How to make the cheapest and easiest round for your old Snider Enfield rifle. Making 577 Snider brass from Magtech 24 gauge brass shotshells • Making 577 Snider bras...
Someone probably makes an expensive tool to trim hulls but I just pinch the plastic and cut it with a pair of my wife's scissors. We get stuck cases all the time and have to use a rod to tap them out. Some brands of hulls stick more than other.
Back when I lived in Visalia, I had to trim 400 walmart 12 gauge hulls for recast slugs slugs. I ended up doing in front of the TV with a harbor freight razor knife. They came out good enough to run through a semi auto.
There are some nice ready made items. Personally I use either a sharp craft knive, similar to this or I have 3D printed some jigs for lengths I cut a lot of and then use various sharp blades with those (craft, thicker razor etc).
Little known fact, your short rounds have been done before. The Dominion Cartridge Company which was in business 1886-1910 produced two lengths of factory .577 ammo loaded with black or smokeless powder. Their short version was about same length as yours. The smokeless DCC rounds use a cardboard tube inside the case to reduce capacity. All done with balloon head drawn brass.
That works just fine, and a hit out at 180 yds is really good, it is called a clearing rod, for reasons that you have now discovered. Many thanks for posting ! Chris B.
Great vid! Back in the day, I wasn't able to get any new Dominion brand .577 ammo any longer but found some Berdan primed Kynoch, only ten rounds if memory serves. I drilled them out and soldered in a shotshell battery cup and then was able to use Boxer shotshell primers. I had many old shotguns and used 20, 16, 12 and 10 gauge brass shells but never did come across any 24 gauge. My buddy and I used 12 gauge plastic shells with plastic wads and black powder for casual trap shooting with old doubles. The plastic wads would coat the inside of the barrels, reaching the choke after fifty rounds. Flushing the barrels with a garden hose would wash it out, looked like a big snake skin! Cheers.
you can still get the brass hulls from several online vendors, they typically run a bit over a buck a hull, which these days isn't really that bad I guess. The plastic hulls definitely seem like a more economical choice to get out on the range with it. I'm a little jealous, economical and 50/90 doesn't really live in the same area code. LOL
ive seen guys polish there turkish double barrel shotgun chambers for cowboy shooting competitions. so that the shells extract super easy. one guy just took fine sand paper and wraped it around a used shot shell and just did some twisting and upping the grit until the chamber was glass smooth.
I have often wondered why Snyder breech blocks were bruised with dents, never giving a thought of continued stuck cases. Especially being NOT a Snyder shooter. Now, I know! But I must say good shooting, especially with round ball. How good of a group will they actually give? Oh, by the way, great video!
Used to have an old single shot shotgun that the breech was over sized and the shells would stick. I carried a 16 penny nail with me and dropped it down the bore to pop the shells out.
Very cool! the Snider is one of those guns I have always wanted but never really cared to buy one cuz I didnt think Id be able to shoot it. May have to find one now
@@Everythingblackpowder your typical big box home depot, lowes or menards or hardware store has them, but I don't think they would work good as the hull is pretty soft and just might flex instead of cut. They work great on pex though. I think mine was around 15 bucks but I use it on pex.
@@luuk-out-below9804 I procceses a bunch of shells to make blanks for perimeter alarms it worked great. I used the blue one that looks kinda like a chip bag clip. You just clip it around and spin it. I wish I could post pictures. I'll see if I can post a link.
Great video as always. Both informative and entertaining 👍🏻 I do have an "off topic" question (for everyone). Does anyone have any recipes or techniques for lubing felt cushion wads for 12ga? I'm about to experiment with some d.i.y. felt wads and want to try some sort of lube on them to see if it helps fouling/cleanup.
Is this some strange cartridge that British people used to hunt rhinos in Africa 100 years ago? Never heard of it but it sounds like an obscure African safari cartridge.
The British .577 Snider-Enfield was a breech-loading rifle. The American inventor, Jacob Snider created this firearm action, and the Snider-Enfield was one of the most widely used of the Snider varieties. The British Army adopted it in 1866 as a conversion system for its ubiquitous Pattern 1853 Enfield muzzle-loading rifles, and used it until 1874 when the Martini-Henry rifle began to supersede it. The British Indian Army used the Snider-Enfield until the end of the nineteenth century.
hey jake, i cut down my 24ga brass shells using a 1/2 inch extension and a regular pipe cutter. slip the case onto the square end of the extension and the shaft should be damn near perfect size to fit into the case (manufacturers might vary). do *not* try this with a wooden dowel as the cutter will crimp the brass onto the wood and youll have a neat looking fire poker... any recommendations for making a snider more accurate? ive got a british, admittedly a bit rough in the barrel, that couldnt hit the side of a barn from inside... current load is 60gr FF, cornmeal filler, and the X ring bullet with cloth wrap. these can get me 10 inch group at 100y and aim VERY high for some reason.
