VERY RARE DOCUMENTED WINCHESTER LEE NAVY RIFLE SALVAGED FROM THE USS MAINE.

SN 8808. Cal. 6mm Lee Navy. Standard military issue Lee Navy with 28″ bbl and rare sheet steel sight cover with “U” proof. Original sight covers for theses rifles are virtually unknown. It has musket style rear sight graduated to 2000-yds. Front receiver ring has standard “U.S.N.” markings with Winchester markings in 2-lines on left side. Mounted in uncheckered American walnut with full length stock and short hand guard. It has standard musket buttplate with trap and its orig detachable sling swivel on the bottom with corresponding sling loop on the middle band. The front band/bayonet lug has a stacking swivel. Right side of the buttstock is stenciled in white paint “U.S.S.MAINE”. Toe of the buttstock has a small “A” inspector mark and a tiny five pointed star. Top of the buttstock just forward of the buttplate tang is another very small five pointed star. Accompanied by its orig, very rare 1-pc leather sling with roller buckle and a rare patent marked, locking, 5-rd stripper clip containing five orig rounds of military ball ammunition. Also accompanied by a copy of pages 34 and 35 of a reprint of a The Bannerman Catalog of July 1907. Page 35 lists the serial numbers of 54 6mm Lee Straight Pull Rifles salvaged from the USS Maine, including this exact rifle. It also lists the SNs of six 45 cal Springfield rifles recovered at the same time. These rifles were sold to Bannermens through the Navy yard at New York in Jan. 1900. These 54 Lee rifles and 6 Springfield rifles are the only officially documented small arms recovered from the USS Maine although there have been one or two others that have surfaced in the last few years that were undoubtedly authentic. Regardless there are probably no more than about 60 or so of these relics in existence. CONDITION: Good, complete and orig. The metal overall retains a dark brown patina with cleaned areas of fine salt water pitting. Stock has a hairline back of the top tang, otherwise wood is sound with numerous nicks, dings & scratches and retains a dark hand worn oil stained finish. Stock has a series of deep bruises on each side of the wrist. Mechanics are fine; strong dark bore. Sling has dry edges with a dark center body and is otherwise sound and orig. Stripper clip and ammunition are fine. Lower buttplate screw is stripped. 4-47945 (10,000-15,000) – Lot 2139

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Auction: Firearms - March 2015

Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

Image	Lot	Price	Description
	2139	$12,075.00	VERY RARE DOCUMENTED WINCHESTER LEE NAVY RIFLE SALVAGED FROM THE USS MAINE. SN 8808. Cal. 6mm Lee Navy. Standard military issue Lee Navy with 28″ bbl and rare sheet steel sight cover with “U” proof. Original sight covers for theses rifles are virtually unknown. It has musket style rear sight graduated to 2000-yds. Front receiver ring has standard “U.S.N.” markings with Winchester markings in 2-lines on left side. Mounted in uncheckered American walnut with full length stock and short hand guard. It has standard musket buttplate with trap and its orig detachable sling swivel on the bottom with corresponding sling loop on the middle band. The front band/bayonet lug has a stacking swivel. Right side of the buttstock is stenciled in white paint “U.S.S.MAINE”. Toe of the buttstock has a small “A” inspector mark and a tiny five pointed star. Top of the buttstock just forward of the buttplate tang is another very small five pointed star. Accompanied by its orig, very rare 1-pc leather sling with roller buckle and a rare patent marked, locking, 5-rd stripper clip containing five orig rounds of military ball ammunition. Also accompanied by a copy of pages 34 and 35 of a reprint of a The Bannerman Catalog of July 1907. Page 35 lists the serial numbers of 54 6mm Lee Straight Pull Rifles salvaged from the USS Maine, including this exact rifle. It also lists the SNs of six 45 cal Springfield rifles recovered at the same time. These rifles were sold to Bannermens through the Navy yard at New York in Jan. 1900. These 54 Lee rifles and 6 Springfield rifles are the only officially documented small arms recovered from the USS Maine although there have been one or two others that have surfaced in the last few years that were undoubtedly authentic. Regardless there are probably no more than about 60 or so of these relics in existence. CONDITION: Good, complete and orig. The metal overall retains a dark brown patina with cleaned areas of fine salt water pitting. Stock has a hairline back of the top tang, otherwise wood is sound with numerous nicks, dings & scratches and retains a dark hand worn oil stained finish. Stock has a series of deep bruises on each side of the wrist. Mechanics are fine; strong dark bore. Sling has dry edges with a dark center body and is otherwise sound and orig. Stripper clip and ammunition are fine. Lower buttplate screw is stripped. 4-47945 (10,000-15,000) – Lot 2139 Click here to view provenance Auction: Firearms - March 2015 Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

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VERY RARE DOCUMENTED WINCHESTER LEE NAVY RIFLE SALVAGED FROM THE USS MAINE.