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Article Published Date: 03/01/2008

 

Article by Jamie Mangrum
 

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Ted Jeo and I have both written about the Rhineland Arms .45 ACP conversion kits for the Enfield No. 4 rifle. Ted wrote a great article on installing the kit and I inadvertently wrote about how to blow one up.
 
Ted's Article:
http://surplusrifle.com/reviews2005/rlenfield/index.asp
Jamie's Article:
http://surplusrifle.com/reviews2006/myenfieldatemy45/index.asp
 
Before you go and start Googling the term Rhineland Arms let me stop you right there...they do not make their kits any longer.

Recently I received the following email:

 
Jamie,

I saw your article on the Rhineland .45 Enfield. I thought you might be interested to know that our new upgraded version is now available. We have made several improvements over the Rhineland version.

More details on my site...

Richard Brengman
DBA, Special Interest Arms (SIA)
1422-A Industrial Way
Gardnerville, NV. 89410

(775) 782-4342

http://www.specialinterestarms.com
 
I emailed Richard and told him I had an idea for an article. Shortly afterwards we spoke on the phone. I told him that I could not install the kit on my own because I have limited dexterity with my hands. I offered (since I live in Sacramento) to drive up to Gardnerville and document him installing his new kit for an article. He agreed and I drove the two hours to where his facility is located.

One note...if you ever have the chance to drive into Gardnerville from Lake Tahoe, please do. Gardnerville sits in the very flat Carson Valley. You are several thousand feet above when you crest the mountain and look down at Gardnerville. I have only to say the view is breathtaking.

 
 
Now onward with the gun stuff. I searched through my collection to see what I could convert and still maintain a good conscious about afterward. One of my all time favorite rifles is the Enfield No. 4. I have several pristine specimens that I would rather open a vein in my wrist and let the life drain from my body before I would tear down one of these rifles for permanent modification. I did however find what I believed at the time to be a perfect candidate for this project. It was a No.4 that someone had shortened to less than sixteen inches and then installed an aftermarket Enfield No. 5 Conical Flash Hider on it to make it the Federally required sixteen inches in length. It always made me nervous as to whether it really met the letter of the law, so it stayed locked up until someday I would decide what to do with it. Heck, it did not even have a bolt. I owe Richard a great deal of thanks for being patient with me, as the missing bolt caused a great many problems with the conversion, mainly in the length of time it took to fit the parts. As much as the later Enfields were manufactured using modern mass manufacturing techniques; the spare parts do not always fit properly without some modification. This was the problem we found when trying to find a matching bolt body and bolt head to go with my receiver.

DO NOT SEND A RIFLE TO SIA THAT DOES NOT HAVE MATCHING PARTS!

 
While Rhineland Arms was making kits SIA used them as the basis for their suppressed .45 ACP Enfield carbines as pictured below in figure 49. All the while Richard had ideas about improving the function and quality of the kits Rhineland Arms made. So when Rhineland Arms quit making the kits he found himself with a large number of unfilled orders for his suppressed carbines and no parts available. He decided he had no choice but to make his own improved kit.

The basic SIA kit includes the barrel, magazine adaptor, magazine, and ejector assembly and looks like the Rhineland Arms kits on first inspection. When you start to look closely then you start to see the differences.

  • The ejector assembly is a spring loaded precision unit instead of just a screw.
  • The magazine adapter is a much more precision made device that does not require you to modify the rifle like the Rhineland kit did.
  • The magazine ejector is also far superior to the Rhineland kit.

If you are inclined to perform the modification yourself, SIA will send you a kit in the "white" as pictured below so you can apply your own finish to the barrel such as DuraCoat, Hot Bluing, etc or you can have the barrel Parkerized by SIA as I did. SIA also offers a number of very reasonably priced conversion services so you don't have to worry about removing your old barrel, headspacing, parkerizing, or drilling & tapping as these can be somewhat advanced tasks for the average garage tinkerer.

