First Shots With The Snider MKII **

[@Ben_not_10]

*nobody* *the squirrel down range* “GOD DAMMIT THEY BROUGHT OUT THE ARTILLERY. RUNN FOR YOUR LIVES!”

[@Everythingblackpowder]

😂

[@matpen7863]

Very nice to see! We have a lot of these for rather modest money in the UK. they make for a great rifle provided you keep her at realistic distances. Love to see the ingenuity with the British snider design.

[@Aviator747a]

We have quite a few here in Canada as well. They are currently antiques and no license is required. Prices are going up on them.

[@Schlachtschule]

This is great to see, the Snider is my favorite rifle of all time. The trick for good shooting is to use a .600 bullet from X-Ring Services--Burton balls don't work well. I know that sounds large, but the chamber is actually .63 in., so the X-Ring bullets work fine. I know you said you don't want to spend the money, but they really are good, and aren't that expensive. For reference, I load a slightly gentler round for my Snider (65 grains of Swiss 1.5F) than the originals, which used 70 grains of RFG (close to 1.5F). My .600 bullets weigh 530 grains, and I get an average muzzle velocity of 1,036 fps, which is close to what you were getting. The originals (I think this is the Mk. IV cartridge) achieved a muzzle velocity of 1,253 fps using a 480-grain bullet.

[@Everythingblackpowder]

Excellent

[@HoffmanReproductions]

Nice gun Jake! Thanks for sharing. Always cool to see the original stuff being used!

[@Everythingblackpowder]

Thanks, Ben

[@63DW89A]

What MIGHT help .575 Minie expansion is filling the hollow base with paraffin wax. The paraffin kinda "hydraulically" helps the powder explosion expand the bullet base, according to theory. I've never done this myself, but have heard others swear by it. At any rate it's a relatively cheap experiment! Best wishes and happy, safe shooting.

[@Everythingblackpowder]

I’m going to try the experiment tomorrow

[@63DW89A]

@@Everythingblackpowder I'll be watching the results. Good Luck! Hope it works!

[@Everythingblackpowder]

Thank you

[@3ducs]

I've heard of that but if there is powder in the base of a Minnie ball bullet it will ignite and force the skirt out and engage the rifling better than if the base is filled with lube.

[@ChicanoSteve]

That's a nice piece Jake, and like the fact you don't care attitude for wanting to restore and refinish the Snider as it's your own and not theirs this you are gonna do what may please you and not those that say "it's going to hurt the value" pffft, give me a break!... Thank you for sharing man!... 💯💥🤠

[@Everythingblackpowder]

Thanks Steve

[@soylentgreen7074]

My 1865 spencer carbine did that as well. Could never figure it out. And making ammo from 50-70 brass stunk so I sold it. One day I’ll get a repro that uses the modern starline 56-50 brass.

[@MrTacklebury]

Couple things, if you aren't using pure lead, try that with the minie balls. Might expand easier and air cool them instead of water. Also you could also "beagle" them out slightly using a press or vice. If you make a plug that fits into the recess in the base, you could squeeze it down on the plug and slightly expand them. ;)

[@westcovinadodge]

I got an ima Nepalese a few years ago to use my martini brass seconds. The stock was split through the wrist in the box. full of worm holes. Sounds like I should have bought the Portuguese contract carbine when I had the chance. good shooting and thanks for the vid

[@MemorialRifleRange]

Thank You!

[@Everythingblackpowder]

Thank you

[@INeverMetAGunIDidntLike]

I remember being in a gun shop in K.C. and they had a rack full of Sniders, this was around 20 years ago. Had I not been on the hunt for another type of rifle, I would have gotten one. I hope you get her figured out and running smooth. P.S. I thought this video sucked but I can't make my own damn video because my dumb @$$ didn't buy one of those Sniders off of that rack.......... P.S. it didn't suck....

[@drboris01]

I love shooting my Sniders. I have an Enfield MkII** 3 band rifle, a lovely BSA MKI Yeomanry carbine (MKIII breech) and a bitzer carbine that bubba had gotten hold of as a MkII** rifle and cut it down to artillery carbine length. I call it Frankensnider, it is not good looking but it shoots well.

