Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! Here we have one of the rarest U.S. military trial rifles ever made – a Springfield Model 1875 Lee vertical action rifle. Only 143 were built, making this scarcer than most experimental prototype firearms. James Paris Lee convinced Congress to appropriate $10,000 in 1874 to test his innovative breech-loading design. Working out to about $70 per rifle, these were expensive experiments that represented the Army’s search for a replacement to their single-shot Springfield trapdoors.
Lee’s vertical action was brilliant in its simplicity. The hammer doubles as the operating lever – push it forward from the decocked position and the breech block drops, ejecting the spent case. Insert a new round and spring pressure automatically closes the action. Thumb the hammer back to half-cock for carry or full-cock for firing. The system was reportedly capable of 40 rounds per minute, a significant improvement over existing single shots.
The design borrowed from Martini and Peabody falling block rifles but added Lee’s signature automation. This was the same James Paris Lee who would later develop the Lee-Enfield’s magazine system and the Lee-Metford rifle for the British. His 1875 vertical action shows the mechanical thinking that made him one of the era’s premier firearms designers.
What killed the Lee rifle wasn’t the design – it was timing. By 1875, the Army was already looking toward repeating rifles rather than improved single shots. The .45-70 trapdoor Springfield was good enough for frontier service, and military budgets were tight after the Civil War spending spree.
Most of our POTDs utilize images from our friends at Rock Island Auction Company, the premier firearms auction in the United States. Take some time to browse their current auctions – who knows, maybe you’ll find a piece of history to take home!
“U.S. Springfield 1875 Lee Vertical Trials Rifle with Bayonet.” Rock Island Auction, www.rockislandauction.com/detail/4095/178/us-springfield-1875-lee-vertical-trials-rifle-with-bayonet. Accessed 12 Aug. 2025.
Writer | TheFirearmBlog
Writer | AllOutdoor.com Instagram | sfsgunsmith Old soul, certified gunsmith, published author, avid firearm history learner, and appreciator of old and unique guns.
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