For my conversion I opted for a complete reparkerizing of all of the metal parts and an Glass Filled Nylon Black Advanced Technology Inc (ATI) Enfield No. 4 Monte Carlo rifle stock.

The following is a combination of SIA's instructions and my photos of the process of conversion.

 

Manufacturer Supplied Information

  • An ideal conversion for anyone desiring a relatively quite gun that is inexpensive to shoot, with minimum recoil.
  • Good for target shooting, but still powerful enough at ranges under 150 yards for most small to medium game hunting or self defense.
  • An excellent choice for those who would like to have a rifle in the same caliber as their hand gun.
  • A great gun for youth or ladies to step up to from the .22 before graduating to high power rifles.
  • A superior platform for suppressor use where legal.
 

Figure 1

This is the basic kit.

  • It includes the barrel, magazine adaptor, magazine, and ejector assembly.

  • The steel parts are normally supplied with a black parkerized finish.

  • The magazine adaptor is hard anodize coated.

 

Figure 2

My Franken-Enfield being disassembled before the conversion.

 
 

Manufacturer Supplied Information

The adaptor arrives preassembled, except for adjusting the latch piece (The tapered aluminum block with two holes, at the rear of the adaptor), no adjustments or disassembly should be required.

The inverted "L" shaped stainless piece is the magazine release.

Once installed it is recommended that you leave the adaptor in place unless it must be removed for cleaning.

Reloading should be done by removing only the 1911 type pistol magazine.

 

Manufacturer Supplied Information

Safety

  1. Never have any live rounds in the work area!

  2. Headspace MUST ONLY be set with dummy rounds or
    gauges.

  3. Do not convert any Enfield unless it has a working
    safety.

  4. Do not convert an Enfield that has any issues with the sear, trigger, bolt, extractor, etc. until they are corrected.

  5. Check for yourself that the gun is unloaded.

  6. Wear safety glasses when grinding parts or test firing.

  7. Please wear hearing protection when shooting.

  8. Clean the barrel before shooting.

  9. Follow directions and safety warnings for any chemicals you use during the build.

 

Manufacturer Supplied Information

Tools Required For Conversion

  • Set of flat blade screwdrivers

  • Action vise

  • Barrel wrench

  • Sturdy mounted bench vise

  • Wrench for barrel nut

  • Grinder or File to modify the extractor

  • #29 drill

  • 8-32 tap

  • .45 Dummy round, or head-space gauges

  • Blue "Loc-Tite" thread sealant

 

Manufacturer Supplied Information

How To Remove Your Old Barrel

  • It may help to soak the action and chamber end of the barrel in penetrating oil for a couple of days.

  • You will need a very sturdily mounted bench vise.

  • You must support the receiver in order to prevent warping it while unscrewing the barrel.

  • Action wrenches are available from gunsmith supply companies such as Brownell's. $70-$120.

  • Alternately, if you are only doing one conversion, you may be able to make a receiver clamp from hard-wood or aluminum.

  • You want to hold the receiver tight without crushing it.

  • A pair of blocks cut with an internal shape similar to the receiver exterior should grip the area around the barrel base.

  • Clamp the receiver in a vise, grip the barrel with a barrel wrench, or if you are not concerned with saving the old barrel, a large pipe wrench may be used.

  • The barrel is a 1-14 right hand thread, once you get it to budge it usually comes off fairly easily.

  • It is better to spend a few dollars as instructed here than to ruin your receiver!

How do I get my old barrel off when it's REALLY stuck!

  1. If you do not have access to a lathe, a local machine shop or gunsmith can handle this for you at a nominal cost.

  2. Many Enfield barrels are extremely hard to remove, they have been on the gun for about fifty years! We find that the easiest way to get them off the receiver is as follows.

  3. Strip the action out of the stock, remove the rear sight, and all small parts which might come loose while the action is spinning in a lathe.

