.577” 1874 dated Tower volunteer MkIII three band Snider service rifle with BSA Co Snider shoe with locking block.
£1250
A good .577” 1874 dated Tower volunteer MkIII three band Snider service rifle with BSA Co Snider shoe with locking block. Pattern 1853 swivel link lock has a crown engraved to the rear with TOWER 1874 to the front fitted with a cup faced hammer, an extra safety feature on this rifle to prevent the block opening on firing not adopted by the Ordnance on their MkIII rifles which had a flat faced hammer. Walnut stock with regulation pattern brass furniture and snag free Baddeley pattern barrel bands has an early pattern convex head clearing rod to the underside. Three groove blued Minnie rifled barrel is fitted with a ladder rear sight graduated to 950 yards is struck with Birmingham Victorian commercial proof marks with block mounted blade front sight / bayonet stud. The MkIII locking shoe is struck with Victorian Birmingham commercial proof marks with Snider patent trademark to the rear and BSA Co for manufacture by the Birmingham Small Arms Company. Made to the regulation military MkIII pattern by a Birmingham maker utilising a purpose made BSA MkIII locking breach for sale to a volunteer soldier or target shooter of the mid Victorian age the Snider was the first breach loading rifle adopted by the British army with Gentlemen Volunteers, keen to have the latest weapon available purchasing these commercial arms for both use on duty and in weekend target shooting matches popular all over the Empire at the time. In very good condition with good bore a nice sharp stock with much blue finish to the metalwork. A good Snider from the heyday of the Volunteer movement when French invasion was still a very real threat to the United Kingdom.