Not quite pure, I got a bunch of old 38 wadcutter bullets that were too oxidized to use, melted them, skimmed off the oxidation, and mixed a bit with melted store bought 50cal round balls. The wadcutters are not a lot but noticably harder lead and I go by about a 70% soft 30% hard mixture. End up with a nice 440gr bullet that I can just barely scratch with my fingernail. I use the same mixture to cast 43 Dutch bullets and those have good accuracy
@chasebh89 I would try using pure lead and maybe upping the powder charge and see what happens. The pure lead round will obturate more than the harder lead mix. Hopefully that will help.
It is original (made 1866 to 1874 )and still shoots well after 150 years....? If it were mine I would get a gunsmith who could handle polishing the breech to get rid of a century and a half of corrosion and reestablish the correct dimensions so as to fit the modern shot cartridges in a relatively smooth breech.... just like it was when originally made.
That all sounds like a lotta bullshit. Why would you bother?? Why that gun?? 28 gauge is too little. Why not just go 58 cal Zuavve n be done with it. What is the reason for that gun?? Dandahermit 50 cal Hawkin 45 Colt LC and 44 cal .
The British .577 Snider-Enfield was a breech-loading rifle. The American inventor, Jacob Snider created this firearm action, and the Snider-Enfield was one of the most widely used of the Snider varieties. The British Army adopted it in 1866 as a conversion system for its ubiquitous Pattern 1853 Enfield muzzle-loading rifles, and used it until 1874 when the Martini-Henry rifle began to supersede it. The British Indian Army used the Snider-Enfield until the end of the nineteenth century.
I didn't know this was a thing. To me, stuff like this is great. Any way to make ammo simple and cheap, making antique firearms capable of being used is always a great thing. Running Period Correct ammunition is great, but ammo that can be used economically for everyone is far more important.
Yep.. surprising what polishing a chamber can do. I know you are talking about actually enlarging the chamber , but I have taken quite a few Mosin Nagants that would hardly extract(sticky bolt) and fixed them with a dowel chucked up with steel wool wrapped in 800 grit sand paper and just a few seconds and it’s done… never another sticky extraction.
Magtech full brass shot shells will get you there. Very effective and due to the obturation properties of brass it won't stick in the chamber. Cool to see someone discussing the big old cartridge fed black powder bangers!
Try a paper cylindrical liner for the plastic shot shells 2 turns with the length starting a bit longer than the shell, greased or waxed paper crimped in as a wad with the round ball.. or is this just going to be another firework.. Wax the inside of the plastic shells?
Cheap way to shoot the Sneiders but up here, in Canada, the plastic shells are almost impossible to find. In the past I used to order them from a shop in Alberta but last time I checked both brands ( Cheddite and Fiochi) were out of stock so I stick to my brass magtec cases.
@@fokkerd3red618 Yes you can. Now, there's a temporary freeze on handguns, you cannot buy them but if you own them already you can keep them and that ban doesn't involve antique status handguns. There's also a ban on AR 15. There's also a lot of back and forth on bill C21 which, if it passes ( I hope not) will make a lot of models illegal. BUT none of those bans concern antique status guns( so far). Antique status guns can be owned and purchased without any licence, all you need is to be at least 18 years old and you cannot have a firearms interdiction on your criminal record. Sniders fall into this category so no licence and no registration required to buy them and to shoot them at the range and wherever it is allowed by law but if you want to hunt even with antiques you need to buy a hunting permit ( either provincial or federal for migratory species). In order to buy your hunting permit you need to take the provincial hunting course and pass the exams with at least 80%. In order to take your hunting course you need to take the ( federal) canadian firearms safety course and to pass the exam with at least 80% if I remember correctly , it's been a long time ago. Also, if you want to buy ammo even for your antiques you need your PAL( posession aquisition licence) but if you are a reloader you don't need a licence because brass cases or shotgun empty shells are not considered ammunition, primers also, lead bullets or shot are not ammo either and black powder falls into another cathegory and it's regulated by the explosives act so you can buy it without a licence as long as you're not a minor but you need to comply with transport and storage regulations.
