mokin
Member
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Now, where the comparisons get very interesting is looking at the 6mm Lee Adopted by the Navy Department versus the contemporary 30-40 Krag adopted by the War Department. The 6mm Lee was a barrel burner with the metallurgy of the day, and well ahead of well time. The straight pull made for a different arm than the Krag, too.
Thanks for speaking up about the 6mm Lee. I believe it was well ahead of its time as well.
The Spanish American War is really interesting in lots of respects. A lot of transition. While the 30-40 was a fine cartridge there was too much change going on around it and everyone wanted to have the most modern army in the world. Rimmed cartridges were so 1890s.
Only slightly off topic, at the moment I'm reading the book "On Time for Disaster," the journal of Brigadier Gen. Edward McClernand. In 1876 he was a Second Lieutenant in the column Custer was supposed to wait for. In the Spanish American War he was a general and served in both Cuba and the Philippines. Although he undoubtedly gained experience with all the rifles discussed here, he doesn't mention them.
He was also awarded a Congressional Medal of Honor but that's way off topic.