, whereinstant firing may be required, th e piece may be carried with th e magazine charged, one cartridge in the chamber, a1td lite firing pin locked.

I f desired, under special circumstances, the magazine may be charged


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and th e bolt closed on an empty chamber; in this case the precaution mustbe taken to press th e pack down slightly while closing the bolt to avoidpushing a cartridge into th e chamber. Before firing, when loaded in thisway, the bolt release mu st be pushed down and the bolt drawn ful1y backand closed again to load the piece. Under these circumstances th e firingpin should not be locked, as the breech cannot come open accidentally,and thus cause th e piece to be inadvertently loaded, while the fact thatth e pin was locked would possibly be overlooked and valuable time mightbe wasted.

This method of carrying the gu n should only be resorted to, as statedabove, under special circumstances of rare occurrence ; otherwise it shouldbe carried with magazine and chamber empty.I t should be noted that the gu n must be cocked in order that th e fir-in g pi n lock ma y be used ; with the pin down the lock is of no effect.

Before firing, always make sure that the bolt has been pushed home,and that th e bolt stop is up.

In rapid firing count th e shots, and do not drop th e gu n from th eshoulder until after the last shot of the string.

Do no t touch the barrel after rapid firing ; it becomes very hot, th ebarrel cover being provided as a guard for that part of the barrel an dreceiver with which the hand comes in contact in firing.

Th e sight, being attached to th e barrel, is also likely to become warm,bu t it cools quickly.

DISMOUNTING AND ASSEMBLING .To take down :Th e gun being completely assembled, breech closed, chamber empty,

to remove th e bolt: Unlock by pressing down on bolt release; this freesth e ca m lever from the fly and allows th e bolt to be drawn to the rearuntil it s motion is arrested by the bolt stop. Th e bolt is then freed bypushing down and to the left on th e bolt stop thumb piece. I t may then bedrawn out from the receiver to th e rear. Pu t the thumb on the tail of theextractor as soon as it comes ou t of the receiver, to prevent its dropping.Remove ex tractor spring by rotating it about its pin to free the featheron the rear end from th e feather slot in the tail of the extractor.

To remove th e firing pi n from the bolt: Grasp the bolt in the lefthand, left side up, thumb against the small stud on the tail of the pin.Press the pin to the rear to free it from th e ni b of th e cam lever. Withthe right hand turn th e cam lever down until th e handle is at right anglesto the bolt, then let go the pin, when it will fly forward, clear of the ca mlever; draw ou t the ca m lever to the right and the firing pin to the rear.Remove th e collar from th e firing pin and take off main spring by unscrewing to the front.

To dismount trigger guard and magazine: Remove trigger guardscrew an d receiver tang screw, and draw trigger guard and mechanism

'

ou t from the bottom. Lay trigger guard in left hand, right side up, an d withfingers of right hand press elevator arm and follower down (taking careto prevent follower from dropping between th e elevator arms), until tailof follower is opposite clearance cut in magazine wall, then spring elevatorar m up (to right) until tail lugs of follower clear guides; then allow ele-vator arm to rise under tension of elevator spring, turning it completelyover, or through r8o0 ; enter the point of screw-driver under elevatorspring and give a slight upward pressure to release spring from the pinon th e guard, then remove spring from its seat .

Remove sear spring and fly. Th e trigger spring, trigger, and sea ar eremoved by taking out the pins and screws securing them .

To dismount barrel and receiver: remove band screws an d bands.In removing upper band, when it strikes the front sight turn it bottom upan d draw it off over the sight.

To remove barrel cover, raise rear sight leaf to vertical position andpush slide to top, then draw barrel cover forward to clear the bevel underrear sight base, lift it up, turn through 90 and slip off over rear sight;lift barrel an d receiver out of stock.

With point of screw-driver bear ou t and down on bolt stop thumbpiece until the bolt stop is clear of it s slot. Remove lock pin by engagingpoint of screw-driver or nib of extractor in th e notch on the front face ofit s head. Spring out bolt release to clear guide pin from it s slot, an d boltrelease will drop ou t from its seat. Push firing pi n lock entirely downand remove it by springing it out from th e side of th e receiver. Whenfree draw it through to the outside (left).

