Sponsor Special: British P-1864 Short Snider Smooth Bore Prison Issue: Cleaned & Complete
Posted by FirearmsTruth on October 3, 2010 · Leave a Comment
Our friends at International Military Antiques have less than a half a dozen of these English made rifles. Produced in the 1870s, these smooth bore Snider Two Band Short guns feature Crown over V.R. stamped. Primarily used in Military Prison Service, these recovered in Nepal in 2003.
Other factoids on the rifles:
“Locks are all be marked with Broad Arrow and various British manufacture names such as LSA (London Small Arms Co.) & BSA (Birmingham Small Arms Co.) Each short Snider even comes complete with, Brass butt plate, trigger guard and Nose Cap with two barrel bands and a 25″ barrel. The barrel is smooth bored, which was a requirement for Prison Service, and also if issued to Sepoy units after the Indian Mutiny of 1857/8. The back sight is therefore an open sight, denoting the fact that the weapon was intended for buckshot in order to cut down multiple men in one go.”