  4. Strip the bolt assembly, you will need a firing pin removal tool.

  5. Insert the bolt body into the barreled action.

  6. Mount the barreled action in a lathe with a "swing" of 9" or larger.

  7. At the receiver end place the firing pin hole of the bolt body on a live center mounted in the tail stock.

  8. Chuck the barrel in a self centering three jaw chuck.

  9. At very low speed turn off the barrel shoulder (Chamber area just in front of the receiver) to 1" diameter using a thin blade parting tool. Wear safety glasses!

  10. This will relieve pressure on the barrel shoulder and threads, the barrel should now unscrew easily.

  11. Since the barrel shoulder has been machined back the barrel is now scrap, this is not a problem, you are fitting a New .45 barrel.

 

Figure 3

Clamp the receiver in a vise, grip the barrel with a barrel wrench, or if you are not concerned with saving the old barrel, a large pipe wrench may be used.

 
When Richard first attempted to remove my barrel from the action with a receiver wrench, he almost snapped the receiver in half because it required so much torque. He then moved onto a more trustworthy way of permanently removing the barrel. I say permanent because you install the barreled action into a lathe and then remove some of the barrel shoulder that rests against the face of the receiver.  You do this till the remaining material is about one inch in diameter. This act will remove enough pressure on the barrel shoulder and threads so the barrel can be easily unscrewed.
 

Figure 4

How do I get my old barrel off when it's REALLY stuck!

 

Figure 5

Mount the barreled action in a lathe with a "swing" of 9" or larger. At the receiver end place the firing pin hole of the bolt body on a live center mounted in the tail stock. Chuck the barrel in a self centering three jaw chuck. At very low speed turn off the barrel shoulder (Chamber area just in front of the receiver) to 1" diameter using a thin blade parting tool. Wear safety glasses!

 

Figure 6

The Barrel Should Now Unscrew Easily

 

Manufacturer Supplied Information

Enlarge the Barrel Channel in the Stock

The .45 bore is significantly larger than the original .303. This requires that the .45 barrel exterior must also be a little larger, so it will be necessary to open up the barrel channel in the stock. This can be done with a hand grinding tool and burr, or round wood rasp. Once the channel is close these tools should be followed with coarse and fine sand-paper wrapped around a suitable piece of wood dowel rod.

 

Figure 7

Enlarge the Barrel Channel in the Stock

 

Parkerizing the Rifle's Surface

 

Figure 8

Richard Prepping the Blaster to Remove all of the Old Finish and Prep for Parkerizing.
 

Figure 9

Blasted Receiver in the "White"
(bare unfinished steel).

 

Figure 10

Quickly Immersing Blasted and Washed Parts in the Acid Wash to Create the Very Dark Parkerizing Finish.
 

Figure 11

Placing Parts into the Parkerizing Bath.

 

Figure 12

Parts Freshly Parkerized.

 

Figure 13

Richard Using an Air Compressor Nozzle to Dry Parkerized Barrel.

 

Manufacturer Supplied Information

Drill and Tap Receiver for the Ejector Stud.

  • Use a sharp #29 drill and a 8-32 tap.

  • Locate the hole 1.25" back from the square edge of the barrel trunnion, and .788" from the bottom of the receiver.

  • You want the plunger to sit in the middle of the bolt guide, about 1.25" from the end of the barrel.

  • The inside and outside surface of the receiver may be quite hard, you must be careful not to break the tap!

  • This usually happens just as the tap begins to show inside the receiver.

  • Screw the plunger in until the threaded body just touches the bolt, then back it off 1/8 of a turn.

 

Figure 14

Locate the hole 1.25" back from the square edge of the barrel trunnion, and .788" from the bottom of the receiver.  You want the plunger to sit in the middle of the bolt guide, about 1.25" from the end of the barrel.

 

Figure 15

Use a sharp #29 drill.

 

Figure 16

Use a sharp #29 drill.

 

The MIT machinist reference describes tapping as:

A tap has cutting edges to cut the threads and straight flutes to allow chips to be expelled. The end of the tap is tapered slightly to help the tap get started. Taps are hard and brittle so you should be careful working with them (try not to drop them or force them into a hole when stuck). Be sure that the hole you drilled is the correct size for the tap you're using or it may break inside.

