BSA Snider-Enfield Mk III Cavalry Carbine, .577 Snider, 19-inch Barrel, 1871 British Single-Shot Antique
This Birmingham Small Arms Co. Snider-Enfield Mk III Cavalry Carbine is a British military single-shot chambered in .577 Snider and dated 1871 on the lockplate. It features the right-hinged Mk III Snider breech with knurled thumb-latch and extractor, a compact 19-inch barrel with one barrel band, and brass furniture. Clear British ordnance acceptance marks and the STEEL barrel stamp add to its historical interest as a true antique carbine.
Condition
Overall Condition: Fair condition, showing extensive signs of prior use and handling.
Bore Overall Condition: Good - Clean, well-maintained, minor wear marks.
Bore Rifling: Good Rifling - Intact, well-defined lands and grooves.
Specific Condition Notes: There are small dents and scratches, and pitting is present. The bore is clean and in decent shape.
What’s Included
- Birmingham Small Arms Co. (BSA) Snider-Enfield Mk III Cavalry Carbine dated 1871
Built by Birmingham Small Arms Co., this Mk III Cavalry Carbine reflects the late pattern Snider action with a right-hinged breech block, knurled thumb-latch, and integral extractor. The lockplate is marked with the crown over VR and “B S A Co 1871,” aligning the carbine with British service production of the period.
The carbine configuration includes a 19-inch steel barrel, a single barrel band, and a short fore-end for compact handling. Sighting is via iron sights: a short-base folding ladder rear placed just ahead of the breech and a fixed blade front.
Materials and fittings are correct for the pattern, with an oil-finished walnut stock and brass furniture, including the trigger guard with sling swivel, buttplate, and nose cap. The barrel is explicitly stamped “STEEL,” and the receiver shoe bears the “III” mark denoting the Mk III pattern.
Military proof and acceptance markings are present throughout, including crowned ciphers, the WD broad arrow, inspector numbers (e.g., E/10), and a circular buttstock roundel with a crown over “1.” Chambered in .577 Snider, the carbine is a single-shot with an external hammer and a 13.0-inch length of pull, representing a well-marked British cavalry arm from 1871.