De Lisle commando carbine | |
---|---|
Type | Pistol-caliber carbine |
Place of origin | United Kingdom |
Service history | |
In service | 1943–1965 |
Used by | United Kingdom |
Wars | |
Production history | |
Designer | William G. De Lisle |
Designed | 1942 |
Manufacturer | Ford Dagenham (17 prototypes) Sterling Armaments Company |
Produced | 1942–1945 |
No. built | 129 |
Variants | Ford Dagenham Prototypes Folding stock parachute carbine, only one example produced |
Specifications | |
Mass | 7 lb 8 oz (3.74 kg), unloaded [1] |
Length | 35.3 in [2] |
Barrel length | 8.25 inches (210 mm) [1] |
Cartridge | .45 ACP (11.43×23mm) |
Calibre | .45 |
Action | Bolt action |
Rate of fire | 15–25 rounds/minute |
Muzzle velocity | about 830 ft/s (250 m/s) |
Effective firing range | 200 yd (185 m) |
Maximum firing range | 400 yd (365 m) |
Feed system | 7 or 11-round detachable magazine |
Sights | Ford Dagenham: Winchester rifle sight at rear, simple ramp with modified P-14 front sight protector at front. Sterling models: Lanchester Mk I rear sight (later changed to Lanchester Mk I*), windage adjustable front sight. Airborne model: Lanchester Mk I rear sight, windage adjustable front sight |
The De Lisle carbine or De Lisle commando carbine [3] was a British firearm used during World War II that was designed with an integrated suppressor. That, combined with its use of subsonic ammunition, made it extremely quiet in action, possibly one of the quietest firearms ever made. [4]
Few were manufactured as their use was limited to specialist military units.
The weapon was designed as a private venture by William Godfray de Lisle (known as Godfray), an engineer who worked for the Air Ministry. [5] He made the first prototype in .22 calibre; this he tested by shooting rabbits and other small game for the table, near his home on the Berkshire Downs. [6] In 1943, he approached Major Sir Malcolm Campbell of Combined Operations with his prototype; this was informally tested by firing the weapon into the River Thames from the roof of the New Adelphi building in London. This was chosen to discover if people in the street below heard it firing – they did not. [6] A patent, number 579,168 was filed by De Lisle on May 8. [7]
Combined Operations officials were impressed with the weapon and requested De Lisle produce a 9mm version. However, this was a failure. A third prototype, using the .45 ACP cartridge that was favoured by de Lisle, was much more successful. Tests of this showed the weapon had acceptable accuracy, produced no visible muzzle flash and was inaudible at a distance of 50 yards (46 m). [2]
Subsequent official firing tests recorded the De Lisle produced 85.5 dB of noise when fired. [8] As a comparison, modern testing on a selection of handguns has shown that they produce 156 to 168 dB when firing without a suppressor, and 117 to 140 dB when firing with one fitted. [9] The De Lisle's quietness was found to be comparable to the British Welrod pistol. However, the Welrod was useful only at very short range and used fabric and rubber components in the suppressor that required replacement after a few shots. The De Lisle was able to fire hundreds of rounds before the suppressor required disassembly for cleaning. [7]
Combined Operations requested a small production run of De Lisle carbines and an initial batch of 17 were hand–made by Ford Dagenham, with Godfray De Lisle himself released from his Air Ministry duties so he could work full-time on the project; this initial batch was immediately put into combat use by the British Commandos. [8] In 1944, the Sterling Armaments Company was given an order for 500 De Lisle carbines, but eventually only produced around 130. [8] The Sterling version differed in a number of details from the earlier, Ford Dagenham model. Two prototypes of a further version, for airborne forces, were made. These had folding stocks, similar to those fitted to Sterling submachine guns. [10]
De Lisle's own .22 prototype was given to the National Army Museum in London, but it was subsequently lost and its present whereabouts are unknown. [7]
During the remainder of World War II, the De Lisle carbine was mainly used by the commandos, although they also saw some use by the Special Operations Executive (SOE). [11] E. Michael Burke, the American former commander of a Jedburgh Team, stated that a De Lisle was used by them to assassinate two senior German officers in 1944. [11]
A number of De Lisles were shipped to the Far East and used during the Burma Campaign to take out IJA soldiers on sentry duty. [12] The De Lisle would also be used during the Korean War and the Malayan Emergency. [11]
US Army Special Forces - MACV-SOG used the weapon for many years in the Vietnam War, according to MSG Reinald "Magnet Ass" Pope in a 2024 interview. [13] [ timestamp needed ][ better source needed ]
It has been claimed the weapon was also used by the Special Air Service during the Northern Irish Troubles. [11]
The De Lisle was based on a Short Magazine, Lee–Enfield Mk III* converted to .45 ACP. The receiver was modified, altering the bolt/bolthead, replacing the barrel with a modified Thompson submachine gun barrel (six grooves, RH twist), and using modified magazines from the M1911 pistol. [12] The primary feature of the De Lisle was its extremely effective suppressor, which made it very quiet in action. The suppressor reduced the sound of the firearm discharging to such a degree that working the bolt (to chamber the next round) produced a louder noise than firing a cartridge. [14]
The .45 ACP cartridge was selected as its muzzle velocity is subsonic for typical barrel lengths; consequently it would both retain its full lethality and not require custom-loaded ammunition to use with a suppressor. Most rifle rounds are supersonic, where the bullet generates a "sonic boom" like any other object traveling at supersonic velocities, making them unsuitable for covert purposes. The Thompson gun barrel was "ported" (i.e. drilled with holes) to provide a controlled release of high pressure gas into the suppressor that surrounds it before the bullet leaves the barrel. The suppressor, 2 inches (5.1 cm) in diameter, went all the way from the back of the barrel to well beyond the muzzle, making up half the overall length of the weapon.
