Victorian British Volunteer Officer’s Thomas Turner, Birmingham Snider MK III .577 Obsolete Regulation Calibre 3 Band Rifle With & 1 Inert Deactivated Kynoch Round. Sn 23198 Single Shot .577 Rifle

Victorian British Volunteer Officer’s Thomas Turner, Birmingham Snider MK III .577 Obsolete Regulation Calibre 3 Band Rifle With & 1 Inert Deactivated Kynoch Round. Sn 23198 - 23198

TURNER, Thomas [1861-1879] was an English Gunmaker with a shop at 8 Fisher Street, Birmingham. He made percussion sporting guns and Under Royal Government contract made Army metallic cartridge Snider Patent rifles (see A. Merwyn Carey’s book English, Irish and Scottish Firearms Makers). The Volunteer Force was raised in 1859 under the provisions of the 1804 Yeomanry Act. The majority of the Volunteer units were riflemen, but there were also artillery, engineer and cavalry (light horse) formations. Members of the Volunteer Force were exempt from service in both the regular Army and the Militi and often privately purchased weapons. This is a militia / volunteer officer’s private purchase .577 Calibre Snider, MK III 3 Band rifle by Thomas Turner made at his Fischer Street premises. It has all original woodwork and metal throughout. The shoulder stock is crisply impressed with Thomas Turner’s trademark. Its steel action plate is signed by the maker ‘THOMAS TURNER FISCHER STREET BIRMINGHAM’. The barrel has faint proof / inspection mark. It has a brass butt plate, trigger guard numbered ‘1173’ & fore end block. The rifle measures 55” overall with a 39” barrel. The barrel’s bore has just light staining consistent with age and use & well defined rifling (illustrated in image 2. The image doesn’t do the bore justice but is the best image we can achieve with our camera equipment). The hinged breech has the correct MK III knurled locking catch and is numbered 2373. The rifle is complete with sling swivels, cleaning rod, block and blade fore sight, ladder rear sight & heavy military hammer. Its cocking and firing actions work crisply. The rifle comes with a single inert deactivated Kynoch .577 Snider round which chambers correctly. The price includes UK delivery. NB This is an antique, obsolete calibre weapon and no licence is required to own this item in the UK if retained as a part of a collection or display. Sn 23198

£1,475.00