Snider Carbine Thread

Please feel free to post your Snider carbine in this thread. There's a fair variety of types- some pretty common and some pretty rare. I'll lead off with my favorite. It's a BSA 1877 manufactured for India (East India Government). More or less conforms to the standard WD Cavalry carbine with a few differences. The cups for the lock screws are different and, while a Mk III with locking block, there's no "STEEL" stamp on the barrel. The rifling is 5 groove, fast twist. There are abundant number stamps, as shown, and I don't think I found one piece that doesn't have a BSA mark. The stock has, unfortunately, been sanded but BSA roundel is still visible. According to Skennerton, 11,142 carbines were supplied to India in 1877.

Ridolpho

Here's mine, DC marked I believe to A Battery Artillery

Very interesting rifles. Thanks for sharing. Now do you shoot them?

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Originally Posted by j4cub

Very interesting rifles. Thanks for sharing. Now do you shoot them?

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J4cub: At present I've focussed my range work on a Mk III 3-band and a couple of MkIII 2-band rifles (these Sergeants rifles, along with the Naval version being historically the most accurate). The carbine in post #1 is in good mechanical condition and has a nice tight fitting block so I will likely shoot it. Two of my loads are shown in a couple of the photos. I use a Lee minie mold (given to me by browningautorifle) that mainly puts out 0.575-0.576inch diam. bullets. I insert wooden base plugs and load them in 24g brass formed with Lee dies using cream of wheat filler. Only my second season shooting these old gems but enjoying it tremendously.

Now, we've had a very nice Canadian carbine courtesy of #1oilman- who's next?

Ridolpho

My Snider carbine is a Portuguese Contract - B.S.A. & M. Co. 1875. (The cleaning-rod that came with it is British Military). The 'excellent' bore has 5 groove rifling.

I'm just getting around to trying some loads with shortened Cheddite 24 gauge plastic shot-shells and Lyman #575213 Minie Ball. (I'm not expecting great performance).

The unmarked Snider Tool is one I found 50 years ago at a gun shop.

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Originally Posted by butlersrangers

shortened Cheddite 24 gauge plastic shot-shells

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Almost exactly where I started. They work fine, at least for shooting purpose...I used Fiocci plastic because I had them.