Snider-Enfield
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| Snider-Enfield | |
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| Type | Service rifle |
| Place of origin |  United Kingdom |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1867–1901 |
| Used by | United Kingdom & Colonies, Japan, Turkey, Portugal, Egypt |
| Wars | British colonial wars, New Zealand land wars, Red River Rebellion, North-West Rebellion, Fenian Raids, Anglo-Zulu War, Boer War, Boshin war, Russo-Turkish War (1877-1878) |
| Production history | |
| Designer | RSAF Enfield |
| Designed | 1860 |
| Manufacturer | RSAF Enfield |
| Produced | 1866–1880's |
| Number built | approx. 870,000 |
| Variants | Long Rifle, Short Rifle, Engineer's Carbine, Cavalry Carbine, Artillery Carbine, Yeomanry Carbine, Naval Rifle, Royal Irish Constabulary Carbine |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 8 lb 9 oz (3.8 kg) (unloaded) |
| Length | 49.25 in (1250mm) |
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| Cartridge | .577 Snider |
| Calibre | .577 Snider |
| Action | Side-hinged breechblock |
| Rate of fire | 10 rounds/minute |
| Muzzle velocity | 1250ft/s (Original Black Powder Load) |
| Effective range | 1000yds (914m) |
| Maximum range | 2000yds |
| Feed system | Single shot |
| Sights | Sliding ramp rear sights, Fixed-post front sights |
The British .577 Snider-Enfield is a type of breech loading rifle. The firearm action was invented by the American Jacob Snider. It was one of the most widely used of the Snider varieties. 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 breechblock/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 Tabatière 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. It stayed in service with the Indian army until the Mid 1890's because Indian troops between the Mutiny and 1905 were kept one weapon generation behind the British. They got the Martini-Henry when the British introduced the Lee-Metford.
Frank Richards, who served on the Northwest Frontier between 1902–1908, records in Old Soldier Sahib that Sniders were still in use by the British army then. Night sentries on duty in camps and cantonments would be issued with a Snider and buckshot cartridges. Should tribesmen try to get into the camp to steal rifles they would have a better chance of hitting the thief, and unlike a .303 round. there would be less danger of wounding or killing a comrade if they missed.
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[edit] Distinguishing Characteristics
The Snider-Enfield Infantry rifle is 54 1/4 inches, longer than most rifles of the time. It used a new type of metal cased cartridge called a Boxer cartridge after its designer. The breech block houses a diagonally downward sloping firing pin struck with a front-action lock mounted hammer. The action operates by the shooter cocking the hammer, flipping the block out of the receiver to the right by grasping the left mounted breech block lever, and then pulling the block back to extract the spent case. There is no ejector, the case being lifted out or, more usually, the rifle being rolled onto its back to allow the case to drop out. The rifles are usually marked Mk I, Mk II or Mk III, the Mark IIIs being those with steel barrels and locking latches on the breech blocks in place of the simple integral block lifting tang.
[edit] Variants
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The Snider-Enfield was produced in several variants. The most commonly encountered variants are the Rifled Musket or Long Rifle, the Short Rifle and the Cavalry as well as the Artillery Carbines. The Long Rifle has a 36 inch barrel and three barrel bands. This was issued to line infantry and has three groove rifling with 1 turn in 72 inches. The Short Rifle has a 33 inch barrel and two barrel bands with iron furniture. This variant was issued to sergeants of line infantry and rifle units. It has five groove rifling with 1 turn in 48 inches. The Cavalry Carbine is half stocked and has only one barrel band. It has a 19.5 inch barrel, five groove rifling with 1 turn in 48 inches. The Artillery Carbine has a 21.25 inch barrel with a full stock and two barrel bands. The rifling is again the five groove variety with 1 turn in 48 inches.
There are also "Trade Pattern" Snider-Enfields, being Snider-Enfields made for private purchase by various English gun-makers. These were often intended for sale to members of volunteer military units, or simply to anyone who might wish to purchase a rifle.
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