[@453421abcdefg12345]

Fitting a fly on the lock would cure the hang up, and you can get ball moulds in UK in increments of just a few thou for very little money, they throw a really nice ball as well. Chris B.

[@michaelbarrett2346]

Thank you

[@Everythingblackpowder]

Thank you

[@michaeldulaney2497]

Real nice rifle, thanks for the video.

[@Everythingblackpowder]

Thank you

[@陈芳-e1m]

Fascinating lethal weapon！love it ！

[@mrdinme.4768]

I always like the closing lines on your videos. Its your rifle, you do you. I kinda like the look of it as is, maybe cause Im just seeing it, not handling it? As you say, yes fix the lock. Nice rifle, good luck w/it.

[@Everythingblackpowder]

Thanks. It’s covered in some gummy feeling shellac. It looks good from a few feet away

[@gobblersroostadventures1388]

Cool gun, love seeing you shooting it.

[@Everythingblackpowder]

Thank you

[@davefellhoelter1343]

Hmm? bet some gentle file work and a heat treat/case hardening may fix her right up? That is so KOOL!! a Brit rolling block tilted?

[@Wildwest89]

That’s quite the “whoosh” when that ball goes down range

[@Everythingblackpowder]

It’s a big chunk of lead going down range

[@louisianagray8618]

You really seem to enjoy shooting that old beauty glad you're happy with her

[@Everythingblackpowder]

I enjoy it

[@rre9121]

Yeah, for my snider I had to go to .600 ball. I think it might even need a slightly larger ball, but when I slug with a 600 it does show cutting from the rifling.

[@Everythingblackpowder]

I know Rob from British muzzleloaders uses a 600 projectile and his shoots well

[@elenas4878]

In my limited experience with Sniders I believe it's really gun specific. My MkII** with an iron barrel and a 3 grooves twist needs indeed a 600 ball. The Mk III*** with the steel barrel is tighter.

[@earlwheelock7844]

As you probably know the trigger is attached to a sere plate that has 2 notches the rear notch is the trigger the front notch is the half cock notch ( should be much deeper ) I wonder if you rounded the outer edge a little if the trigger might skipp over the half cock notch but still work as a half notch when you want one ?

[@StevenMMan]

Tell me what specific bullet profile, weight, and diameter. Are you looking for? One last question. Do you think you absolutely need a hollow base for the load?

[@Everythingblackpowder]

Well form the research I’ve been doing a lot of folks say they get the best performance with a flat based .600 caliber bullet from an outfit called X-Ring services

[@StevenMMan]

@Everything Black Powder ok got to say I never heard of x ring service. However I personally have a couple of .31 caliber I want to revisit in my cap n ball series of bullets. Bad vision and miss reading of dial calipers lead to wrong heal diameters. There is a lot to be said for inexpensive large digital read out calipers in my situation. So .600 flat base is the easy part. What weights are you currently using?

[@Everythingblackpowder]

The projectile I’m using now is 530gr

[@StevenMMan]

@@Everythingblackpowder got it

[@davidno1minton997]

Cool,gun

[@victorshults242]

Good to see you man 👍🇺🇸💪

[@elenas4878]

Nice vid! I also own a couple of Sniders, an 1862 Enfield Mkii** converted from a muzzleloader and an 1871 BSA Mk iii***and I enjoy shooting them, not with 100 grains charges, of course, I guess the recoil was terrible.

[@Everythingblackpowder]

Nice!

[@thenogoodniks8673]

neat old gun. Awesome shooting.

[@Everythingblackpowder]

Thank you

[@curteaton]

Will you re-blue too, or just do the wood? I think KNO3 bluing looks great.

