The DeLisle carbine was a conversion of the Lee Enfield to .45 ACP made by the British during World War Two for SOE use. They used modified 1911 magazines to feed, and included a very large suppressor to make the carbine as close to actually silent as a firearm can be. Original DeLisles are very rare and basically all in museums, but Valkyrie Arms made a number of reproductions, and today I have one of those at the range to do some shooting. Let’s see how it handles!
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Its a shame Denix doesnt make a replica of this and the Werod or we could have air gun versions
Did Valkyrie arms use a donor Enfield of some kind? or have they made every part from scratch?
Assuming that the bolt, receiver, and trigger group design of the Enfield rifle are now public domain, perhaps Valkyrie did NOT have to sacrifice 50-year old rifles for the reproduction run.
I reckon they could source plenty of donor rifles ethically and economically by using bubba sporterised ones.
Fun! Who cares if it doesn’t always run right? Diesel punk rules!
Perhaps Valkyrie used Ishapore actions? Although I kinda think that enough SMLEs were made that you might find enough well-kept, high-number receivers for a small run of De Lisle repros.
And now comes the painful part that I’ve been reluctant to utter: Ian runs a bolt action slick and fast with his right hand, BUT he invariably throws the muzzle up on the retraction stroke. That’s a giveaway like mother used to make, and the bad guys downrange will take every advantage of it with, e.g., mortars, MGs, and attack copters. After all, one sharpshooter like Ian can be more disagreeable than a whole battalion of spray-and-pray conscripts.
My father was left-handed, and he worked the bolt by tilting the rifle about 45 degrees to the left and then reaching over it with his left hand. He probably was taught that in the army. It kept the muzzle down, and after a lifetime of practice was as fast as a right-hander could do it.
I’d like to hear it fired at something less hard than a metal plate.
Ditto
Did anyone else order a DeLisle from Val and never have it delivered? I’ve been waiting 6-8 years and she no longer answers my inquiries. Before that there was a string of excuses for the delays. Please don’t pay her in advance.
With payment in advance always sign a contract with deadlines for delivery and penalty clauses. You probabaly still are going to have to go to court, but you have a contract in hand to tie around the other parties neck. Half in advance half on delivery payment is also always a good idea.
The rifles tat I saw at show were condemed actions of Indian manufacture but of course
still strong enough for .45″ use. The inset underneath the bolt handle is a plastic
known as Paxaline
Makes me wonder now, if there was a comercially made bolt-action rifle in .45 ACP in the thirties, that coul have been silenced? Would have been much smaller and lighter than the oerbuilt Lee-enfield action for the cartridge.
A good choice would have been the commercial DWM small-ring Mauser action. While intended for lower-pressure rounds like 7 x 57, its bolt face was still large enough for the standard Mauser case head. Which is the same size as that of the .30-06 and of course the .45 ACP.
For that matter, low serial number single heat-treatment M1903A1 Springfield actions would have been usable. They could easily accommodate .45 ACP pressures, which is more than you can say about their reaction to .30-06.
For a genuinely interesting version, how about a De Lisle type in .45 Long Colt built on a Krag action? If rapidity of follow-up shots was your objective, the Krag has always been noted for its slick action.
cheers
eon
Ouch!
A small ring, short, Oberndorf commercial Mauser action (especially if it has the banner trademark)
Is something that is very highly sought after.
Even the bare actions are prized for building very high end sporting rifles. The sort of gun that when it is complete, will easily set you back $30,000++ US.
https://www.theexplora.com/a-unique-little-westley-richards-22-250-takedown-magazine-rifle/
https://www.theexplora.com/the-2-must-have-mauser-rifle-books-for-collectors/
The Idea that the “small ring” ’98 is somehow for “lower pressure”, doesn’t withstand much scrutiny. I don’t know where the idea comes from. Propaganda?!
Both the barrel shank and the receiver ring are closely comparable to the popular American sporters, including the receiver ring on the Weatherby MkV (the MkV barrel shank is close to the large ring ’98 and the M91 Carcano).
Interestingly, the Weatherby MkV varmint master, a gun that’s closest relative in terms of locking lug bearing and shear area is a Brno Fox…
Was factory chambered for .22-250 Rem. Which is definitely not a low pressure round. It’s a little sod for pressure excursions.
“(…)For a genuinely interesting version, how about a De Lisle type in .45 Long Colt built on a Krag action?(…)”
I do not know if British Empire have in inventory these Norwegian rifle which they would be content to convert such way.
“(…)If rapidity of follow-up shots was your objective,(…)”
Wait. My understanding was that when DeLisle was possibly silent, for missions requiring bigger volume of fire STEN Mk.IIS was used.
“(…)single heat-treatment M1903A1 Springfield actions(…)”
Did Great Britain have supply of these at hand?
“(…)Krag has always been noted for its slick action.(…)”
But would it be noticeable improvement over Lee-Enfield?
American low-number Springfields, along with Krags, were included in the early Lend-Lease shipments to Britain in 1940, when the Home Guard was drilling with broomsticks and would literally take anything that would shoot. So I’m guessing there were at least some around.
cheers
eon
“Mauser action”(С)
It hardly makes much sense.
The bolt strength of an English rifle is more than sufficient for more powerful cartridges than 45ACP.
And he has noticeably less movement of the action and he is “faster”
So why pay more?
Didn’t Ian Skinnerton in his book on the Delisle say that they used long Lee actions for some of the prototypes
Before the 1968 firearms act placed controls on shotguns in Britain, Thousands of Lees were bored out to make cheap .410 shotguns.
I remember seeing them in the mid 1970s in good condition in shops, priced about £20.
Even in the 1990s, tired ones would still go for about £20, if you were friends with the dealer.
I don’t think that there’s a need to alter collectable guns to make a deLisle