Винтовка Снайдер-Энфилд: История и Модификации

The British .577 Snider–Enfield was a breech loading rifle. The American inventor, Jacob Snider created this firearm action, and the Snider–Enfield was one of the most widely used of the Snider varieties. The British Army adopted it in 1866 as a conversion system for its ubiquitous Pattern 1853 Enfield muzzle loading rifles, and used it until 1880 when the Martini–Henry rifle began to supersede it. The British Indian Army used the Snider–Enfield until the end of the nineteenth century.

In trials, the Snider Pattern 1853 conversions proved both more accurate than the original Pattern 1853s and much faster firing; a trained soldier could fire ten aimed rounds per minute with the breech loader, compared with only three rounds per minute with the muzzle loading weapon. From 1866 onwards, the Enfield rifles were converted in large numbers at the Royal Small Arms Factory (RSAF) Enfield beginning with the initial pattern, the Mark I. The converted rifles received a new breechblock/receiver assembly, but retained the original iron barrel, furniture, lock, and hammer. The Mark III rifles were newly made. They featured steel barrels which were so marked, flat nosed hammers, and a latch locking breech block instead of the simple integral block lifting tang. The Snider–Enfield used a new type of metal cased cartridge called a Boxer cartridge after its designer. The breech block housed a diagonally downward sloping firing pin struck with a front action lock mounted hammer. To operate the weapon, the rifleman cocked the hammer, flipped the block out of the receiver to the right by grasping the left mounted breech block lever, and then pulled the block back to extract the spent case. There was no ejector, so the firer turned the rifle to the right and upside down to allow the case to drop out.

The Snider–Enfield was produced in several variants. The most commonly encountered variants were the Rifled Musket or Long Rifle, the Short Rifle, and the Cavalry and Artillery Carbines. The Long Rifle has a barrel and three barrel bands. Its total length (without bayonet) is in length. It was issued to line infantry and has three groove rifling with one turn in The Short Rifle has a 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 one turn in The Cavalry Carbine is half stocked and has only one barrel band. It has a barrel, with the same rifling as the Short Rifle. The Artillery Carbine has a barrel with a full stock and two barrel bands, and the same rifling as the Short Rifle and Cavalry Carbine. The Snider was the subject of substantial imitation, in both approved and questionable forms, including the Nepalese Snider, which was a nearly exact copy, the Dutch Snider, Danish Naval Snider, and the "unauthorised" adaptations of the French Tabatière and Russian Krnka. There were 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.

Enthusiasts still use these rifles today, with the number in circulation boosted by the acquisition by Atlanta Cutlery and International Military Antiques of a vast quantity of antique weapons held in the Royal Nepalese Armory in the Lagan Silekhana Palace for over a century. Ammunition is reloaded into either modern production .577 Snider cases, or re formed 24 gauge brass shotgun shells. Black powder or modern black powder substitutes are used. The Halifax Citadel Regimental Association does live fire demonstrations in the Halifax Citadel; they have around 60 of these rifles. In addition, the Fort Henry Guard at Fort Henry, Kingston also uses the various variants of this weapon for their re enactments.