De Lisle carbine
Encyclopedia
The De Lisle carbine or De Lisle Commando
carbine was a British
carbine
used during World War II
. The primary feature of the De Lisle was its very effective suppressor
. That, combined with its use of subsonic bullets, made it extremely quiet in action, possibly one of the quietest firearms ever made.
Few were made as their use was limited to special military units.
He made the first prototype with a .22 calibre
; this he tested by shooting rabbits and other small game for the table, near his home on the Berkshire Downs
. In 1943, he approached Major Sir Malcolm Campbell of Combined Operations with his .22 carbine; this was informally tested by firing into the River Thames from the roof of the New Adelphi building in London. 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 adequate accuracy, produced no visible Muzzle flash
and was inaudible at a distance of 50 yards (45.7 m).
Later, official firing tests recorded the De Lisle produced 85.5 dB of noise when fired. As a comparison, modern testing on a range of handguns has shown they produce 156 to 168 dB when firing without a suppressor, and 117 to 140 dB when firing with one fitted.
Combined Operations requested a small production run of De Lisle carbines and an initial batch of 17 were hand–made by Ford Dagenham, with William 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
. In 1944, the Sterling Armaments Company
was given an order for 500 De Lisle carbines, but eventually only produced around 130. The Stirling version differed in a number of details from the earlier, Ford Dagenham version. Two prototypes of a further version, for Airborne forces
, were made. These had folding stocks, similar to those fitted to the Sterling submachine gun
.
During the remainder of World War 2, the De Lisle carbine was mainly used by the Commandos, although they also saw some use by the Special Operations Executive
. 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.
A number of De Lisles were shipped to the Far East and used during the Burma Campaign
. The De Lisle would also used during the Korean War
and the Malayan Emergency
. It has been claimed the weapon was also used by the Special Air Service
during the Northern Irish Troubles.
The De Lisle was based on a Short, Magazine, Lee-Enfield Mk III* converted to .45 ACP
by modifying the receiver
, altering the bolt
/bolthead, replacing the barrel
with a modified Thompson submachine gun
barrel, and using modified magazines from the M1911 pistol. The primary feature of the De Lisle was its extremely effective suppressor
, which made it very quiet in action. So quiet, in fact, that working the bolt to chamber the next round makes a louder noise than firing a round.
The .45 ACP was selected as its velocity was subsonic, it could therefore retain its full lethality when used with a suppressor (supersonic rounds fired with suppressors generally have their power reduced, to avoid the crack of the bullet breaking the sound barrier). The Thompson gun barrel was ported (i.e. drilled with holes) to provide a slow release of high pressure gas into the suppressor that surrounded it. 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 rifle. The suppressor provided a very large volume to contain the gases produced by firing, this was one of the keys to its effectiveness.
The Lee-Enfield bolt was modified to feed the .45 ACP rounds, and the Lee-Enfield's magazine assembly was replaced with a new assembly that held a modified M1911 magazine. The single-shot, bolt operation offered an advantage in that the shooter could refrain from chambering the next round if absolute silence was required after shooting. A Semi-automatic
weapon would not have offered this option as the cycling of the bolt coupled with rearward escaping propellant gas would produce a noise with each shot. It was accurate to 250 metres (820.2 ft).
A reproduction of the De Lisle, called the DeLisle Commando Carbine, is currently manufactured by an American company, Valkyrie Arms.
British Commandos
The British Commandos were formed during the Second World War in June 1940, following a request from the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, for a force that could carry out raids against German-occupied Europe...
carbine was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
carbine
Carbine
A carbine , from French carabine, is a longarm similar to but shorter than a rifle or musket. Many carbines are shortened versions of full rifles, firing the same ammunition at a lower velocity due to a shorter barrel length....
used during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The primary feature of the De Lisle was its very effective suppressor
Suppressor
A suppressor, sound suppressor, sound moderator, or silencer, is a device attached to or part of the barrel of a firearm which reduces the amount of noise and flash generated by firing the weapon....
. That, combined with its use of subsonic bullets, made it extremely quiet in action, possibly one of the quietest firearms ever made.
Few were made as their use was limited to special military units.
