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Snider-Enfield


Tom Bullweed

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Can someone explain to me why I keep coming back to the idea of buying a British Snider-Enfield?

I think the idea of having the Brit version of our Trapdoor conversion is cool.  A short .577 cartridge is cool.  The simplicity is cool.

Has anyone else had the affliction?

Please do not tell that I could shoot it in a Plainsman match.  That might too much.

 

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A friend has a .45-70 built on a Martini action on consignment. Pretty neat but it's got a bull barrel on it. Heavy thing. 

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i just gave one to a good friend for a housewarming , they are an interesting rifle and never really saw service near this country but yes i see the thinking on the similarity but the trapdoor will serve you better i think , cartridges are a bit of a nuisance ,  

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12 hours ago, Michigan Slim said:

A friend has a .45-70 built on a Martini action on consignment. Pretty neat but it's got a bull barrel on it. Heavy thing. 

 

I think have one of those, from what I read sometime around 1970 Navy Arms bought a bunch of Martini actions, attached a heavy octagon barrel, stock  & forearm and sold them.  Mine came with a 6x Unertl.  Mine is very accurate, sub MOA groups with the first batch of reloads.

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2 hours ago, Chantry said:

 

I think have one of those, from what I read sometime around 1970 Navy Arms bought a bunch of Martini actions, attached a heavy octagon barrel, stock  & forearm and sold them.  Mine came with a 6x Unertl.  Mine is very accurate, sub MOA groups with the first batch of reloads.

Sounds about right. 

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I could seriously be convinced to shoot a NZ Constabulary Snyder-Enfield in Plainsman.  Bet you don't see many of them is this hemisphere though.  So I'm safe for the moment. 

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If you really want to drive yourself doolally (nuts) try a Martini Henry.

 

That cartridge is just a recipe for disaster but so much fun trying to get right.

 

The pic is a Snyder on the left followed by two Martini Henry rounds then a 303.

220px-Snider-Martini-Enfield_Cartridges.jpg

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Dang it, Dave. Now I want a MK III Snider.

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How did they make a bullet with a void in the middle?  I'm not talking about the open base of the bullet, but the void in the front of the bullet that they call a "hollow point" that does not have any opening to the point, or rear, of the bullet.

 

Magic?

 

I want to see the bullet mold.

 

Angus

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I suspect the void in the front was open at the nose. After casting the nose of the bullet was swagged shut closing the cavity.

 

Sure would be nice to find something that actually detailed the process

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1 hour ago, Sedalia Dave said:

I suspect the void in the front was open at the nose. After casting the nose of the bullet was swagged shut closing the cavity.

 

Sure would be nice to find something that actually detailed the process

 

http://oldbritishguns.com/the-snider-bullet

 

The Snider bullets were factory made in powered automatic machine swedged dies and not cast. The rear cavity followed Delvigne's practice for muzzle loaded conical bullets. The nose cavity descended from Metford's design for an explosive bullet with the nose cavity filled with an explosive compound. He found it to be more accurate in the 1:78 twist rifles as it coped better with the slow twist by putting the weight at the outside to increase the momentum of rotation and allowing a longer bullet in the same twist rate. It was rejected when small explosive bullets were outlawed but the government used the design for accuracy but did not pay Metford for his design n the grounds that it was not an explosive bullet. Metford was withdrew from working with the government as a result or the Martini-Henry would probably have begun as a Martini-Metford. The enlarged wounds from the expansion of the nose cavity were an unintended result of the Snider bullet design. Originally they were made for Snider with a Sycamore plug filling the cavity but later the hole was covered by simply spinning the lead over the end of the hole. The truncated cone plug in the rear cavity was first made in boxwood but cost caused a change to beeswax impregnated earthenware.

 

Your problem in making reproduction bullets is getting a mould that will give you the nose cavity which is essential in making them fly as they did back then. They first filled the cavity with a Sycamore plug, then just spun the nose lead over the cavity hole. William Metford developed the cavity to hold an explosive charge but filled it with charcoal powder for target shooting to show the shot more clearly. One can get a lightweight wall filler from DIY shops that would be a simple material to fill an open cavity. If you ever track down a mould make who can do both the base cavity and the nose cavity there are shooters who would gladly join in buying one I dare say.

 

The projectile was also altered over time as well with the final version consisting of a spun lead outer shell with a hollow middle. Moving the mass of a spinning body to its outer edges grants greater stability in flight and thus greater accuracy but this also had the unanticipated effect of turning the massive .577 bullet into a hollow point round. As a result, the Snider had a reputation for creating devastating wounds and was used in the colonial period on large African game like the cape buffalo, rhinoceros and even the elephant.

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HHHMMMM look at what just showed up:ph34r: (no I haven't bought it...………… yet).

 

Its been sold so the link has broken.

 

alibre/Item: 577
Make: Snider
Model: Cavalry carbine
Action: Single Shot
Barrel Length: 460mm
Condition: Very Good
Price: $1495
Advertised: 5/08/2020
Comment: Snider cavalry Carbine in very good original condition. Receiver is marked "F & S SACH ADELAIDE". 

82-2020-08-05_02-29-46-PM.jpg

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