NZAR: 7, Arm Type: Rifle, Date of Draft: (V1) 16 September 2012,Compiled by: Phil Cregeen
Pattern: 1866
Snider Enfield Rifle(Snider Long Rifle/3 band Snider) Introduced to NZ
Service:1868, Withdrawn: 1907 Makers: Enfield; Tower; London Armoury Co; also
Leige
Calibre: .577 in, 25 bore, Bore: 3 groove uniform or progressive
depth rifling RH twist 1 turn in 78 in.,
Barrel length: 36.5 in. OA Length: 54.2 in. Weight: 9 lb 4
oz. (4.2 kg)
Type of Action: Snider breech loading, single shot
Magazine: None,
Sights: rear sight bed to 400, leaf to 950 yds., foresight barleycorn on
fixed block.
Bayonet: Pat 1853
Socket. (NZAR # 58)
Following Ordnance Board trials in the period 1864 to 66
to determine a suitable method of converting the large stocks of Pattern 1853
Enfield Rifles to breech loader, the invention of Jacob Snider was chosen
together with the centre fire cartridge developed by Col. Boxer. This in its final form involved cutting off the
breech end of the barrel and replacing it with a shoe containing a hinged
breech block with firing pin that swung open to the right and include an
ejector claw, the shoe being screwed into the rear end of the original barrel. The conversion was announced in LOC 1327 dated
18 September 1866 with the ammunition by LOC 1328 dated 20 August 1866 and was generally
applied to the 4th Type or model of the Pat 53 with Baddeley barrel
bands. The conversion quickly progressed
from Mk I to Mk I* (squared rim to cartridge), Mk II* and Mk II** (larger
breech block & cupped hammer) leading to the Mk III introduced by LOC 1759
dated 13 Jan 1869 which included a breech block locking bolt, and steel instead
of iron barrel, these Mk III rifles were made new rather than conversions.(1)
New Zealand Service The first Snider
rifles to see service in New Zealand were issued to a detachment of the 18th
Royal Irish Regiment of Foot bound for Wellington in March 1868 and to those
serving at Napier by May 1868. (2)
According to the Evening Post of the 23 November 1868 they appear to
have been used on the range for the first time in November of that year.
In the Colonial Government arms return of 26 August 1869 there were no
Sniders owned by the Colony, however it was reported that 500 Hay medium rifles
had been sent to England for conversion in February of that year. By September
of the same year 1,900 Snider Rifles had been received from British Stores, although many were exchanged later for short rifles and carbines. In
December 1869 the Wanganui Herald reported 50 picked men armed with Snider
rifles had been sent from Wellington to Taupo to help combat the Hoa hoa
uprising.
By 1875 the snider rifle was on more general issue to Volunteer forces
within the colony and by 1879 there were 696 on issue or in store, increasing
to 1049 by 1892. From 1890 onwards the snider was gradually replaced by the
Martini Henry (1895), Martini Enfield (1898) and Lee Enfield (1901), however
some Volunteer Rifles corps were still armed with the snider as late at 1902
and in the 1905 arms return 920 are shown still on issue in the colony.
In 1907 7,000 snider rifles (long, medium and short rifles) were sold to
an English firm and shipped to England.
Acknowledgements: Information and photos-John Osborne, Phil
Cregeen,
References: (1) 577 Pattern 1853 Rifle
Musket & Snider-Enfield by I D Skennerton
NZ Marked
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|||
Arm
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NZ Marked
|
Maker
|
Dated
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Snider 3 band
|
NZ 165
|
Enfield
|
1864
|
Snider 3 band Mk II**
|
NZ S 1104
|
Enfield
|
1865
|
Snider 3 band Mk II
|
N^Z 1743 S
|
LAC
|
1861
|
Snider 3 band Mk II
|
NZ S 1229
|
Enfield
|
1861
|
Snider 3 band Mk II**
|
NZ 1399
|
Enfield
|
1861
|
Snider 3 band Mk II**
|
NZ S 1096
|
Enfield
|
1859
|
Snider 3 band Mk III
|
A NZ 80
|
J Rigby Dublin
|
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Snider 3 Band Mk III
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NZ 264-50-3106
|
Tower
|
1855
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