.577” London Armoury Company Volunteer / Target MkIII three band Snider rifle.
£1695
A very good .577” London Armoury Company Volunteer / Target MkIII three band Snider rifle. Plain LAC Pattern 1853 swivel link lock with Crowned VR to the tail is engraved 1862 L.A.Co. to the front of the flat faced hammer. Nicely figured walnut stock fitted with regulation pattern brass furniture is stamped to the right side of the butt with a LONDON ARMOURY BERMONDSEY 1864 roundel with chequered forend. Three groove rifled barrel with ladder rear sight graduated to 900 yards is struck with Birmingham Victorian proof marks and Crown GV inspection stamps and to the front of the rear sight with Crowned 1B inspection stamp. The MkIII locking Snider breech is Birmingham proofed with GV inspection stamps. Barrel retained by 4th Model Pattern 1853 snag free Baddeley bands. Recognised as the best of the Pattern 1853 / Snider arms the guns made by the LAC were sought by target shooters in the Victorian age just as keenly as they are by shooters today. This rifle originally made as a three band Pattern 1853 muzzle loading percussion rifle it has been upgraded for its owner by the Birmingham trade around 1870 to a breech loading Snider rifle, something widely done at the time as the Snider was issued to the Army and Volunteers and the NRA changed its rules to require competitors to use the new breech loading weapon. In very good condition with very good bore and mechanics. Nice sharp well marked stock and much finish to the metal turning to blue brown with age. A nice example of a Victorian military target / volunteer service rifle by the best of the London makers of military weapons and a major contractor to the Ordnance.
