De Lisle Carbine

History of the Delaire Carbine

The De Lisle Suppressed Carbine was developed in 1942, when the outcome of World War II was still in doubt. Under the direction of the British Air Force at the time, William Godfrey De Lisle himself developed a suppression weapon suitable for British commandos and agents operating behind enemy lines (or within sight). Sabotage is a fundamental tool in the destruction of any war machine, and this specialized weapon in the hands of specially trained agents can serve the Empire as well as a full rifle squad on the battlefield. So, before the invasion of Europe, commando commando squads became regulars throughout Europe.

De Lisle's first attempt came in convenient form. 22 carbine body, which makes it easier to evaluate its concept. De Lisle then began patenting his muffler design.

After persuading the authorities of interest in his design, the silenced carbine was formally tested with promising results. two . 22 versions were examined, although these were not convincing as military weapons. The third form is modified to accept the US form. 45 ACP pistol round, it was this prototype that finally lived up to the expectations and started the De Lisle project. That . The 45 ACP is a round-nose bullet perfected over decades of interception and with its low muzzle velocity, when combined with a silencer, it is a truly effective silenced weapon. to expand the scope.

The 45 ACP pistol round, the De Lisle Carbine uses a longer barrel, which contributes to range accuracy somewhat. Since this weapon is intended for short-range work anyway, the limitation is negligible. That . The 45 ACP is also already in circulation in British war stocks, alongside existing stocks of American Thompson submachine guns and Colt M1911 pistols. Seventeen prototypes of the Dreyer Carbine were eventually produced under the Ford Dagenham brand label and tested in 1943.

Prototypes were also tested with active combat use by British commandos in raids off the coast of France.

Serial production of the De Lisle Carbines was subsequently transferred to the Sterling Armaments Company, with production spanning from 1942 to 1945, with 500 samples ordered (later revisions increased production requirements to 600 units). Although officially classified as a "carbine" (short for rifle), the Delaire is technically neither a carbine nor a pistol - it's more or less a war emergency "Dumb", designed to never fit neatly into one category.

De Lisle Carbine will join the famous British Welrod pistol and STEN submachine gun as their silenced weapons of war. Production is expected to include an all-wood stock version and a paratrooper version with a folding stock (with a special pistol grip) for airdrop and general transport compactness.

The De Lisle Carbine was designed basically from a . 303 Lee Enfield No. 1 Mk III (SMLE) military rifle (with bolt action) and a US . 45 ACP pistol cartridge. A large 8.25" long silencer assembly was added for this, encasing the metal barrel in it. An 8-inch wooden front end was added below the silencer to accommodate non-shooters to support the weapon. As usual, the trigger assembly is still attached to the bottom of the rifle's frame, and the shoulder rest is left intact.

A cleaning kit is placed in a compartment at the bottom of the stock. The swivel bolt shaft falls on the right side of the gun body, just like on the SMLE. A detachable short magazine with 7 or 11 rounds is mounted on the front of the trigger assembly.

Two sling swivels are mounted on the bottom of the weapon - one under the silencer assembly (near the muzzle) and the other under the shoulder rest.

Because the De Lisle Carbine retains the Enfield's bolt-action capabilities, the weapon requires manual operation of the bolt lever to insert new cartridges into the firing chamber while ejecting spent cartridges (if any) into it. This gives the shooter the benefit of complete silence, with no audible wheel movement after the first round. The looping action does not occur until the operator manually uses the latch lever in the traditional manner. Since De Lisle barely makes any audible sound, the turning action is now the loudest sound produced during a shot. According to sources, a rate of fire of about 20 to 30 rounds per minute can be achieved.

The muzzle velocity is 850 feet per second and the maximum range is 400 yards, but the gun is still more effective at 200 yards from the intended target.

The production of De Lisle Carbine is based on the availability of the British Army's upcoming stock of full-length SMLE rifles. The receiver and barrel were then modified to fit the new role. The pull handle is fitted with a damper to reduce mechanical noise during action. The feed port has been redesigned to accept the Colt M1911 pistol magazine, which has also been modified to accommodate the . 45 ACP cartridge itself.

The internal bolts are a few inches shorter, while the chambers are lengthened. An ejection port for ejecting spent cartridge cases was assigned to the left side of the receiver. The muffler assembly is essentially a long black cylinder machined from sheet metal with an integrated iron sight. Inside is a series of discs arranged in an Archimedes spiral to contain the propellant gas produced, before the bullet is expelled through a port at the end of the muzzle.

This suppressor and bullet combination did not produce a noticeable flash at the muzzle, giving the operator a tactical advantage in the dark. All in all, the De Lisle Carbine measures 40.5 inches in length and weighs 3.74 kg (unladen).

Unfortunately for the Delaire carbines, Allied advances in 1944 (led by amphibious assaults in northern France and southern Italy) made the order for 600 silenced carbines slightly less demanding at the time. With regular infantry and armour advancing rapidly to deter Axis advances in the European theater, the need for special armed commandos diminished, and key beachheads were now protected.

This resulted in the original order being cancelled as only 130 examples were completed - most of which were solid wood. Their abandonment in Europe has led to their deployment in the Pacific theater, where hand-to-hand combat in the jungle is a routine experience and reliable short-range weapons are highly valued.

Overall, the Delaire carbines proved their worth in assassinating unsuspecting Sentinels and high-ranking officers on many fronts of the warand as the conflict progressed, British commandos claimed their fair share of those targets.

De Lisle carbines extended their useful life in the postwar years, serving in the Malayan Emergency (1948-1960) and the Korean War (1950-1953). Many were eventually scrapped after the war years to prevent them from falling into the "wrong" hands, which is the value and sheer potency of the Silent Delaire Carbine.

Today (2012), the Delaire carbine is an extremely rare specimen, not commonly found in museum collections, let alone privately owned.

Specification

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Performance

Changes