.577 Snider

The .577 Snider cartridge was a British black powder metallic centrefire cartridge, which fired a 0.577-inch (14.7 mm), 480-grain (31 g) lead projectile, primarily used in the Snider–Enfield rifle.

.577 Snider
(From Left to Right): A .577 Snider cartridge, a Zulu War–era rolled brass foil .577/450 Martini–Henry Cartridge, a later drawn brass .577/450 Martini–Henry cartridge, and a .303 British Mk VII SAA Ball cartridge
Type	Military
Place of origin	Britain
Service history
Used by	British
Production history
Produced	1867
Specifications
Case type	Rimmed, straight
Bullet diameter	.570 in (14.5 mm)
Neck diameter	.602 in (15.3 mm)
Base diameter	.660 in (16.8 mm)
Rim diameter	.747 in (19.0 mm)
Rim thickness	.065 in (1.7 mm)
Case length	2.0 in (51 mm)
Overall length	2.45 in (62 mm)
Ballistic performance
Bullet mass/type Velocity Energy 450 gr (29 g) lead 1,300 ft/s (400 m/s) 1,689 ft⋅lbf (2,290 J)
Source(s): The Handloader's Manual of Cartridge Conversions, by John J. Donnelly, Stoeger Publishing, 1987, ISBN 978-0-88317-269-8. p. 686.

Early .577 Snider cartridges were made from a composite design using paper and brass foil with a stamped metallic base and primer, much like the first generation of Martini-Henry cartridges. Later cartridges (after the design had been proved with the Martini-Henry cartridges) were made from drawn brass, much like modern small arms ammunition. The .577 Snider cartridge was eventually replaced in service by the .577/450 Martini–Henry cartridge in the 1870s. The .577 Snider cartridge is considered by most commentators to be obsolete, with large scale commercial production having ceased in the 1930s.

New brass can be formed from a 24 gauge hull and reloading dies are available from Lee. As of 2015, Kynamco Kynoch in the United Kingdom and Bertram in Australia are also producing ready-made brass.

See also

• .577 Nitro Express
• .577/450 Martini–Henry
• Table of handgun and rifle cartridges

References

• The Handloader's Manual of Cartridge Conversions, by John J. Donnelly, Stoeger Publishing, 1987, p. 686. ISBN 978-0-88317-269-8.
• Cartridges of the World, 4th Edition, p. 218.

External links

• Britain's big .577 Snider