To assemble: proceed in inverse order.Enter firing pin lock in its lowest position and push it up home; re

turn bolt release to its seat and spring it into position; enter lock pi n andforce it home, being careful to see that the notched face is forward; enterbolt stop in guide slots an d slide it home, springing thumb-piece ou t untilstop is up; as the two sides of the bolt stop are unequal in length, it is sometimes difficult to enter it fairly and push it home, owing to it s tendency to' cramp" ; fo rce must tzot be used. Replace barrel in stock, pu t on coveran d bands.

Assemble trigger mechanism with guard, being careful to replace flyan d sear spring properly, the notch in th e end of th e long arm of th e searspring embracing th e shank of th e fly, th e latter resting in its own seatin the upper branch of th e sear.

To replace elevator ar m (from which th e spring has no t been removed), grasp it in the right hand, follower down, and push spring intoits seat; the guard being held in left hand, then with the thumb or forefinger of right hand press th e spring downward with a rolling motion untilit brings up, then, pressing spring shaft up into its seat, turn elevator ar mover to th e left; if the spring ha s failed to engage the pin on the guard,

2


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th e fact will be at once made known by th e absence of tension; th e springbeing engaged as shown by tension, the elevator arm is turned over,follower being kept up from between th e two sides of the elevator arm,th e follower lugs sprung into place and allowed to rise against the guidestops.

To return guard and magazine to position: Turn g un bottom up,enter guard, an d replace screws. I f the fly ha s been correctly pu t in, allparts will be found in place without any special care being used in assem-bling. Reassemble bolt, putting firing pin in first an d pushing forwarduntil th e cut on it s upper side is fair with hole in bolt for cam lever shank;enter cam lever to its seat an d compress main spring by turning ca m leverback.Assemble extractor and spring, being careful to enter feather inproper slot; grasp bolt with right hand, the thumb holding tail of extractor against forward lu g on left side of bolt; enter bolt and extractorin receiver together and push home. Pull up bolt stop to locking position.

In putting main spring and collar on firing pin, see that end of springrests in notch provided for it on the forward end of th e collar.

In general no dismounting further than the removal of th e bolt andfiring pin should be done by any bu t armorers, except in the wa y of in-struction.

To remove the sling from the gun: Draw the slide forward until th esling hangs loose; remove the button and draw the loose en d of the strapout from th e snap swivel, and through the slide; disengage th e securinghook from the stacking swivel, remove it from the strap an d draw thestrap through the sling swivel.

To attach the sling proceed in inverse order, passing th e strap firstthrough the sling swivel .from the nar and last through the snap swivelfrom underneath so that the free en d shall turn over on its own part be-tween th e gun and th e strap.

When the gun is to be carried unslung, or stored, the snap swivel issnapped into the eye at th e forward en d of the trigger guard, the securinghook is engaged with th e stacking swivel, hook dow?Z, an d th e strap istautened along the stock by drawing the slide as fa r as possible to the rear.

To prepare for slinging the gun, first loosen th e strap by pushing theslide forward a short distance, then disengage the securing hook and le t ithang freely in the bight of the strap ; then remove snap swivel from trig-ger guard and snap it into stock swivel ; lastly, push slide as fa r forwardas is necessary to give ample length of strap. Th e gu n thus slings be-tween the stock swivel and the sling swivel.

CARE AND PRESERVATION .Th e powder used in th e service cartridges produces little smoke and

leaves only a slight residue in the barrel and it is no t necessary or desir-

j'

I

able that the barrel should be cleaned during the course of firing. As soonas possible after the completion of a day's firing it should be thoroughlycleaned with th e cord cleaner and oily cloths carried in th e butt stock,and upon being returned to th e armory, should be again cleaned care-fully with oily cloth or waste.

In using th e cleaner in the field or on the range, drop the weight intoth e muzzle an d le t it run through the barrel ; when it drops into thereceiver pick it ou t and draw the cord an d bristle entirely through thebore and chamber; repeat this two or three times, and if the bore appearsdirty still, thrust a piece of soft cloth, flannel, or serge preferably, satu-rated with oil, an d of a size not greater than r" r/2 square, through theloop of th e cleaner and draw through again. Th e bolt may be removedto facilitate this cleaning.