Put the tap in place and apply moderate pressure as you turn the tap. It's good practice to back the tap up a bit for every quarter turn of thread you cut.

Copyright © 2001 by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

 

Figure 17

Use a 8-32 tap.

  • The inside and outside surface of the receiver may be quite hard, you must be careful not to break the tap!

  • This usually happens just as the tap begins to show inside the receiver.

 

Figure 18

 
 

Manufacturer Supplied Information

Modifications to Enfield Bolt Head and Extractor

Grind a small 45° angle on the left side of the bolt head to depress the ejector plunger when the bolt is pushed forward. This also creates a space for the ejector pin to get behind the cartridge case when the bolt is pulled back.

Grind off just enough to depress the plunger without blocking the bolt. Do not force the bolt past the plunger, this can damage the ejector pin.

Carefully grind the end of the extractor flat to clear the end of the barrel. You want to end up with just enough space to clear the end of the barrel. This is usually about .055" from the flat at the back of the extractor. You need to relieve the underside of the extractor arm so that it will put sufficient pressure on the case rim. Grind it to .055" just where it contacts the bolt head.

 

Figure 19

Grind a small 45° angle on the left side of the bolt head to depress the ejector plunger when the bolt is pushed forward. Carefully grind the end of the extractor flat to clear the end of the barrel. You want to end up with just enough space to clear the end of the barrel. This is usually about .055" from the flat at the back of the extractor.
 

Figure 20

Grind a small 45° angle on the left side of the bolt head to depress the ejector plunger when the bolt is pushed forward.
 

Manufacturer Supplied Information

Headspace the New Barrel

  1. Thoroughly clean the receiver, particularly the threads where your new barrel will screw in. If necessary they can be "chased" with a 1-14 tap.

  2. Remove the extractor from the bolt head. You will have to modify it later.

  3. Replace the bolt head on the bolt, put the bolt assembly back in the receiver, and close it all the way.

  4. Insert a dummy round or "GO" gauge into the barrel chamber.

  5. Screw the barrel and it's lock ring into the receiver until it is stopped by the bolt face.

  6. Cycle the bolt to ensure that the dummy round or gauge is fully seated in the bolt face and chamber. If the fit is now loose, tighten the barrel as above and repeat the check.

  7. Mark the barrel and receiver with a "Witness mark" for reference.

  8. Remove the dummy round or "Go" gauge.

  9. Unscrew the barrel 1/8 to 1/4 of a turn.

  10. Insert a "No-Go" gauge into the chamber and try to close the bolt.

    A. If the bolt will not quite close your headspace is OK. Make a new witness mark for final assembly.

    B. If the bolt does fully close your headspace is too great, you need to run the barrel into the action a little more. Repeat steps 5-10 until headspace is correct.

     

  11. Once headspace is correct remove the barrel and lock ring, add a drop of "Blue" Lock-Tite® to the threads.

  12. Using your witness marks, screw the barrel into the receiver until it has the same headspace as before. Quickly check your headspace, before the Lock-Tite® sets up.

  13. Put a drop of "Blue" Lock-Tite® on the thread; tighten the lock ring against the receiver face with an AR-15 stock wrench. If you are not satisfied with the location of the lock ring's slot, you may careful grind the back side down a little at a time until the slot rotates below the line of the stock. You should check these steps before using Lock-Tite®. This is why trial fitting of all components is a good idea.

  14. Now you may assemble the rest of the gun.

 
A prior Surplusrifle.com article on the subject of Headspacing:
http://surplusrifle.com/shooting/headspace/index.asp
A prior Surplusrifle.com article on the subject of rebarreling an Enfield No. 4:
http://surplusrifle.com/shooting2005/rebarrelno4/index.asp
 

Figure 21

Insert a dummy round or "GO" gauge into the barrel chamber.

 

Figure 22

Screw the barrel and it's lock ring into the receiver until it is stopped by the bolt face.

