Book Review: The Winchester-Lee Rifle, by Eugene Myszkowski

The Lee-Speed rifle is a commercial variant of the British military Lee-Enfield/Metford, named after James Paris Lee and Joseph Speed. It features improvements like a detachable box magazine and a safety on the cocking piece. Commercial models were made by BSA and LSA for affluent buyers and officers, offering high-quality sidearms.

The Remington-Lee Model 1879 was James Paris Lee's first successful design, notable for its revolutionary detachable box magazine, a feature now standard on most modern firearms. This rifle marked a significant advancement in firearm safety and reloading efficiency. The US Navy adopted 300 of these rifles in 1879, with production later taken over by Remington after the Sharps Rifle Company's bankruptcy. The design incorporated a unique receiver hood that aided in primary extraction.

The M1895 Lee Navy, a 6mm straight-pull bolt-action rifle adopted by the US Navy, featured a high-velocity cartridge intended for anti-torpedo boat and Marine landing party roles. Despite its fast action and light trigger, it suffered from mechanical flaws like a difficult bolt removal and a fragile extractor, compounded by ammunition instability in humid naval conditions. Ultimately, the Navy reverted to the Krag-Jørgensen due to these issues and the era's technical limitations.

This video delves into the extremely rare Lee 1875 Vertical Action Carbine, a falling block action designed by James Paris Lee. While 143 rifles were produced for trials, it was not adopted. The carbine features a unique loading trough and a rapid-fire technique involving a palm strike to the hammer for ejection, allowing for claimed high rates of fire.

This comprehensive review of the Lee Metford MkI, Great Britain's first repeating magazine rifle, highlights its historical significance and technical features. Expert Ian McCollum details its development from the single-shot Martini-Henry, the impact of smokeless powder leading to the .303 British caliber, and the rifle's unique design elements like the 8-round detachable box magazine, dust cover, and volley sights. The review emphasizes the rifle's evolution and its place in British military firearms history.

The 1895 Lee Navy Rifle, designed by James Paris Lee, was a significant advancement for the US Navy, featuring a unique straight-pull action and the 6mm Lee Navy cartridge. Despite its innovative en-bloc clip system and high-velocity round, its service life was short due to standardization on .30 caliber cartridges.

This video details the unique 'French Finger Trap' issue with the MAS-36 rifle's bayonet, where two rifles can become unintentionally locked together. A 1951 French arsenal memorandum identified this problem, proposing a simple modification to the bayonet handle. Drilling a small hole allows a tool, like a firing pin, to depress the internal spring, enabling the separation of locked rifles.

The M134 Minigun is a scaled-down 7.62 NATO rotary cannon, requiring 24V DC power and consuming 1.5 kW. Its high rate of fire (3,000+ RPM) is essential for aircraft engagement windows. The complex delinker mechanism is critical for feeding ammunition, and practical hand-held use is impossible due to weight and recoil. Live fire demonstrates rapid ammunition consumption and the need for indirect aiming.

The H&K G11 is a revolutionary prototype assault rifle designed in the late 20th century, notable for its caseless ammunition and unique rotating drum bolt mechanism. Despite advanced features like a 2000 RPM burst fire rate and integrated optics, its development was ultimately halted by geopolitical shifts and cost concerns.

This video demonstrates the assembly and live-fire of the German 1936 pattern light mortar (L.Gr.W.36). It highlights the mortar's leveling mechanism for accuracy and the difficulty in visually tracking its 50mm projectiles after firing. The content showcases historical military hardware and its operational use.