[@Everythingblackpowder]

Just the wood

[@hawknives]

Hey, Man! I set up a steam bath like Mark Novak over at Anvil suggested, for converting rust, and saving original patina. let me know if you want to go that route, in the restore. It turns out bitchen and is pretty easy to do. Just wangin' it out there to you, in case you want to try it. I restored an 1878 Colt for a friend of mine that turned out great, doing the steam bath process, and then carding. I think I gave you some 575 mini balls, the first time I met you at the Scout Camp. I still got the mold, if you need more. If your buddy can't ream a mold for you , let me know. Just what I was thinkin'. Late, Hawk

[@mattfleming86]

Good news abouy refinishing.. a good traditional rust blue job wont "remove" anything and will be oh so beautiful.

[@STMwoodturning]

Thanks for sharing. I like the Snider better than the Martini-Henry that came after it

[@veteranironoutdoors8320]

Have you ever tried a williams bullet in them? Dont think Ive ever seen anyone try a williams bullet in a snider. Found a couple places online that sell the “type 3”

[@Everythingblackpowder]

No I haven’t

[@snappers_antique_firearms]

Sweet new rifle. Yeah that is very common on single action systems. I have had everything from colt SAAs to Percussion shotguns fall into the half cock notch. when you pull in the trigger. What Usually happens somehow The trigger falls into half cock one time. then after that it slightly bends it and leaves a Burr. Making it easier to fall into the half notch. Then every time it falls in. it makes it worse and worse and worse. Usually just Filing down the top of the half notch. then Lightly tapping down the nose of the half cock notch with a ball peen hammer fixes it.

[@bigracer3867]

Be a booming deer rifle for where I live.

[@JWheeler331]

Awesome. Looks like a fun shooter. One click to seat one click to bang. lol

[@Everythingblackpowder]

I’ve wanted a British made one for a while.

[@solitude731]

I bet that bucks the wind better than a 45-70! IDK apparently GOV went to the 45 caliber because it's more accurate supposedly.

[@jamesavery6015]

Does that lock have a fly installed in the tumbler?

[@Everythingblackpowder]

Don’t know

[@jamesavery6015]

Gotcha, kinda sounds like a missing/ damaged fly or a worn main spring? How’s the spring feel? Super light?

[@Everythingblackpowder]

Nope

[@jamesavery6015]

@@Everythingblackpowder well in any case nice rifle! I wouldn’t mind having one of those myself. In fact I wouldn’t mind having one of every gun ever made, but I won’t ever be able to afford that😁

[@terryqueen3233]

B e a utiful rifle and I'm confident you'll get that trigger pull nice and smooth. Keep ye powder dry!

[@Everythingblackpowder]

Thank you

[@ixb1]

did you try to load .600 roundball ?

[@Everythingblackpowder]

Not yet

[@StevenMMan]

Well she will be fun, for now makes for a great flinch check. Enjoy Mountain man

[@mebymyself2816]

Parker Hale the UK gun makers, found a load of old original guns in a walled off section of a warehouse back in the late 1960's I have go a snider rifled musket conversion that was then converted to smooth bore for use by the victorian prison guards.. It seems that they were issued to the perimeter guards with buckshot and also ball cartridges incase of an attempted break out or riot . It is a wall piece sadly not a going concern wish it was.

[@44Special]

Will enjoy seeing that run with a good trigger. Would be fun to see the ball splatter on the target. Is it a big deal to set a cam by the target? I don't do much electronics. So I don't know how hard that is. Thx man. Oh, I won't take your dislike for the 58 personally. Lol. I love it. Full frame.

[@Everythingblackpowder]

Lol thank you. Some folks take it real personal when I say I don’t like them.

[@HobbiesHobo]

👍👍

[@dave928]

i have a Snider (that i got from my grandfather) that i know nothing about. could you share some resources you have, like repro parts, ammo, manuals? subbed too :)

[@Everythingblackpowder]

IMA has some parts. Track of the wolf has brass but as far as loaded ammo goes your best bet is buffalo arms. Brace yourself, it’s ridiculously expensive.