 

Figure 23

Cycle the bolt to ensure that the dummy round or gauge is fully seated in the bolt face and chamber. If the fit is now loose, tighten the barrel as above and repeat the check.
 

Figure 24

Mark the barrel and receiver with a "Witness mark" for reference.

 

Loctite Threadlockers


Invented by Henkel Loctite as a revolutionary method to lock and seal threaded fasteners, Loctite® Liquid Threadlockers have found wide acceptance in a range of applications - from delicate electronic components to heavy construction equipment. Loctite® Threadlockers are available in varying viscosities and strengths for virtually any application, including exposure to extreme environments

 

Figure 25

Once headspace is correct remove the barrel and lock ring, add a drop of "Blue" Lock-Tite® to the threads.

 

Figure 26

Using your witness marks, screw the barrel into the receiver until it has the same headspace as before. Quickly check your headspace, before the Lock-Tite® sets up. Put a drop of "Blue" Lock-Tite® on the thread; tighten the lock ring against the receiver face with an AR-15 stock wrench. If you are not satisfied with the location of the lock ring's slot, you may careful grind the back side down a little at a time until the slot rotates below the line of the stock. You should check these steps before using Lock-Tite®. This is why trial fitting of all components is a good idea.

 

Figure 27

Now you may assemble the rest of the gun.

 

Manufacturer Supplied Information

Installation of the Ejector in the Receiver

Screw the plunger in until the threaded body just touches the bolt, then back it off 1/8 of a turn.

The spring loaded plunger has a dab of Lock-Tite. Once the plunger is adjusted you can use the cover knob as a lock nut.

 

Figure 28

Ejector Plunger as seen from inside receiver. Note that only plunger button extends into path of bolt.

 

Figure 29

Ejector Plunger as seen from outside receiver.

 

Figure 30

Ejector Plunger with Cap Installed

 

Figure 31

Screw the plunger in until the threaded body just touches the bolt, then back it off 1/8 of a turn.
 

Figure 32

Once the plunger is adjusted you can use the cover knob as a lock nut.
 

Manufacturer Supplied Information

Finally Assembly

  1. Your barrel and headspace should already have been set up, checked, and finalized.

  2. Your extractor and ejector modifications and installation should already be complete.

  3. You may now put the action back into the stock.

  4. Loosen the two alien screw that hold the magazine adaptor into the magazine catch.

  5. Push the .45 adaptor body firmly into the Enfield receiver until it stops. It should be resting against the flat surfaces machined into the bottom of the bolt guide.

  6. Push the adaptor catch up until the bottom edge passes the original Enfield magazine catch.

  7. Now push it down until it is stopped by the original Enfield magazine catch. Tighten the locking screws.

  8. Remove the adaptor body, push it back in like an original magazine. If your adjustment is correct it will now be a firm fit in the receiver.

  9. Verify that the adaptor is secured by the latch, it should not be able to come out without pushing on the Enfield magazine release lever.

  10. Insert an empty Colt® 1911 type magazine into the adaptor. It should fit and latch with a firm upward push.

  11. You should not need to modify your stock or trigger guard. If you have an exceptionally tight trigger guard it may prevent the latch from moving enough to release the magazine. The catch is stainless steel, you may grind a little metal away from the outside top edge to gain more movement. When properly fitted the magazine should be a "Drop-Free" fit when the lower end of the lever is pushed in.

  12. Do not force the magazine into place, the first few times the magazine is inserted it may be necessary to slightly release the catch. Once the parts have been operated a few times the magazine should automatically push the catch out until it latches in the magazine retaining notch.

 

Figure 33

The Magazine Adaptor

 

Figure 34

The Magazine Adaptor

 

Figure 35

Push the .45 adaptor body firmly into the Enfield receiver until it stops. It should be resting against the flat surfaces machined into the bottom of the bolt guide. Push the adaptor catch up until the bottom edge passes the original Enfield magazine catch. Now push it down until it is stopped by the original Enfield magazine catch.

 

Figure 36

Tighten the locking screws.

