1864 Enfield.....Conversion??

[Nounan]

So at a local pawn shop I came across this. .577 Cal Enfield. But what have they done to manufacture a firing pin into it?? Anyone know what the story is or when they started doing this? How much is it worth?

 

[vmicraig]

I'd bet Lanyard Puller may know

 

[johan_steele]

Trying to see the pics on my phone is impossible. I would wager it is a Snider Conversion. No ACW use at all. The Brits didn't adopt it until, IIRC, 1866 and it took a year or so to get to the field. It served until it was replaced by the Martini Henry. Like the US they converted numbers of P53's into Sniders which would explain an 1864 lock plate.

As to value I would say it would start around $600 going on up to $1k or more for desirable lock plates & models in the right collector market.

 

[UCVRelics]

Its is a Snider conversion and the VR under the crown is not CW. I don't like to give values based on photos, to much to consider, bore, wood etc.

 

[Craig L Barry]

Yep, British Government marks all over it. ENFIELD (RSAF) lock. No US Civil War provenance what-so-ever.

 

[JOHN42768]

Interesting firearm

 

[Jobe Holiday]

A nice honest British Snider conversion. As for value, take a look at what IMA has sold their Nepal Sniders for. Then figure this example is worth more than those are.
J.

 

[Irishtom29]

It is a pleasure to inspect the soldiers of the Raj.

 

[kevikens]

Something analogous to the Allen conversion of our Springfield rifle that enabled all those muzzle loading muskets a few more years of useful service. Unlike our trapdoor conversions the Snider conversion used a cartridge pretty hard to get a hold of today compared to both the .50-70 conversion cartridge for the US Springfield conversion and its 1873 iteration in .45-70. At the time of the Zulu Wars I believe all regular units in the British Army were using the Martini-Henry rifle but that some of the territorial troops were still using the Snider Enfield conversions.

 

[Lanyard Puller]

Just FYI John Snider was an American inventor, and the Snider conversion was rejected here in favor of the Allin conversions, and later TrapDoor Springfields. Allen was a US employee which equals cheaper guns, no royalties to be made.