What comes between an 1853 Enfield and a Martini-Henry?

[DaveN]

Veeery nice Patrick. Pardon my ignorance but an 1861 Enfield is a Snider?

[Patrick Chadwick]

Pardon my ignorance but an 1861 Enfield is a Snider?

Who said it was an 1861 Enfield? One must be careful - the lock is marked 1861, but that is the lock date, not the date of the rifle as a whole. It was like this...

...Towards the end of the American Civil War, the Henry and Sharps rifles had shown that the future belonged with cartridge-fed rifles. The Snider, Allin conversion, etc. were all "quick fixes" introduced to extend the service life of the huge stocks of muzzle-loaders. So from 1866 on the Sniders were produced by converting the 1853 and other muzzle-loader Enfields.

Bill Curtis, on the British Militaria forum, has revealed to me that this rifle has not only an 1861 lock, but a Pattern 1853 stock. I.e. it is definitely a conversion of an 1861-vintage P53.



In fact, it may have been converted twice - first to Snider I and then, in 1870, to Snider III. No-one can now possibly say why, but from the general excellent condition I suspect that someone wanted to keep that beautiful stock on his rifle. Just look at the inside, and compare with the typical Eastern block relic!





A lock that looks like it just came out of the factory.



A barrel channel that is almost polished* - you can see the tiger stripes in the channel!


Patrick


*it has not been smoothed down at a later time, but was made so well at the outset - the acceptance mark is clearly legible in the channel, but my camera cannot pick it out.

[DaveN]

Thanks again Patrick.

I found myself at the book store with my nose embedded in of all things a book on firearms, like go figure right. Any ways I found out what a Snider was, that cartridge thing you talked about.

It (the book) was a brief description, and your answer was more the history that I was looking for.

thanks again ~dave

[jmoore]

It's a big'un! At least there's a fair selection of bullets available.


.303" SAA, .577" Snider (not likey a milsurp round), and "11,?? Obsobottleneckpaperpatchthing" .

"Obsobottleneckpaperpatchthing"

Looks like it could be a .43 Spanish Remington.

Patrick

11mm Mauser, actually. The distinctive scalloped rim edge is hidden in shadow. I DID have to measure it to be sure- again!

Also, the short fat fellow might not be a Snider round, after all. Too short AND a little too fat in the bullet (0.590"+).



Some of the bullets available :

[Kirk]

Very nice! Congratulations!