Th e cleaner must never be drawn through from the breech end, as thecord drawn across the edge of the muzzle will injure the rifling.

To clean the chamber pu t th e small cloth cleaner in the loop an dthrust into th e chamber from th e rear; th e bristle end of th e cleaner ismade sufficiently long for this purpose.

Th e small amount of residue left by smokeless powder is destructiveto the barrel, and after each day's firing, as before stated, th e bore shouldbe again thoroughly cleaned, dried, and lightly oiled. I t should be re-membered that clean fresh water is one of th e most efficient as well asthe most available of cleaning materials. A warm solution of soda willbe found good for cutting out the powder residue. After using pure wateror a soda solution, care must be taken to dry the gu n thoroughly and tooil the bore and th e mechanism.

I f a ro d is used in the armory it must no t be thrust into th e muzzle ofthe gun ; al l cleaning must be done J 1 0IIl the breech.

Care must be taken not to use a piece of cloth larger than theprescribed size or a piece of waste of greater bulk, as cloth or wastejammed in the bore can often be removed only by drilling it out.

Th e chamber must be kept thoroughly clean, and if oiled, only verylightly, an d should be wiped out dry before firing.

Th e bolt an d working parts of th e mechanism should be lightly oiledto protect them against rust.

As th e front sight projects to a considerable distance above thebarrel, great care must be taken to preserve it from injury; leaning thegu n against a bulkhead or a wall is no t permissible as the sight is th enatural point of contact. I f no rack is at hand, the gun should belaid flat on deck, ground, or thwarts of a boat.

Th e life of a barrel being shorter than with black powder guns, th ework should be evenly distributed among the guns of a ship as fa r aspossible.

Guns should always be snapped on being returned to armory racks to:r:elieve th e tension of th e main spring.


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In the best of ammunition a primer will occasionally be pierced andga s will enter th e firing pi n cavity. In case this occurs the bolt and pinshould be dismounted, the cavity, pin, an d spring cleaned and oiled.

While th e rear sight is so made that th e leaf will turn down flateither to th e front or to th e rear, it should be remembered that its normalposition is to th e front.

I t is to be remembered that to lock th e firing pin, th e lock must bedrawn wtirely up J. when it first strikes the lug on th e pi n a resistance tofurther motion will be felt, bu t this must be overcome an d th e stoppushed to its top position.

TABLE I.Barrel.Diameter of bore, land to land,Total length,Length of rifled portion, .Length of chamber, .Horizontal distance between sights,Number of grooves of rifling, .Width of grooves, measured on arc of bore,Radius of grooves,Depth of grooves, uniform,Twist, uniform, I turn in,Width of lands,

Bayonet.Length of blade,Width " "Weight of bayonet,

" " scabbard,Gun complete.No. of different parts," manufactured parts,Length, with bayonet fixed,

" " " unfixed,Weight, " " fixed, and with sling,

" " " unfixed, " "" " " " and without sling, .TABLE II.Ammunition.

Weight of primed cartridge case," " charge," " bullet," " cartridge complete,

Average weight of clip," " " charged clip,Weight of I8 o rounds in clips,.

6mjm.281124 11965311 0352311.I256

" .I".o8911.004

6".5".0237

8" %I" nI OZ.53-f oz.778641 3%3' I I I9 lbs. 7 oz.8 lbs. I2 oz.8 lbs. 8 oz.

I64 gr .33 gr .

I35 gr .332 gr .

76 gr .1,736 gr.8 lbs. Io oz.

1

Length of cartridge case," " bullet," " cartridge complete,Diameter of head of case,

Bdt." " bullet, cylindrical portion,

No. of pockets, for 3 clips each,Weight of belt, empty," " loaded belt,

TABLE III.

2 " 3551 11.24311.I I

11447".244

12I lb . 7 OZ.IO lbs. I OZ.

Nomeuclature of Rifle and Equipmwts. Numbers refer to Plate II .r. Barrel.2. Barrel cover (wood).3 Bolt.4 Bolt stop.5 Bolt stop thumb-piece.6. Bolt stop thumb-piece pin.7 Bolt release.8. Butt plate (steel).9 Butt plate slide.Io. Butt plate slide button.