The suppressor provided a very large volume to contain the gases produced by firing; this was one of the keys to its effectiveness. [15] The MP5SD and AS Val are among other modern firearms that use the same concept.
The Lee–Enfield bolt was shortened to feed the .45 ACP rounds; the Lee–Enfield's magazine set-up was replaced with a new assembly that held a modified M1911 magazine. The bolt operation offered an advantage in that the shooter could refrain from chambering the next round if absolute silence was required after firing; a semi-automatic weapon would not have offered this option as the cycling of the bolt coupled with rearward escaping propellant gas and the clink of the empty case against any hard surface would produce a noise with each shot. [16] While the carbine was silent, it was not very accurate. [17]
In 1970, MAC developed a 9 mm carbine called the "Destroyer", [18] inspired by the need for a suppressed weapon to be used in special forces missions during the Vietnam War. [19] The first models were based on the Destroyer carbine with five variants made. [19]
A reproduction of the .45 caliber carbine is manufactured by the American company Valkyrie Arms based on original specifications. [20]
Special Interest Arms, for a time, produced limited quantities of a De Lisle replica which incorporated an improved magazine adapter system that allows the use of unmodified M1911 magazines and also fully supports the barrel chamber in the action, later discontinued. [21]
On May 22, 2024, US Armament Manufacturing announced pre-orders for a reproduction of the De Lisle carbine. [22]
A carbine is a long gun that has a barrel shortened from its original length. Most modern carbines are rifles that are compact versions of a longer rifle or are rifles chambered for less powerful cartridges.
The Uzi is a family of Israeli open-bolt, blowback-operated submachine guns and machine pistols first designed by Major Uziel "Uzi" Gal in the late 1940s, shortly after the establishment of the State of Israel. It is one of the first weapons to incorporate a telescoping bolt design, which allows the magazine to be housed in the pistol grip for a shorter weapon.
The Lee–Enfield is a bolt-action, magazine-fed repeating rifle that served as the main firearm of the military forces of the British Empire and Commonwealth during the first half of the 20th century, and was the standard service rifle of the British Armed Forces from its official adoption in 1895 until 1957.
The STEN is a British submachine gun chambered in 9×19mm which was used extensively by British and Commonwealth forces throughout World War II and during the Korean War. The Sten paired a simple design with a low production cost, facilitating mass production to meet the demand for submachine guns.
A flash suppressor, also known as a flash guard, flash eliminator, flash hider, or flash cone, is a device attached to the muzzle of a rifle that reduces its visible signature while firing by cooling or dispersing the burning gases that exit the muzzle, a phenomenon typical of carbine-length weapons. Its primary intent is to reduce the chances that the shooter will be blinded in low-light shooting conditions. Contrary to popular belief, it is only a minor secondary benefit if a flash suppressor reduces the intensity of the flash visible to the enemy.
The Rifle No. 5 Mk I, nicknamed the "jungle carbine" for its use in jungle warfare, was a bolt action carbine derivative of the British Lee–Enfield No. 4 Mk I. It was developed per jungle fighting experiences in the Pacific War that led the British to decide "a rifle shorter and lighter" than the regular Lee–Enfield was critical for better mobility. Produced between March 1944 and December 1947, the jungle carbine was intended for and used in jungle environments where it gained its nickname. It notably saw widespread usage on various sides of postwar colonial conflicts such as the Indonesian National Revolution, Malayan Emergency, and Vietnam War well into the 1960s, with sporadic use reported to have continued in several secessionist wars such as the Bangladesh Liberation War and Bougainville conflict throughout the rest of the 20th century.