History
The weapon was designed as a private venture by William Godfrey De Lisle, an engineer who worked for the Air MinistryAir Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the British Government with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964...
He made the first prototype with a .22 calibre
.22 Long Rifle
The .22 Long Rifle rimfire cartridge is a long established variety of ammunition, and in terms of units sold is still by far the most common in the world today. The cartridge is often referred to simply as .22 LR and various rifles, pistols, revolvers, and even some smoothbore shotguns have...
; this he tested by shooting rabbits and other small game for the table, near his home on the Berkshire Downs
Berkshire Downs
The Berkshire Downs are a range of chalk downland hills in southern England, part of the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
. In 1943, he approached Major Sir Malcolm Campbell of Combined Operations with his .22 carbine; this was informally tested by firing into the River Thames from the roof of the New Adelphi building in London. 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
.45 ACP
The .45 ACP , also known as the .45 Auto by C.I.P., is a cartridge designed by John Browning in 1904, for use in his prototype Colt semi-automatic .45 pistol and eventually the M1911 pistol adopted by the United States Army in 1911.-Design and history:The U.S...
cartridge that was favoured by De Lisle, was much more successful. Tests of this showed the weapon had adequate accuracy, produced no visible Muzzle flash
Muzzle flash
Muzzle blast is the term used to describe the release of high temperature, high pressure gases expelled from the muzzle of a firearm when it is discharged. Muzzle flash is the term used to describe the visible light of the muzzle blast. The blast and flash are caused by the combustion products of...
and was inaudible at a distance of 50 yards (45.7 m).
Later, official firing tests recorded the De Lisle produced 85.5 dB of noise when fired. As a comparison, modern testing on a range of handguns has shown they produce 156 to 168 dB when firing without a suppressor, and 117 to 140 dB when firing with one fitted.
British Commandos
The British Commandos were formed during the Second World War in June 1940, following a request from the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, for a force that could carry out raids against German-occupied Europe...
. In 1944, the Sterling Armaments Company
Sterling Armaments Company
Sterling Armaments Company was an arms manufacturer based in Dagenham, famous for manufacturing the L2A3 , AR18 and SAR-87 assault rifles and parts of Jaguar cars. The company went bankrupt in 1988....
was given an order for 500 De Lisle carbines, but eventually only produced around 130. The Stirling version differed in a number of details from the earlier, Ford Dagenham version. Two prototypes of a further version, for Airborne forces
Airborne forces
Airborne forces are military units, usually light infantry, set up to be moved by aircraft and 'dropped' into battle. Thus they can be placed behind enemy lines, and have an ability to deploy almost anywhere with little warning...
, were made. These had folding stocks, similar to those fitted to the Sterling submachine gun
Sterling submachine gun
The Sterling submachine gun is a British submachine gun which was in service with the British Army from 1944 until 1994, when it was phased out with the introduction of the L85A1 assault rifle.-History:...
.
During the remainder of World War 2, the De Lisle carbine was mainly used by the Commandos, although they also saw some use by the Special Operations Executive
Special Operations Executive
The Special Operations Executive was a World War II organisation of the United Kingdom. It was officially formed by Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Minister of Economic Warfare Hugh Dalton on 22 July 1940, to conduct guerrilla warfare against the Axis powers and to instruct and aid local...
. E. Michael Burke
E. Michael Burke
Edmund Michael Burke was a U.S. Navy Officer, O.S.S. agent, C.I.A. agent, general manager of Ringling Bros...
, the American former commander of a Jedburgh Team
Operation Jedburgh
Operation Jedburgh was a clandestine operation during World War II, in which personnel of the British Special Operations Executive, the U.S...
, stated that a De Lisle was used by them to assassinate two senior German officers in 1944.
A number of De Lisles were shipped to the Far East and used during the Burma Campaign
Burma Campaign
The Burma Campaign in the South-East Asian Theatre of World War II was fought primarily between British Commonwealth, Chinese and United States forces against the forces of the Empire of Japan, Thailand, and the Indian National Army. British Commonwealth land forces were drawn primarily from...
. The De Lisle would also used during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
and the Malayan Emergency
Malayan Emergency
The Malayan Emergency was a guerrilla war fought between Commonwealth armed forces and the Malayan National Liberation Army , the military arm of the Malayan Communist Party, from 1948 to 1960....
