The Winchester-Lee 1895 Straight-pull rifle was the primary issue long arm of both the US Navy and Marine Corps from 1895 to 1900 when it gave way to the Krag. An initial contract for 10,000 rifles for the navy in 1898 was followed by another for 5,000 in 1899. Marines carried them in Cuba and a number were salvaged from the USS Maine. Marines and naval landing parties carried them in many of the “little wars” in the Philippines, China, and elsewhere as the U.S. moved onto the world stage at the turn of that century. All of these bayonets were made by Remington, but Hardin (p.154) reports that some, like this, are unmarked. The bayonet led the way in its reduced length. The 8 5/16 inch blade was the shortest in US service until the introduction of the M1 bayonet. Hardin, p. 154, called it, “short, lightweight, and effective.”

This has a very clean hilt and blade. The wood grips are a tad dark and show some nicks and divots, but the metal is smooth, not pitted, and a light steel gray in color with just some small scattered dark gray spots.

Rarer than the bayonet is its scabbard, termed the Type No. 1 by Hardin, The American Bayonet, p.155. The scabbard is black leather with metal throat and tip, both of which show lots of their original thin blue. The leather is very good, with just a few spots of abrasion and a couple of deep scratches. This pattern of scabbard is distinguished from the second type by a simple round tip on the drag rather than a ball finial, and the use of a frog that consists of a double fold of leather than is sewn along its sides for just half its length, leaving a significant loop for a belt to pass through, rather than being sewn almost to the top to secure a double ended brass wire belt hook.   [sr]

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