 

Figure 37

Remove the adaptor body, push it back in like an original magazine. If your adjustment is correct it will now be a firm fit in the receiver. Verify that the adaptor is secured by the latch, it should not be able to come out without pushing on the Enfield magazine release lever.

 

Range Report

Lately it is like I have been living during the time of Noah and the great flood. It rains for weeks on end and this is usually accompanied by wind that peeks between 65 mph and 85 mph. Every time I would get ready to go to the range this is the weather I faced. Then once the weather cleared up it would take days for the ground to dry out just enough so my dainty size fourteen clod hoppers did not sink several feet into the mud traps as I tried to walk back and fourth to my targets. Finally it dried out enough for a visit to the range. I was starting to get withdrawal symptoms.

I had installed an Advanced Technology Inc. (ATI) Enfield No. 4 Scope Mount before heading out. A couple of comments on this mount: It is made of aluminum and it is very easy to strip out the threads while inserting the supplied locking screws. That being said...if you are careful it can be installed and is a very serviceable scope mount. It is a weaver style rail. This means some Picatinny style scope rings may not fit properly. My EOTech 512 fit just fine as pictured in figure 38 below. I found though that Richard was correct when he commented that the EOTech looked pretty high for a proper cheek weld. I have a big ol' head, but not even my big head could frame a good enough sight picture. I went to my backup scope, an AimPoint CompML2 as pictured in figure 39. The CompML2 mount did not fit the weaver style mount so I had to enlarge the rail slots in the mount. This was easily accomplished by filing a little bit at a time until the mount fit snuggly and locked into place.

Manufacturer Supplied Information

Operation

  1. Depress the stainless right side lever to remove the 1911 magazine from the Enfield adaptor.

  2. While the lever is depressed, pull the magazine down until it is clear of the adaptor.

  3. Push rounds into the 1911 magazine from the front edge and downward at the same time until full. Many magazines work best with one round less than full capacity.

  4. Insert the loaded magazine into the bottom of the adaptor, push up until it latches in place.

  5. Push the bolt smartly forward in a single motion; push the handle down to lock the action.

  6. The action is now cocked and ready to fire. If you do not intend to shoot immediately, engage the safety by rotating the lever to the rear.

  7. When ready to fire, disengage the safety by pushing the lever forward, aim, and smoothly squeeze the trigger.

  • It is recommended that you do not remove the adaptor from the action unless truly necessary for cleaning.

  • Too frequent removal may wear the adaptor latch unnecessarily.

Barrel Break-in, Hints for Accuracy

Your Enfield .45 kit comes with an air-gauged match grade Montana Rifleman® precision barrel. In order to get the best accuracy and longest life from it we recommend that you "Season" the barrel before extensive shooting. This is really an easy task, it just takes a little patience.

After the gun is fully assembled and all functions have been double checked:
  1. Load the magazine with ONE round.
  2. Chamber and fire ONE round, extract the spent case, remove the magazine, and clean the bore.
  3. Examine the primer of the first couple of rounds to verify that the firing pin does not protrude excessively.
  4. Repeat firing single rounds at least five times.
  5. Load the magazine with FIVE rounds, fire and extract them, remove the magazine and clean the bore.
  6. Repeat at least three times.
  7. Your barrel is now "seasoned" and ready to use normally. It is a precision instrument, cleaning after every shooting session, or occasionally while shooting if you shoot a lot, will help to maintain it's accuracy for many years.