I r. Butt plate slide spring.12. Butt plate slide spring screw.13. Butt plate screws (2).14. Ca m lever.15 . Ca m lever handle.I6 . Ca m lever stop pin.x7. Clip (loading).x8. Clip lock wire.19. Clip guide.20. Clip guide rivets (2).2 r. Extractor.22 . Extractor spring.23. Extractor spring pin.24. Elevator arm.25. Elevator spring.26. Elevator spring lock pin.27. Elevator spring shaft.28. Elevator spring shaft pin.29. Follower.30. Follower stop pin.31. Follower binge rivet.32 . Follower guide, right hand.33 Follower guide, left hand.34 Follower guide rivets (8).35 Firing pin.36. Firing pin collar.37. Firing pin lock.


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38.3940.41.42.43444546.47 48.49so.5I .sz.535455s6.57s8.596o.6I .62.63.64.6s.66.67.68.6g.70.7I.72.73747576.7778.798o.8I.82.83.84.8s.86.87.88.8g.go.

Firing pin lock spring.Front sight base.Front sight tip.Front sight pin.Lock pin.Lower band.Lower band pin.Lower band screw.Main spring.Receiver.Receiver tang screw.Receiver tang screw bushing.Rear sight base.Rear sight base front screw.Rear sight base rear screw.Rear sight leaf.Rear sight leaf joint screw.Rear sight leaf spring.Rear sight slide.Rear sight slide stop screw.Rear sight slide catch.Rear sight slide catch spring.Sear.Sear pin.Sear spring.Sear fly.Sling swivel.Sling strap.Sling strap button.Sling strap slide.Sling strap slide sleeve (z).Sling strap securing hook.Sling strap securing hook sleeve.Sling strap snap swivel.Sling strap snap swivel latch.Sling strap snap swivel latch pin.Sling strap snap swivel spring plunger.Sling strap snap swivel spring.Stock (wood).Stock swivel base.Stock swivel base screws (2).Stacking swivel.Stacking swivel pin.Tr igger.Trigger pin.Trigger guard.Trigger guard dowel.Trigger guard screw.Trigger spring.Trigger spring screw.Trigger spring stop pin.Upper band.Upper band screw.

91. Bayonet blade.92. Bayonet guard.93 Bayonet guard pin.94 Bayonet pommel.95 Bayonet pommel rivet (2) .g6. Bayonet grasp scale (z).97 Bayonet grasp scale rivet (z).g8. Bayonet grasp scale rivet washer (z).99 Bayonet catch.1oo. Bayonet catch nut.1or. Bayonet catch spring.102. Bayonet scabbard body.103. Bayonet scabbard mouth casing.104 . Bayonet scabbard tip casing.105 Bayonet scabbard casing fasteners (4).106. Bayonet scabbard stud washers (z).107. Bayonet scabbard jaws.108. Bayonet scabbard ja w screw.109. Bayonet scabbard frog.

ERRATA.

PLATE 1, Fig. 7, Jetter designati ng button of sling s trap , read e instead of c.PLATE: II . for numbers uo , I I I , and I I2, read, 107, roB, and 109.T ABLE III, No. 65, sling strap; not shown in Plate II.


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PLATE IV


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PlATE VIf'lll.2 ~ . . . . : : . -@ f'l&.l(j 0) LI=J:: - -T- . r - -! t i t = ~ _3____L_________ -------..... .... Flc.3

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"lf"LINQ- iUC MOOVE.SON f. TUf\h IN 7.tlo IN I .

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19/22


20/22

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( o

- r"Ol..LOWCill Gil! DC - TO .. .O""C." . . . . OL1- I.T T_

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PlATE X; ~ ~

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21/22

flo. 3

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PLATE XII

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NAVY MODEL 1895This rifle of caliber 6 millimeters was far ahead of its time in many respects.

It s small bore was typical of several rifles introduced in the early '90's for militaryuse. But the propellants then available were unsuited to the cartridge and barrelcombination. TheModell895 used a cordite-type powder which burned with greatheat and had quite a corrosive effect on the bore.The small size (about caliber .22} made effective cleaning so difficult that therifle was retained in service only for a short time.

Berkeley R. Lewis,CoLONEL, ORDNANCE CoRPs, U.S.A.

m1895 navy lee manual

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