[@dave928]

@@Everythingblackpowder thanks. i've had it (and an 1863 Springfield) for about 40 years but it's always been a wall-hanger. the firing pin and rear sight are missing and the breech block has a loose bit, but i don't know if it's normal or if it's cracked. i have the Skennerton "small arms" book but have never really pursued restoring it to firing condition. does anyone make new reproduction versions of these rifles, like the Miroku Winchesters? i don't shoot my 1883 production '73 Winchester, but i have a new production one that i use for shooting.

[@Everythingblackpowder]

I think pedersoli makes them

[@dave928]

@@Everythingblackpowder thanks, but nothing there.

[@bargainbin22]

A couple questions if you have time. No. 1 do you make your own pan powder? No. 2 do you still use the CIA method even though you puck your powder? I watched all your old powder making videos last night and you change so fast I am not sure what you are doing now. Now I am off to make my own damn video. Keep it up.

[@Everythingblackpowder]

I don’t make screened powder since I started Corning my powder. It’s makes a world of difference. I don’t use the CIA method anymore either, I can get the same results if I dry mill my ingredients together long enough.

[@bargainbin22]

@@Everythingblackpowder How about the 4 F or pan powder do you just use the dust.

[@Everythingblackpowder]

No. 4F and smaller goes back into the mill but you could use it if you like

[@TheDave570]

I have three of them and i use a .600 mini !!!

[@thomaslewandowski2504]

I started watching your channel not because I shoot any black-powder firearms. I make BP for my own pyrotechnics. Now I do shoot and hunt so you have got me interested in the shooting aspect..Now How to convince "The Boss" that I need to buy a new gun..LOL..

[@Everythingblackpowder]

Glad to hear it. Best of luck with the boss.

[@kbjerke]

Sweet little rifle!! I'd shoot it, too! ETA - the trigger glitch should be an easy fix. (I have an Enfield Musketoon.)

[@lawrencestanley8989]

drool...

[@Bayan1905]

I had a reproduction Enfield musketoon that had the same issue with the trigger, that and it would fire that way, or it wouldn't stay on half cock. The screw that held the lock in place, the one that goes just under the hammer had to be loosened a bit, was too tight and then it worked great from that time on for the next 10 years or so until I sold the gun. I always wanted a Snider, but all the ones I run into tend to be the old IMA guns that look like they were left at the Kyhber Pass, dragged behind an elephant and then carried by an Afghani shepherd for the batter part of 50 years.

[@pilgrimm23]

nice. and for 600? a steal!

[@Everythingblackpowder]

It was priced well for the shape that it’s in.

[@TheDave570]

oh yes, the sights were index to 250 yards at the factory !!!

[@papercartridges6705]

Shoot me a message, and I'll send you some of my swaged Snider bullets to try (made to the original British specs with hollow nose, and a hollow base for a expanding plug). They are surprisingly accurate and just tons of fun.

[@Everythingblackpowder]

Awesome thank you!

[@Everythingblackpowder]

Also, I read two of your books. Like fire and powder and the destroying Angel. I thoroughly enjoyed both of them.

[@elenas4878]

I would like to try those! Are you shipping to Canada and if yes for how much?

[@astroguy8210]

#EBPnotificationsquad

[@johnparrish9215]

I was about an hour to late to buy a Snider Artillery Short Rifle for $700. I hate my luck...lol

[@Everythingblackpowder]

Bummer

[@johnkinsel5027]

Would paper patching get you the diameter you want?

[@Everythingblackpowder]

Very possible

[@jeffersoncarlisle3125]

Just assembled my 20 ton hydraulic press to compliment my Woody's puck press die!

[@Everythingblackpowder]

Excellent!

[@Aviator747a]

Kynoch ammo? The ammo collector purists are probably having a stroke now. lol

[@alanlutz8373]

Cool video. Just one question, what's wrong with the cameraman? He's always laughing and seems surprised that you can hit your targets. Oh well... thanks for the video.

[@nonokodog622]

Haha...there is no "finish". Just don't change the shape of the wood, use scrapers.

[@Everythingblackpowder]

Agreed. It has some gummy shellac on it that’s pretty awful

[@nonokodog622]

@@Everythingblackpowder I've tried oven cleaner with good effect.