Suppose that a small, specially trained unit will operate behind enemy lines. Their mission is very specific, they need to hit fast, disappear into the night and leave no residual evidence they were there. They must travel light and silently. They need a short, handy, quiet carbine length weapon. To insure that no residual evidence is left, empty brass can’t be scattered about. What weapon could fill such a bill? That was exactly the question the British pondered during 1942.
Where to find a ready-made, short, handy, silent, low recoil carbine for commando uses that wouldn’t scatter telltale brass? The answer was it didn’t exist at that time. The British realized they would have to build it themselves. It makes sense to use a cartridge already in the inventory. Additionally, it makes sense to use a readily available action and rework it. However the specifications would require more then a simple rework. Thus the De Lisle came to be.
In 1942 William De Lisle and Sir Malcolm Campbell began to develop a weapon that would meet the requirements of the Ordnance Board. By 1943 Prototypes were being prepared at the Sterling factory for submission to the board. It was decided to use the 45 ACP round as it was already in use by the British. They had quantities of Auto Ordnance Thompson’s and Colt 1911 pistols.
The De Lisle Commando carbine is basically a SMLE fitted with a M1911 magazine, a spent brass holder that catches the empties as they are extracted and ejected, a 8 .27 barrel and a 2 inch thick suppressor/silencer. A small forestock is under the suppressor. The weight was 8 lb, 2 oz. The rear sight was graduated for 50, 100, 150 and 200 yards. The front sight blade had tapered protecting ears.
Since the 45ACP is subsonic, the De Lisle is truly silent! The suppressor/silencer contains a series of baffles to muffle the sound of a round being fired. The action was reworked to feed and extract the 45 round as quietly as possible. Three factories were involved with building the De Lisle’s. Since each specimen is virtually a “One Off”, minor differences will be seen in original, individual guns.



SpecificationMeasurementCartridge:.45 ACP Length: 37.80in Weight:8lb 2ozBarrel Length:8.27inRifling:4 grooves LHMagazine:8 round removableProduction:1942-1945
130 De Lisle’s were built. They were extremely effective in terrorizing and harassing enemy troops. Often an enemy sentry would just drop in his tracks, dead. His fellow soldiers could not hear or see anything, yet a comrade was dead or wounded. A search conducted to find the shooter found nothing, not even expended brass. Soldiers who were constantly wondering if they were to be the next victim of a silent, unseen enemy became less effective fighters.
While the De Lisle didn’t account for large numbers of physical causalities the psychological effect on the enemy was well worth the effort.

The De Lisle had a shoulder stock, a barrel & sight radius 3 inches longer then a 1911 pistol; as a result it was very steady and quite accurate.

Collecting and Shooting the Military Surplus Rifle - Surplusrifle.com

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For the first time I have seen "History" at close quarters,and I know that its actual process is very different from what is presented to Posterity. - WWI General Max Hoffman.

I'm the "Confederate with a pipe"!! LOL