Forgotten Weapons’ most recent video has Ian looking at one of my very favorite rifle designs – the 1895 Lee Navy. This Lee-Navy rifle, though, is not just an ahead-of-its-time, fast-firing, small caliber high velocity repeater, it also has a pretty special place in history:

The warhawks of the late 19th Century in the US got the war with Spain they wanted, and eventually the USS Maine was raised (in pieces) from the seabed, and the seamen who perished with her interred in proper graves. The Lee-Navy (also known commercially as the Winchester-Lee) unfortunately failed to gain traction, and was dropped by the US Navy early in the 20th Century, replaced for a very short time with Krag-Jorgensens, and then 1903 Springfield rifles in 1911.

The rifle in the video is up for auction; you can head on over to James D. Julia’s website for your chance to own a real piece of history.