. It has been claimed the weapon was also used by the Special Air Service
Special Air Service
Special Air Service or SAS is a corps of the British Army constituted on 31 May 1950. They are part of the United Kingdom Special Forces and have served as a model for the special forces of many other countries all over the world...
during the Northern Irish Troubles.
Description
.45 ACP
The .45 ACP , also known as the .45 Auto by C.I.P., is a cartridge designed by John Browning in 1904, for use in his prototype Colt semi-automatic .45 pistol and eventually the M1911 pistol adopted by the United States Army in 1911.-Design and history:The U.S...
by modifying the receiver
Receiver (firearms)
In firearms terminology, the receiver is the part of a firearm that houses the operating parts. The receiver usually contains the bolt carrier group, trigger group, and magazine port. In most handguns, the receiver, or frame, holds the magazine well or rotary magazine as well as the trigger mechanism...
, altering the bolt
Bolt (firearm)
A bolt is a mechanical part of a firearm that blocks the rear of the chamber while the propellant burns.In manually-operated firearms, such as bolt-action, lever-action, and pump-action rifles and shotguns, the bolt is held fixed by its locking lugs during firing, forcing all the expanding gas...
/bolthead, replacing the barrel
Gun barrel
A gun barrel is the tube, usually metal, through which a controlled explosion or rapid expansion of gases are released in order to propel a projectile out of the end at a high velocity....
with a modified Thompson submachine gun
Thompson submachine gun
The Thompson is an American submachine gun, invented by John T. Thompson in 1919, that became infamous during the Prohibition era. It was a common sight in the media of the time, being used by both law enforcement officers and criminals...
barrel, and using modified magazines from the M1911 pistol. The primary feature of the De Lisle was its extremely effective suppressor
Suppressor
A suppressor, sound suppressor, sound moderator, or silencer, is a device attached to or part of the barrel of a firearm which reduces the amount of noise and flash generated by firing the weapon....
, which made it very quiet in action. So quiet, in fact, that working the bolt to chamber the next round makes a louder noise than firing a round.
The .45 ACP was selected as its velocity was subsonic, it could therefore retain its full lethality when used with a suppressor (supersonic rounds fired with suppressors generally have their power reduced, to avoid the crack of the bullet breaking the sound barrier). The Thompson gun barrel was ported (i.e. drilled with holes) to provide a slow release of high pressure gas into the suppressor that surrounded it. The suppressor, 2 inches (5.1 cm) in diameter, went all the way from the back of the barrel to well beyond the muzzle
Muzzle (firearm)
The muzzle of a firearm is the end of the barrel from which the projectile will exit.Precise machining of the muzzle is crucial to accuracy, because it is the last point of contact between the barrel and the projectile...
, making up half the overall length of the rifle. The suppressor provided a very large volume to contain the gases produced by firing, this was one of the keys to its effectiveness.
The Lee-Enfield bolt was modified to feed the .45 ACP rounds, and the Lee-Enfield's magazine assembly was replaced with a new assembly that held a modified M1911 magazine. The single-shot, bolt operation offered an advantage in that the shooter could refrain from chambering the next round if absolute silence was required after shooting. A Semi-automatic
Semi-automatic firearm
A semi-automatic, or self-loading firearm is a weapon which performs all steps necessary to prepare the weapon to fire again after firing—assuming cartridges remain in the weapon's feed device or magazine...
weapon would not have offered this option as the cycling of the bolt coupled with rearward escaping propellant gas would produce a noise with each shot. It was accurate to 250 metres (820.2 ft).
A reproduction of the De Lisle, called the DeLisle Commando Carbine, is currently manufactured by an American company, Valkyrie Arms.
See also
- Sten—there were also suppressed versions of the Sten, used for similar work.
- WelrodWelrodThe Welrod was a British bolt action, magazine fed, suppressed pistol devised during World War II at the Inter-Services Research Bureau , based near Welwyn Garden City, UK, for use by irregular forces and resistance groups...
pistol
External links
- http://www.rifleman.org.uk/The_DeLisle_carbine.htm
- Delisle Carbine in use on YouTube