The Military Armament Corporation Model 10, officially abbreviated as "M10" or "M-10", and more commonly known as the MAC-10, is a compact, blowback operated machine pistol/submachine gun that was developed by Gordon Ingram in 1964. It is chambered in either .45 ACP or 9mm. A two-stage suppressor by Sionics was designed for the MAC-10, which not only abates the noise created but makes it easier to control on full automatic.
The Heckler & Koch MK 23, MK 23 MOD 0, Mark 23, or USSOCOM MARK 23 is a semi-automatic large-frame pistol chambered in .45 ACP, designed specifically to be an offensive pistol. The USSOCOM version of the MK23 came paired with a laser aiming module (LAM) and suppressor. The USSOCOM MK23 was adopted by the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) for special operations units, beating out the nearest competitor, Colt's OHWS. Development of the pistol began in 1991 as special operations representatives identified the need for an "Offensive Handgun Weapons System—Special Operations Peculiar", and delivery of the pistols began in May 1996 to the special operation units.
The La France M16K is an M16 rifle modified by the company La France Specialties, which among with other firearm-related activities, convert common military weapons into more compact configurations typically for law enforcement and special forces use.
The Sterling submachine gun is a British submachine gun (SMG). It was tested by the British Army in 1944–1945, but did not start to replace the Sten until 1953. A successful and reliable design, it remained standard issue in the British Army until 1994, when it began to be replaced by the L85A1, a bullpup assault rifle.
The Lee–Metford is a British bolt action rifle which combined James Paris Lee's rear-locking bolt system and detachable magazine with an innovative seven-groove rifled barrel designed by William Ellis Metford. It replaced the Martini–Henry as the standard service rifle of the British Empire in 1888, following nine years of development and trials, but remained in service for only a short time until replaced by the Lee–Enfield.
The Welrod is a British bolt-action, magazine-fed, suppressed pistol devised during the Second World War by Major Hugh Reeves at the Inter-Services Research Bureau. Station IX, being based in Welwyn, gave the Welrod its unusual name, being derived from "Wel" from "Welwyn" and "rod", gangland slang for gun, as a way to obscure its purpose.
A service pistol is any handgun issued to regular military personnel or law enforcement officers. Typically, service pistols are semi-automatic pistols issued to officers, non-commissioned officers, and rear-echelon support personnel for self-defence, though service pistols may also be issued to special forces as a backup for their primary weapons. Pistols are not typically issued to front-line infantry. Before firearms were commonplace, officers and non-commissioned officers typically carried swords.
The Rifle 7.62mm 2A/2A1 is a 7.62×51mm NATO calibre bolt-action rifle adopted as a reserve arm by the Indian Armed Forces in 1963. The rifle is a variant of the Lee–Enfield rifle. The design of the rifle – initially the Rifle 7.62mm 2A – began at the Rifle Factory Ishapore of the Ordnance Factories Board in India, soon after the Sino-Indian War of 1962.
The KRISS Vector is a series of weapons based upon the parent submachine gun design developed by the American company KRISS USA, formerly Transformational Defense Industries (TDI).
The Charlton automatic rifle was a fully automatic conversion of the Lee–Enfield rifle, designed by New Zealander Philip Charlton in 1941 to act as a substitute for the Bren and Lewis gun light machine guns which were in severely short supply at the time.
The M3 is an American .45-caliber submachine gun adopted by the U.S. Army on 12 December 1942, as the United States Submachine Gun, Cal. .45, M3. The M3 was chambered for the same .45 ACP round fired by the Thompson submachine gun, but was cheaper to mass produce and lighter, at the expense of accuracy. The M3 was commonly referred to as the "Grease Gun" or simply "the Greaser," owing to its visual similarity to the mechanic's tool.
Auto-Ordnance was a U.S. arms development firm founded by retired Colonel John T. Thompson of the United States Army Ordnance Department in 1916. Auto-Ordnance is best known for the Thompson submachine gun, used as a military weapon by the Allied forces in World War II, and also notorious as a gangster weapon used during the Roaring Twenties.
The Rieder automatic rifle was a fully automatic Lee–Enfield SMLE rifle conversion of South African origin. The Rieder device could be installed quickly with the use of simple tools. A similar weapon of New Zealand origin was the Charlton automatic rifle.