Maintenance

  • Your Enfield .45 kit was manufactured using the best possible quality
    materials and components.
  • Your completed gun is a precision instrument.
  • Please follow standard cleaning practices after each session of shooting.
  • The .45 barrel is carbon steel, it is rifled to air gauged match quality.
  • The exterior is a black parkerized finish unless you have applied an alternate finish. It should be lightly oiled after cleaning.
  • Cleaning from the breech end will protect the muzzle crown.
  • The magazine adaptor is hard coat anodized aluminum; it is scratch resistant, but not scratch proof. It may be cleaned with normal gun cleaning solvents, or mild soap and water, then dried with a soft cloth.
  • The magazine catch is stainless steel; it is rust resistant but not rust proof. A light coat of gun oil is recommended.
  • The small coil spring under the magazine latch should be treated to an occasional drop of oil.
  • The magazine catch should not normally be removed for any reason, it can be replaced if necessary by driving out the stainless 1/16" roll pin.
  • The basic Enfield action and bore should be cleaned in the same manner as any other bolt action rifle.
  • Most Enfields have a black parkerized finish, some may have all or part of the action overlaid with a coat of black paint.
  • Parkerized surfaces should be treated with a light coat of gun oil after cleaning.
 

Figure 38

The Completed Project Installed in an Advanced Technology Inc Rifle Stock

 

Figure 39

My AimPoint CompML2 installed.

 

Figure 40

A sunny day at the rantge.

I loaded up with a couple boxes of CCI Blazer .45 (ACP) Auto 230 Grain FMJ ammo. I like this ammo because it keeps the cheap and lazy side of me happy. This is the side the usually wins out because I usually am too busy and do not feel like going into the garage and ramping up to reload. It only runs about $10 to $12 per fifty cartridge box and it is actually pretty accurate for inexpensive target or plinking ammo. I used a chrono because I wanted to see what feet per second (fps) the rounds were coming out of a 16.5 inch length barrel. CCI gives 845 fps at the muzzle of a 5 inch barrel (1911 Auto) for this ammo.

Figure 41

Chrono set up and ready to go.

 
A prior Surplusrifle.com on the subject of using a Chronograph:
http://surplusrifle.com/shooting2006/chrono/index.asp
 

Figure 42

Lowest reading of the day.

 

Figure 43

Most common reading.

 

Figure 44

Highest reading of the day.

The recoil with the SIA carbine is almost non-existent, it's like shooting a .22 rifle. You can hear the .45 slug whine as it arcs its way to the target, then makes a loud thwapping sound as it breaks the paper. Overall I shot about seventy cartridges down range with pretty consistent accuracy. Using an optic sight was a huge improvement over my Rhineland Arms carbine with open iron sights. The greatest improvement I found was that the supplied 1911 magazine slid in and locked in place every single time. You did not have to feed the magazine in and then pull it back until it locked into place. Feeding was always positive and functioned without flaw as compared to my experience with the Rhineland Arms model. Extraction was good with a few cases not ejecting fully but overall a huge improvement over the prior model.

The SIA .45 ACP carbine is lightweight, accurate and an attention getter at the range. A real unique little firearm that would make a great addition to anyone's collection.

Prices, services, and product availability can be found at the SIA web site:

http://www.specialinterestarms.com

Note: You may have noticed we have stopped doing two things lately on Surplusrifle.com. We have stopped listing prices and giving direct links to the products on a vendor's web site. The reason for this is that we publish articles that stay up forever. We have found two constants in the world of the Firearms on the Internet:

Prices always change and web links are also always changing.

Because of this we are constantly getting email from either vendors that have been contacted by a reader complaining about a lower price listed on Surplusrifle.com then what they currently have listed on their web site or we get emails about links being broken to products on vendor's websites. I am sorry for this change but since we now have over 5k pages on Surplusrifle.com of information it would be a full time job for us to constantly be retracing our steps and testing all pricing and web links. Now we just list the main link to the vendor's web site and no price.

Figure 45

Best 5 round grouping at 25 yards.

 

Figure 46

Average 5 round grouping at 25 yards.

 

Figure 47

Best grouping at 50 yards.

 

Some Interesting Things That Caught My Eye While I Was Visiting SIA

Figure 48

SIA built non-suppressed "De Lisle" near replicas for reenactment and residents of non NFA states.

 
A prior Surplusrifle.com on the De Lisle Commando Carbine:
http://surplusrifle.com/shooting/delisle/index.asp
 

Figure 49

Suppressed SIA .45 ACP with Enfield to CAR-15 collapsing stock conversion adapter.

 
 

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