This video details Russell Turner's circa 1940 semiautomatic conversion of the SMLE bolt-action rifle. Designed for potential Canadian military adoption, it replaced the original bolt with a side-tilting mechanism similar to Turner's M1 Carbine trials rifle. The conversion featured a long-stroke gas piston and hammer firing trigger, reportedly performing well in cold weather tests. Despite its reliability, the conversion was deemed too complex for military adoption. The presenter highlights it as one of the better semi-auto bolt-action conversions encountered, noting its non-awkward design. The description also links to other related semi-auto conversion videos.
This video explores the Turner Light Rifle Prototype, a unique firearm design submitted for the US Light Rifle trials that ultimately led to the adoption of the M1 Carbine. The rifle features a distinctive tubular metal stock and handguard in its first iteration, later replaced with traditional wooden furniture in the second model. A key point of contention was the ammunition used during trials, which utilized Hercules 2400 powder, differing from the IMR 4227 the inventor Russell Turner had developed with, leading to reliability issues. The rifle is characterized by its simple design, long stroke gas piston, side-locking tilting bolt, and M1 Garand-style safety. Despite potential, it did not get adopted due to these ammunition-related challenges. The video also mentions related firearms like the Thompson SMG in .30 Carbine and the Winchester M2 Rifle.
You've reached the end! 2 videos loaded.
