Other than being made by Winchester, the Lee Navy had nothing in common with the John Browning-designed 1895 Winchester.  Total production was 20,000 . It fired a rimless cartridge with a steel-jacketed round nosed bullet.  Some of the first bullets weighed 135 grains, later changed to 112 grains. Barrels had a 1: 6 1/2 " twist. The small bore (.243), steel bullet jackets, corrosive primers and very-hot burning double-base powders made for short barrel life. Steel bullet jackets were changed to cupro-nickle, but that did not help.  MV was about 2500 to 2600.  Lots of CN fouling.  The cartridge case was smaller in diameter than the contemporary Mauser rimless cases. Case length was 61 mm, with a 30-06 case being 63 mm.  Only similar case is the 220 Swift.  Turning the rims off Swift cases makes usable Lee Navy cases.  If you are after accuracy, they can be swaged from 30-06 cases.  It is a major job.

The magazine was nothing like the 1895 Winchester.  Cartridges were inserted with the clip, something like the early Mannlicher rifles. The original clips can still be found.

I tried to buy a shootable Lee Navy in 2007.  Went to the big Reno show with $2500 in my pocket.  I found the only one at the show, but the seller wanted $4500.  $4000 seemed to be the asking price at auction. Maybe lower now.  Then I heard of a guy who restored one getting killed when the striker blew out.  Price + risk took me out of the Lee Navy game.  In 2008, one of the rifles from the Winchester test room was offered by one of the big auction places.  It went for $4200.

The Navy & Marines abandoned the Straight-Pull Lee about 1904.  Main problem was the 800-yard effective range of the cartridge. Contemporary military cartridges had effective ranges of 1500 to 2000 yards. 100 years later our troops have the same problem.

Krags were issued to replace the Lees.