Make: Enfield

Model: 1862 Snider-Enfield

Serial Number: NSNV

Year of Manufacture: 1861-64 Antique

Caliber: .577 Snider

Action Type: Single shot, Breech loaded, Hammer Fired Rifle.

Markings: There is Arabic script throughout.

Barrel Length: 25.5”

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a barelycorn blade fixed to the barrel. The rear sight is a V-notch soldered to the barrel.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The stock is a single piece wood with a barrel band, straight wrist, sling loop, straight comb, and steel buttplate. There are light handling marks throughout. There are light chips and a small crack forming at the heel and behind the lock. The LOP measures 13.75” from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The stock rates in about Very Good overall condition as a refinished Antique.

Type of Finish: In the white.

Finish Originality: Original

Bore Condition: The bore is gray and the rifling is completely worn. There is heavy erosion in the bore along with light spots of pitting. In this writer’s opinion the bore rates 2/10 for Antique.

Overall Condition: This rifle retains about none of its metal finish. There are heavy scratches, nicks, and impact marks throughout. The action has heavy wear. The screw heads are heavily tooled. The pins have marring. The cleaning rod is replaced. The markings are worn and blurry. Overall, this rifle rates in about Fair condition.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this rifle. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance requirements.

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: None.

Our Assessment: The Snider-Enfield was Britain’s first widely adopted breech-loading rifle, converting the muzzle-loading Pattern 1853 Enfield into a far more practical single-shot breechloader. Developed by American inventor Jacob Snider and adopted by the British in the early 1860s, the Snider system offered dramatically faster loading and reloading compared to its muzzle-loading predecessors. These rifles and carbines served throughout the Empire and were eventually sold off to colonial and regional powers. Many of these arms found extended service life in the Middle East and North Africa, where they were frequently remarked with Arabic script and continued to see use into the early 20th century. This example is a Snider-Enfield carbine bearing Arabic script markings, indicating it was either issued to or captured by a regional power in the Middle East following its British service. It retains the classic characteristics of the Snider action and the 25.5” carbine-length barrel, fitted with a barelycorn front sight and simple soldered rear V-notch. The bore is in heavily worn condition with no discernible rifling remaining, likely from extensive use and black powder fouling over the decades. The stock remains solid and has been refinished, though it shows signs of long service including small cracks and chips at the heel. The action still functions, and the rifle overall serves as a window into the extended life of British colonial arms in global circulation.

Collectors of colonial-era arms and Middle Eastern military surplus will find this Arabic-marked Snider-Enfield to be a fascinating artifact. Though worn, it tells a story of British imperial reach, adaptive military engineering, and the long lifespan of 19th-century firearms in far-flung regions of the world. Its Arabic markings, combined with the historical significance of the Snider conversion, make it a compelling piece for display or research in any antique arms collection focused on transitional breechloaders or global military history.