This page is still    under construction ...

The Varieties Generally:

British conversions of the P1853 Rifled Musket (Type I and II)
New-Built British Sniders (Type III)

The Nepalese Snider, patterned almost exactly after the British Type III
The Dutch M1869 Snider conversion
The Danish M1854/65 Snider conversion
The Spanish Snider conversions

And the adaptations of the Snider system:
French Tabatiere and
Russian Krnka.
 
 

Subj:  Blackpowder Military Rifles (UK)
Date: 99-10-05 08:12:30 EDT
From: johnbaines@postmaster.co.uk (John Baines)
To: kdcolospgs@aol.com

Hi Keith

A few notes on the Snider which may help:
There were five marks:    The following were standard 3-band Enfields converted:
MkI - for original Pottet case - breech has rounded rebate for case rim.
MkI* - MkI altered to use Boxer case ie breech rebate altered to square.
MkII* - as per MkI* but built that way not altered from MkI.
MkII** - breech block design changed to strengthen.

MkIII - Purpose built, (not converted) with steel barrel and locking lug mechanism for securing breech, replacing the latching pin of earlier models.
--
Regards
John
 

PORTUGUESE SNIDER MK III .577 Cal. Dated 1875. Lockplate bears the Crown
  and “G.P." of the Government of Portugal. British made by “BSA & M Co.” “Snider
  Patent” on breech block. Complete with pin protector. Wood is V.G.+ Barrel retains most
  original blue. Tight crisp action. Bore V.G.+ In May 1873 Britain shipped 10,000 Snider
  Long Rifles to Portugal from government stores. This caused great upheaval in the gun
  trade and in the House of Commons, which resulted in 10,000 to be supplied by the
  trade ie: B.S.A. With this piece is a copy of the article in C.J.A.C. Vol.36 No.1 about the
  Portuguese Snider, signed by the author. This is also the same gun, serial number 0413
  featured in the article. This is a very rare British Military gun supplied to a loyal ally.
 
 
 

Page first sketched out April 16, 1999
some revisions May 7, 2000