This is exactly what I've done (but I've since sold the Snider). The brass is cut a bit shorter than what you'd use for cylindrical bullets (test and try), and annealed. Tap the 0.600" ball lightly into the case mouth and apply lube on the exposed hemisphere. You'll get several firings before you'll need to partial full-length size it just enough to grip the ball again.
Snider .577: A Canadian Perspective
- Thread starter ebruder
- Start date
This is exactly what I've done (but I've since sold the Snider). The brass is cut a bit shorter than what you'd use for cylindrical bullets (test and try), and annealed. Tap the 0.600" ball lightly into the case mouth and apply lube on the exposed hemisphere. You'll get several firings before you'll need to partial full-length size it just enough to grip the ball again.
On the Snider Rifle Mark III, the number on the bottom of the Block matches the number of the Rifle, which is stamped UNDER the Barrel.
There were NINE different Marks of Snider ammunition approved in just FIVE years. They had troubles because they were trying to use MUZZLELOADER SOLUTIONS to BREECHLOADER PROBLEMS. Get a cheap Lee Minie mould, the .578" oversize one ($25 from Factory Sales) and machine off the Cone which gives you your Minie hollowbase. You now have a mould for a FLATBASE bullet which, although very heavy, shoots accurately in many rifles.
With the approved 70-grain charge of RFG Number 2 (Black) powder, the 480-grain bullet left the Snider Rifle at 1240 ft/sec, these figures from the TEXT BOOK OF SMALL ARMS - 1909 (HM Stationery Office, London, 1909).
LEE Precision makes a good set of Snider dies and a huge press to handle them.
Will Bilozir (at bilozir.net) goes to most of the gun shows in Western Canada. He has Fiocchi 24-gauge composite (brass and plastic) casings which take our primers and he also handles the Magtech 24-bore brass casings.
FORGET any idea of using 28-bore cases!!!!!!!! We tried that here, some years ago. Everything went peachy-keen and dandy until the Rifle decided to try to go FULL-AUTO on us! Breech-block flipped OPEN while a round was actually FIRIN
case ejected vertically and the Shooter was blasted with very hot Powder Gas. Fortunately, he was wearing glasses with specially hardened lenses, so it cost him "only" $420 and a lot of tiny but painful burns on his face. It COULD have cost his EYES! Be warned!!!!!! NO 28-bore in the Snider!
Otherwise, happy Snidering! The Snider was the FIRST centrefire military rifle in the world using self-contained ammunition: ALL OTHERS descend from it. It was also the first rifle used by Canada as our official Militia rifle and we used them long after everyone else threw them away: into the 1920s as cadet Carbines. They were a single-shot which was engineered well enough that they could be fired 18 round per minute: I have actually done this. And there is absolutely NUTHIN' as much fun on a range on a warm Summer day.
Hope this helps.
There were NINE different Marks of Snider ammunition approved in just FIVE years. They had troubles because they were trying to use MUZZLELOADER SOLUTIONS to BREECHLOADER PROBLEMS. Get a cheap Lee Minie mould, the .578" oversize one ($25 from Factory Sales) and machine off the Cone which gives you your Minie hollowbase. You now have a mould for a FLATBASE bullet which, although very heavy, shoots accurately in many rifles.
With the approved 70-grain charge of RFG Number 2 (Black) powder, the 480-grain bullet left the Snider Rifle at 1240 ft/sec, these figures from the TEXT BOOK OF SMALL ARMS - 1909 (HM Stationery Office, London, 1909).
LEE Precision makes a good set of Snider dies and a huge press to handle them.
Will Bilozir (at bilozir.net) goes to most of the gun shows in Western Canada. He has Fiocchi 24-gauge composite (brass and plastic) casings which take our primers and he also handles the Magtech 24-bore brass casings.
FORGET any idea of using 28-bore cases!!!!!!!! We tried that here, some years ago. Everything went peachy-keen and dandy until the Rifle decided to try to go FULL-AUTO on us! Breech-block flipped OPEN while a round was actually FIRIN
case ejected vertically and the Shooter was blasted with very hot Powder Gas. Fortunately, he was wearing glasses with specially hardened lenses, so it cost him "only" $420 and a lot of tiny but painful burns on his face. It COULD have cost his EYES! Be warned!!!!!! NO 28-bore in the Snider!Otherwise, happy Snidering! The Snider was the FIRST centrefire military rifle in the world using self-contained ammunition: ALL OTHERS descend from it. It was also the first rifle used by Canada as our official Militia rifle and we used them long after everyone else threw them away: into the 1920s as cadet Carbines. They were a single-shot which was engineered well enough that they could be fired 18 round per minute: I have actually done this. And there is absolutely NUTHIN' as much fun on a range on a warm Summer day.
Hope this helps.
