The Snider-Enfield rifle was one of the most heavily used breech-loading rifles in the
British Commonwealth during the transitional era between muzzle-loading rifles and the development of
smokeless powder, seeing use in India, Australia, New Zealand, and the Dominion of Canada before its eventual replacement by the
Martini-Henry, though militia and, notably, the
Northwest Mounted Police continued to use it for some time afterwards.
The Mark I and Mark II versions of the rifle were conversions of the
muzzle-loading Enfield rifles, fitted with the
breech block assembly invented by
Jacob Snider, a wine merchant from Pennsylvania - thus, the Snider-Enfield rifle. The Mark III, however, was purpose-built.
The Snider-Enfield also came in three different patterns - a three-band
long rifle, for infantry; a two-band, shorter rifle, issued usually to sergeants of
cavalry; and a single-band cavalry carbine. Despite the longer barrel, the
infantry rifle was not the most accurate - the two-bander was, presumably due to better
rifling.