The .577 Snider
cartridge was a British
black powder
Gunpowder, also commonly known as black powder to distinguish it from modern smokeless powder, is the earliest known chemical explosive. It consists of a mixture of sulfur, carbon (in the form of charcoal) and potassium nitrate ( saltpeter). T ...
metallic rimfire cartridge, which fired a , lead projectile, primarily used in the
Snider–Enfield
The British .577 Snider–Enfield was a breech-loading rifle. The American Jacob Snider invented 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 con ...
rifle.
Early .577 Snider cartridges were made from a composite design using paper and brass foil with a stamped metallic base and primer, much like the first generation of
Martini-Henry cartridges. Later cartridges (after the design had been proved with the Martini-Henry cartridges) were made from drawn brass, much like modern
small arms
A firearm is any type of gun designed to be readily carried and used by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see Legal definitions).
The first firearms originated in 10th-century China, when bamboo tubes ...
ammunition. The .577 Snider cartridge was eventually replaced in service by the
.577/450 Martini–Henry cartridge in the 1870s. The .577 Snider cartridge is considered by most commentators to be
obsolete, with large scale commercial production having ceased in the 1930s. However, as of 2012, cases, bullets and cartridges as well as others of the
.577 family are available from Tenbury Guns Limited (company dissolved 31 May 2016) in the United Kingdom.
New brass can be formed from a 24 gauge hull and reloading dies are available from Lee. As of 2015,
Kynamco Kynoch
Kynoch was a manufacturer of ammunition, later incorporated into ICI but remaining as a brand name for sporting cartridges.
History
The firm of Pursall and Phillips operated a 'percussion cap manufactory' at Whittall Street, in Birmingham, i ...
in the United Kingdom and
Bertram in Australia are also producing ready-made brass.
See also
*
.577 Nitro Express
*
.577/450 Martini–Henry
*
Table of handgun and rifle cartridges
References
* ''The Handloader's Manual of Cartridge Conversions'', by John J. Donnelly, Stoeger Publishing, 1987, p. 686. .
* ''Cartridges of the World'', 4th Edition, p. 218.
External links
Britain's big .577 Snider
Military cartridges
Pistol and rifle cartridges
British firearm cartridges
{{UK-mil-stub