.577 inch Ball Pattern I to V
Ammunition for the .577 inch Snider was designed by Col. E.M.Boxer, Superintendent of the Royal Laboratories from 1855 until 1869.
Whether he actually invented it or whether it was actually designed by a Mr.G.H.Daw is a subject of some controversy and of Court actions at the time, but the design has passed into history as the "Boxer".
A further issue was that having patented the design whilst in government service, Col.Boxer assigned his patent to Eley Brothers and collected a royalty on every round manufactured by Eley, including those supplied to the government. When called upon by the War Office to explain his actions he refused and consequently was called upon to resign his post which he did on 22 November 1869.
It is quite clear that the War Office were extremely unhappy at what had transpired since although Eley received orders for millions of .577 inch rounds in 1866, no further orders were ever placed with them for Snider ammunition.
.577 inch Ball Pattern I
"Cartridge Boxer Ball for Snider Rifle Pattern I" was approved in August 1866 and shown in LoC Paragraph 1328 dated December 1866.
The .577 inch Pattern I cartridge featured the early form of the Boxer case with a folded brass base cup of the "Potet" type, rather in the manner of a shotgun cartridge. The case consisted of two thicknesses of a coil of brass foil 3 thou. thick and covered with thin white paper. This was riveted to the base by means of the Boxer cap chamber.
The round nosed bullet was pure lead with a base cavity containing a clay plug and the nose was hollow and filled with a sycamore wood plug. There were four cannelures and the bullet weight was 525 grains. The bullet was coated with beeswax and secured by choking the foil case into the lower of the bullet cannelures.
The propellant charge was 68 to 72 grains of RFG Blackpowder with a small wad of carded wool above.
In order to get the new ammunition into the hands of the troops as quickly as possible, quantities of cases were also ordered from Eley Brothers for loading at Woolwich, but these Eley cases were soon condemned as unserviceable, adding to the government's displeasure with the company.
The Pattern I was not successful and was soon ordered to be returned to Woolwich for conversion to Blank and a Pattern II introduced. The Pattern I was only manufactured in 1866/67.
.577 inch Ball Pattern II
The Pattern II introduced the form of case that was to be used for all following patterns of Snider ammunition.
"Cartridge Ball Boxer for Snider Rifle .577 inch Bore Pattern II" was introduced for the Naval converted rifle in July 1867 and shown in LoC Paragraph 1448 dated August 1867.
The Potet base as replaced by a brass disc through which the coiled body was riveted by the cap chamber, the body being contained in a deeper brass cup. Like the Pattern I the body was covered with thin white paper fixed with shellac and India rubber cement.
The bullet was as the Pattern I with four cannelures and the charge was 70 grains of RFG Blackpowder covered by a half grain of carded wool.
The Pattern II was only made in 1867/68 and although shown for the Naval rifle was intended it could be used by all converted arms if necessary.
When the Pattern V cartridge was introduced later the Pattern II was declared to cease production by LoC Paragraph 1496 dated January 1868.
.577 inch Ball Pattern III
Questions had been raised about accuracy with the new ammunition and so to improve the shooting qualities of the long Snider (3 band) a new cartridge with a lighter bullet was approved.
"Cartridge Ball Boxer for Snider Rifle .577 inch Bore Pattern III" was introduced for all converted arms except the Naval rifle in May 1867 and shown in LoC Paragraph 1449 dated August 1867.
The case and propellant charge was as the Pattern II with brass base disc but the bullet was shorter and weighed only 480 grains. There were three saw toothed cannelures (although early manufacture has rounded cannelures) and the usual clay base plug and sycamore wood nose plug.
The Pattern III obviously failed to live up to expectations as it was only made in 1867/68 and was almost immediately replaced by the Pattern IV.
The Pattern II and III are indistinguishable externally when separated from their packets, although the weight difference is an identification feature.
.577 inch Ball Pattern IV
"Cartridge Ball Boxer for Snider Rifle .577 inch Bore Pattern IV" was introduced for all converted arms except the naval rifle in July 1867 and shown in LoC paragraph 1449 dated August 1867.
The bullet was as the Pattern III, weighing 480 grains with three saw toothed cannelures and the usual clay base plug and sycamore wood nose plug. The propellant details were the same.
The case was generally similar to the Pattern III with a covering of thin white papper but with one major difference. Instead of the brass base disc of the previous pattern the Pattern IV used a blacked iron base disc, a practice that was to be continued on all subsequent marks of british Snider cartridge.
Like the Pattern III, the Pattern IV was only made in 1867/68.
.577 inch Ball Pattern V
"Cartridge Ball Boxer for Snider Rifle .577 inch Bore 2 1/2 Drams Pattern V" was an attempt to economise on production by using less material in the construction than for previous patterns. it was approved in July 1867 for all converted arms and shown in LoC
Paragraph 1496 dated November 1867.
Savings were made by reducing the overlap of the two thicknesses of brass foil for the body and by eliminating the base coil. The base cup was made thinner and a second thin brass cup was substituted for the base coil. This necessitated the installation of new machinery at Woolwich so until this was available initial production of the Pattern V continued to use the Pattern IV case.
Instead of a covering of white papper the Pattern V had a wrapping of brown paper cemented to the case.
The bullet weighed 480 grains and had four saw toothed cannelures but was otherwise similar to previous patterns.