Welcome to right this moment’s Photo of the Day! Right here we now have one of many rarest U.S. army trial rifles ever made – a Springfield Mannequin 1875 Lee vertical motion rifle. Solely 143 have been constructed, making this scarcer than most experimental prototype firearms. James Paris Lee satisfied Congress to applicable $10,000 in 1874 to check his modern breech-loading design. Understanding to about $70 per rifle, these have been costly experiments that represented the Military’s seek for a alternative to their single-shot Springfield trapdoors.
Lee’s vertical motion was good in its simplicity. The hammer doubles because the working lever – push it ahead from the decocked place and the breech block drops, ejecting the spent case. Insert a brand new spherical and spring stress robotically closes the motion. Thumb the hammer again to half-cock for carry or full-cock for firing. The system was reportedly able to 40 rounds per minute, a big enchancment over present single pictures.
The design borrowed from Martini and Peabody falling block rifles however added Lee’s signature automation. This was the identical James Paris Lee who would later develop the Lee-Enfield’s journal system and the Lee-Metford rifle for the British. His 1875 vertical motion exhibits the mechanical considering that made him one of many period’s premier firearms designers.
What killed the Lee rifle wasn’t the design – it was timing. By 1875, the Military was already wanting towards repeating rifles reasonably than improved single pictures. The .45-70 trapdoor Springfield was adequate for frontier service, and army budgets have been tight after the Civil Struggle spending spree.
Most of our POTDs make the most of photos from our mates at Rock Island Auction Company, the premier firearms public sale in the USA. Take a while to browse their current auctions – who is aware of, possibly you’ll discover a piece of historical past to take dwelling!
“U.S. Springfield 1875 Lee Vertical Trials Rifle with Bayonet.” Rock Island Public sale, www.rockislandauction.com/element/4095/178/us-springfield-1875-lee-vertical-trials-rifle-with-bayonet. Accessed 12 Aug. 2025.
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