@@Aviator747a In fact they are considered antique firearms, most of the sections of the criminal code concerning firearms don't apply to them but some are: Certain weapons deemed not to be firearms (3) For the purposes of sections 91 to 95, 99 to 101, 103 to 107 and 117.03 of this Act and the provisions of the Firearms Act, the following weapons are deemed not to be firearms: (a) any antique firearm; Exception - antique firearms (3.1) Notwithstanding subsection (3), an antique firearm is a firearm for the purposes of regulations made under paragraph 117(h) of the Firearms Act and subsection 86(2) of this Act.
@@elenas4878 I know what our laws are here. Like I said by firearms standards, no license is required to own it, PAL. If you walk into a bank with it and say this is a hold up, you will be charged with a weapons related offence.
Long time Snider shooter here. I use brass shells myself, but the stuck firing pin is a common issue-- it may be worth considering primer flow. Original Snider ammo is more in line with an FFG charge, so FFFG and oversized bullets might be combining and producing sufficiently high pressures to encourage the primers to flow around the firing pin and thus binding it up. I have noticed that moving to an FFG powder has dramatically reduced the issues with stuck firing pins.
i believe clearing rod was the term you were looking for will!! i'll have to try that loading technique on my 12 gauge ball loads and save roll crimping the bastards! and i get at least 12 loading in most plastic hulls running hunting charges of 75 to 100 grains which i consider pretty descent! wonder if aguila makes a 24 gauge in their mini shells? save ya some trimming!
Possible reason for the longer shot shells getting stuck. Straight walled rifle cartridges tend to taper inwards. Plastic shoot shells seem to flare outwards just a little bit. The longer the case the greater the flare. I’ve never used 14 gauge but they’re probably like 12 and 20 gauges.
Love the smoke out the end of the muzzle after removing the cartridge. I never tried the plastic hulls. Just stuck with the brass when I was lucky enough to get them back when. Looks like fun to try.
Very cool old rifle. I get my loose shot for my smoothbore flintlock from Ballistic Products - thank goodness that companies like it exist or I wouldn't be able to go duck hunting, as our local sporting goods stores only carry lead shot. As always, thank you for the fine content.
Thanks for taking the time to make the great video and for sharing it. Also, that is a nice looking hat you are wearing. Would you mind sharing the make and model of it?
Great video. Someone recommended your channel when I asked about making powder, and then your most recent video was about a gun I’ve been wanting to get! Hoping to follow you for a long time
Blowing out the chamber after each shot allows the used powder to be moistened. Makes it easier to chamber and remove subsequent rounds.. Swabbing after every five or six at the bench will really help. But in the fight, they blew the chamber...
I would also look into a chamber reamer (finishing) to maybe remedy some of those issues if you want to shoot longer shells with more powder and would probably benefit extraction ?
I tried the plastic hulls at first when I got my Snider, but I had the same problem--they wouldn't chamber. Now I use the X-Ring brass and bullets, and I can't imagine why I ever wanted to use the plastic.
@@Everythingblackpowder Hey, I made no criticism! Any shooting is better than no shooting, and the cheesy alternative does work. Mostly I was just commiserating over the problems you had with the plastic hulls. Actually, this was the first brass cartridge I had ever loaded for any weapon, and I thought it would just be too hard/expensive/tedious to use brass, so I went crazy trying to find plastic hulls, and eventually had to make a deal with some crazy old coot for some, only to find that after that they didn't work! We could, however, discuss period-correct rifle tools...
When I bought a bag of shot shells, they were already primed. Bonus in this day and age. I never thought about just making a shorter round, since my nepaleese snider won't chamber a full length shell with a .60 ball
Just found your channel, really amazing stuff. Used to be an avid shooter, but the Marines made me lose a lot of interest. Finally after years I'm starting to get interested again and I am fascinated with older weapons. Anyway, you have a new subscriber, thank you for making videos and posting them for everyone.
3:00 Yo, my Nepalese spider's chamber isn't even circular, it's significantly oval-shaped. It's so bad you can LOOK at the cartridges after they've been fired and see the asymmetry. I think the problem is that the Nepalese guns are poorly made junk.
Oval chambers can also be caused by over-enthusiastic cleaning without a rod guide, something that is fairly common in old military arms. I once saw a 1892 Springfield Krag with both an oval chamber and muzzle crown.
I’m going to be doing this soon. Also going to test light loads of shot. My hulls are from fiocchi shotshells that I bought with the intent of finding a 24ga shotgun. The plastic hills are not currently available up here in Canada. The Nepalese sniders are crude to say the least but they filled the role for them.
