View all Rifles
|
SNIDER ENFIELD RIFLE DATED, 1864
Made by The London Armoury Company (LACO)
The British .577 Snider-Enfield is a type of breech loading rifle. It was one of the most widely used of the Snider varieties, (the action invented by the American Jacob Snider).
It was adopted by Britain as a conversion system for its ubiquitous Enfield 1853 rifled musket muzzle loading arms. In trials, the Snider Pattern 1853 conversions proved both more accurate than original Pattern 1853s and much faster firing as well.
From 1866 on the rifles were converted in large numbers at the Royal Small Arms Factory (RSAF) Enfield beginning with the initial pattern, the Mark I.
New rifles started as Pattern 1853s, but received a new breech block/receiver assembly. Converted rifles retained the original iron barrel, furniture, locks and hammer. The Mark III rifles were newly made, with steel barrels which were so marked, flat nosed hammers, feature a latch-locking breech block. The Snider was the subject of substantial imitation, approved and questionable, including the near exact copy of the Nepalese Snider, the Dutch Snider, Danish Naval Snider, and the "unauthorised" adaptations of the French Tabatiere and Russian Krnka. It served throughout the British Empire, including the Cape Colony, India, Australia, New Zealand and Canada, until its gradual phase out by the Martini-Henry, beginning in 1874 but still being used by volunteer and militia forces until the late 1880s.
This Rifle was owned by a sportsman who won several Medals in competition.
Your comments:
- I have a similar rifle to the one you have on the internet. Circular Thomas Turner Birmingham stamped on right rear of stock with tower in centre. My trigger guard has armoury # 4914 stamped. This rifle was acquired by my great grandfather when he resided in Montreal, Quebec.
.......... Gordon Bryan, Cornwall, Ontario, Canada, 3rd of December 2010
Add a memory or information about this object
A0548, A0556
|