For those of you who want to cut back 24 ga Mag-Tek brass to Snider length, I use a Rigid Pipe cutter ($34) and a 5/8ths steel dowel inside the case when I cut. The trick here is to start off very slow or you wind up making something like threads on the brass. I have tried cheaper pipe cutters and they do not compare to the Rigid ones. I use paper patched old style Mini and grease the paper as well. The paper patch is put on wet and when it dries it shrinks tight. With the grease on it- it works well. I used 68 grs FFG black powder and put 2 grains of pistol powder over the primer and get a good clean burn. My sniders shoot about 15" high and I am in the process of correcting that. All shooting is at 100yds. Cheers
antiqueguy
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- windsor ontario
what you need to do is see if you have a 5 groove or a 3 groove snider
3 groove is around 1 in 78" twist witch will like short bullets and 5 groove is around 1 in 48" witch can take a longer bullet
the stand by is to load a 24ga plastic or brass with a charge of blackpowder(real stuff goex fg works real good)wads punched out of card stock(empty cereal box or pop can box nothing corrugated) then a lube cookie the a few more wads then a .590"-.600" round ball cast in pure lead you can coat this with some lube too every little bit helps later in clean up
do not try the 28ga stuff unless you have a mk3 snider with a tight chamber even them the ball that can fit is only around .580"-.585" so it does not shoot all that well. i tried it in my "cadet" snider and the block blew open nothing like that to make you pull a shot
3 groove is around 1 in 78" twist witch will like short bullets and 5 groove is around 1 in 48" witch can take a longer bullet
the stand by is to load a 24ga plastic or brass with a charge of blackpowder(real stuff goex fg works real good)wads punched out of card stock(empty cereal box or pop can box nothing corrugated) then a lube cookie the a few more wads then a .590"-.600" round ball cast in pure lead you can coat this with some lube too every little bit helps later in clean up
do not try the 28ga stuff unless you have a mk3 snider with a tight chamber even them the ball that can fit is only around .580"-.585" so it does not shoot all that well. i tried it in my "cadet" snider and the block blew open nothing like that to make you pull a shot
I just put two rounds through my snider for the first time just three hours ago. Both had a charge of 50 grains of Blackhorn 209 with cream-o-wheat wad. Fired it with a string with me behind the tree just to be safe.
Blackhorn 209 doesn't smell like BP, smells more like white glue. Gun was pre-treated with froglube so it cleaned up with only patches.
Blackhorn 209 doesn't smell like BP, smells more like white glue. Gun was pre-treated with froglube so it cleaned up with only patches.
antiqueguy
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- windsor ontario
with the sniders stay away from anything but real blackpowder this is some you dont try to play with most of these guns where converted from p1853 enfiled muzzleloaders witch had iron barrels blackhorn is a smokeless in reality so is 777. goex or swiss blackpowder is best fg or ffg
antiqueguy
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- windsor ontario
because ten-x does not care if you blow up your gun the only safe sub is pyrodex
777 and blackhorn are smokelesss and have a higher pressure all the way down the barrel and black powder has it higher at the breech take a look at british militaria forums thay have alot of info
Everyone forgets about American Pioneer!
Cat litter, as Biggles calls it.
I shoot with Biggles, who posted earlier.
When I don't shoot BP, which lately is most of the time, I use 55 grains of FFG American Pioneer topped off with corn meal.
Dragon lubed Lee Minie and you are off to the races.
I have become a big fan of American Pioneer.
I use it in alot of antique pistol and rifle rounds.
It cleans up quick and nice.
I have shot 100's of rounds in all Mk's of Sniders - MkI*, MkII*, MkII**, MkIII, no problems at all.
Cadets, Cavalry, 2 and 3 Banders.
Spencer Carbines, Smith Carbines, ect.
Cat litter, as Biggles calls it.
I shoot with Biggles, who posted earlier.
When I don't shoot BP, which lately is most of the time, I use 55 grains of FFG American Pioneer topped off with corn meal.
Dragon lubed Lee Minie and you are off to the races.
I have become a big fan of American Pioneer.
I use it in alot of antique pistol and rifle rounds.
It cleans up quick and nice.
I have shot 100's of rounds in all Mk's of Sniders - MkI*, MkII*, MkII**, MkIII, no problems at all.
Cadets, Cavalry, 2 and 3 Banders.
Spencer Carbines, Smith Carbines, ect.
antiqueguy
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- windsor ontario
american pioneer produces ammonia. guys subs cost more then the real thing idk why there is always a fight to not use it
I pay $18.00 a pound for American Pioneer and $18.00 a pound for Goex BP. (Hamilton, Ontario area)
I use the American Pioneer and it cleans up slick with a couple of patches of Gunzilla, no muss, no fuss and best of all, no water.
I also can use any powder measure and liquid alox the bullets in seconds.
I just use it as another alternative to the Holy Black.
- Location
- Golden Lake
Is the American Pioneer powder the same as Jim Shockley's Gold?
tactical870
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Buckhorn, Ontario
I just can't get why you guys insist on playing with substitutes..... I only shoot Goex FFG in my Sniders....
antiqueguy
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- windsor ontario
heck fg would be better to fill the case more but ffg is still better then pyrodex and dont even think about 777 in a snider because that is a smokeless and smokeless is a no no in a snider even the mk3 snider
its alot easier to just order the right powder its also alot safer as subs do not have the same pressure curve as real BP. ive shot both snider and martini henry rifles i used soild head brass for both at $5 a piece its a investment you want to not waste away real BP is alot easier on the brass and alot easier to clean ive only shot real bp in these guns and still do in my martini henry
what really gets me going is guys down in the US where theres atleast 10 dealers of goex in every state and alot of them also carry swiss (swiss fg is the best in the MH only coming in second to the old curtis and harvey) they complaining how hard it is to get where they are at