Dominion cartridge company up here in Canada loaded .57 snider until ww2 these were 1 5/8 cases people think these were for the Canadian Cadet carbines(just normal long rifles cut down for cadet use). In reality they did this bc brass was expensive and they didn’t need all the extra case capacity. They loaded both conical and birdshot with black powder and either bull semi smokeless(BP sub) or a bulk smokeless that was able to load like black powder.
@@Aviator747a yeah eventually I am too just not right this second. Eventually depending on how the shot loads work I will probably just use plastic for them.
Just pulled up price for brass Snider casings on Track of the Wolf. $205 for 50. MagTech 24ga brass for #35 for 25. Couldn't find any plastic on Midway, everywhere else "check for availability.".
Love your sucky vids… so I don’t have to make sucky vids… hey you mentioned spg lube for 44-40…. Id like an update on that cartridge with bp and spg and r7 powder and pure 20-1 alloy…
It is original (made 1866 to 1874 )and still shoots well after 150 years....? If it were mine I would get a gunsmith who could handle polishing the breech to get rid of a century and a half of corrosion and reestablish the correct dimensions so as to fit the modern shot cartridges in a relatively smooth breech.... just like it was when originally made.
Snider Brass is being made by the Bertram Bullet Company in Australia. Bertram does have sales agents around the world, so getting his quality brass - in a HUGE variety of calibres - is not a problem, especially with the monetary exchange rates at the moment making them cheaper.
You should try getting skived hulls. (Or a skiving tool) They are essentially taper reamed so the plastic towards the opening is thinner. I have a suspicion that the people who were successful with this load were using hulls like this.
I love to see you and your freinds shooting, you all look like your having so much fun that i wish i could go to the range with you. Not to mention how informative your videos are. Keep it up, you are apreciated.
Though not a black powder guy, I still find these videos quite interesting. I learn things about ballistics, for instance. But, in this particular video, what I find amusing is the rifle itself. There has been a lot of talk in the media by certain politicians about "weapons of war". Thinking about that 577 Snider rifle, once upon a time, it was among the best "weapons of war", since it could breech load with a cartridge vs muzzle load with loose components, or a paper "cartridge". So, really, "weapons of war" from days gone by are our working relics of the past.
Sorry, should have added to the original comment. The original cartridge was designed by Col. Boxer of primer fame. Mark I was a coiled brass and cardboard body with a brass cup head similar to current shotgun shells but using a Potet primer. Marks II and III had the head replaced with a brass disc secured to the body by riveting a Boxer primer to the body. Mark IV and V had a blackened iron disc. Under adverse conditions the discs were pulled off the body during extraction hence the need for the clearing rod.
Hello i just bought a snider bsa mark ii short rifle 1866. I tried this method the only problem i have with the plastic cases is the firing pin punches a hole throught the primer of the case and it gets the firing pin stuck and u cant open the breech. The way to fix this or work around is i have to cock the hammer again and press the trigger. And after cocking it to the second position the firing pin goes back and i can open it. Do u have any idea how to fix this? Its not that big of a problem. My question is does this damage the gun in any way? like the firing pin or something i dont wanna break my gun. I found out that using old paper 24. gauge cases work well the firing pin doesnt punch throught the primer just hits it like it should. Thank you for answer
I might post a video where u can see that if u want to. I would also use some brass cases but the ones i bought were some already magtech formed and i cant insert them fully in the gun they just get stuck.
No it won’t harm the firearm unless you try to wrench the breech open with the firing pin stuck forward. As for your brass cases, you might have a shorter chamber. How far does the case go into the chamber?
@@Everythingblackpowder most of the case gets in the chamber only like 0,5 cm is stuck outside. What is weird that a plastic one thats the same height goes there normally. And i took one of the cases and really like really shortened it and it still doesnt go in. I think its just too fat to go in there. Also other problem with the plastic one is that half of the ones i shot after inspecting them at home had a little hole in them after firing. And the paper ones were alright no hole in them. I used a pretty low dose of powder most of them were 2,5g and a few were 3,2grams. Weirdly the ones with more powder all of them i think were okay with no hole. Also thank you for answering my question i was scared that it could actually damage the gun by using the plastic ones. The gun is really nice i took to the range for the first time and shot about 50 rounds. In most of them i used the .575 ball i couldnt find a store that sold the .600 . And accuracy at 25m was pretty good i would say but it shoots really high. Do u have any experience with the .575 round balls in the snider?
