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De Lisle carbine

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De Lisle Commando Carbine
A De Lisle Commando Carbine on display in the Queensland Military Memorial Museum
TypeCommando Rifle
Place of originUnited Kingdom
Service history
In service1943-1965
Used byUnited Kingdom, British Commonwealth
WarsWorld War II, Korean War
Production history
DesignerWilliam G. De Lisle
Designed1942
Produced1942-1945
No. builtapprox 200
VariantsFolding stock Parachute Carbine
Specifications
Mass8 lb 8.5 oz (3.74 kg), unloaded
Length40.5 in (894 mm)

Cartridge.45 ACP
Calibre.45 ACP
ActionBolt-action
Rate of fire20-30 rounds/minute
Muzzle velocityc.600 ft/s
Effective firing range200 yd (185 m)
Maximum firing range400 yd (365 m)
Feed system7 or 11-round detachable magazine
SightsSliding ramp rear sights, Fixed-post front sights
Folding stock version of the De Lisle Commando Carbine
File:Delisle carbine line drawing.png
The initial wooden-stocked De Lisle with a fitted suppressor.

The De Lisle carbine or De Lisle Commando carbine was a specialist British carbine used during World War II. The designer was William De Lisle. It was based on a Short, Magazine, Lee-Enfield Mk III* converted to .45 ACP by changing the bolthead and replacing the barrel with a modified Thompson submachine gun barrel, and using magazines from the M1911 pistol. The primary feature of the De Lisle was its very effective suppressor which made it very quiet in action - indeed working the bolt to chamber the next round makes a louder noise than firing a round.[1] The De Lisle carbine was used by British commandos and special forces, and was accurate to 250 metres.

The De Lisle was made in very limited numbers; about 130 were produced during the period of 1942 to 1945. Thompson submachine gun barrels were modified to provide the .45 calibre barrel, which was ported to provide a slow release of high pressure gas. The suppressor, over 2 inches in diameter, went all the way from the back of the barrel to well beyond the muzzle (the suppressor makes up half the overall length of the rifle), providing a very large volume of space to contain the gases produced by firing. This large volume was one of the keys to the effectiveness of the suppressor. 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 M1911 magazine.

The De Lisle is known to have seen service during the Malayan Emergency, and it is thought that there may still be small numbers in service for military situations requiring a silenced weapon.

References

  1. ^ Hogg, Ian (1977). Military Small Arms of the 20th Century. Arms & Armour Press. pp. page 128. ISBN 0-7869-1850-8. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help); Check |isbn= value: checksum (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)

Works Cited

Skennerton, Ian, SAIS No. 13: Special Service Lee-Enfields... Commando & Auto Models, Arms & Militaria Press, 2001, ISBN 0-949749-37-0

See also

  • Sten - there was also a suppressed version of the Sten, used for similar work.
  • Welrod pistol