In the initial period of World War II, Great Britain and other countries of the Commonwealth of the Nation faced a shortage of the necessary weapons and equipment. British industry tried to increase the rate of production and generally coped with the orders of its military department, but there was not enough production capacity to supply friendly states. The result was the emergence of numerous projects of simple but effective weapons of various classes. So, in New Zealand, on the basis of existing weapons, the Charlton Automatic Rifle was developed.
In the early 1940s, the leaders of New Zealand and Australia looked north anxiously. Japan continued to seize more and more territories, which could eventually lead to an attack on the southern states of the Commonwealth of Nations. To defend against a possible attack, they needed weapons and equipment, but the capabilities of their own industry did not allow them to count on the beginning of a full-fledged mass production of the necessary products. Likewise, one could not hope for Great Britain, which was engaged in replenishing losses after the evacuation from Dunkirk. The way out of this situation could be relatively simple projects of alteration of existing systems in order to improve their characteristics.
Approximately in the second half of 1940, Philip Charlton and Maurice Field, amateur shooters and collectors of weapons, joined the development of new weapons for the New Zealand armed forces. Charlton and Field had extensive experience with small arms, and in addition, Charlton had the opportunity to deploy the production of the necessary systems in his own company. All this allowed two enthusiasts to quickly create a promising system for "turning" outdated rifles into automatic weapons.
General view of the Charlton Automatic Rifle. Photo Forgottenweapons.com
The project, later called the Charlton Automatic Rifle, started with a proposal for the Winchester Model 1910 self-loading rifle. It was proposed to create a set of additional equipment with which a self-loading weapon could fire in automatic mode. After such a revision, relatively old rifles could be of interest to the army.
Having learned about F. Charlton's idea, M. Field generally approved of it, but criticized the chosen basic weapon. The Winchester Model 1910 rifle used a.40 WSL cartridge, which would hardly have suited the military. The search for an alternative did not last long. In the warehouses of the New Zealand army, there were a large number of old Lee-Metford and Long Lee rifles chambered for.303, issued in the late 19th century. It was decided to use them as the basis for a promising shooting system. In addition, in the future, an automatic rifle was created on the basis of the Lee-Enfield.
After choosing a new base rifle, some plans had to be adjusted, as a result of which the final appearance of the device providing automatic fire was formed. Now the Charlton Automatic Rifle project implied the use of the barrel, part of the receiver and the bolt group, as well as some other Lee-Metford rifle units, which should have been equipped with a number of new parts. The main innovation of the project was to be a gas engine, which ensures the reloading of the weapon after each shot without the need for the direct participation of the shooter.
Working with the existing weapons, Charlton and Field came to the conclusion that significant changes to the design of the base rifle were necessary. It was required to redesign the receiver, as well as make some changes to the design of the barrel. All these improvements were aimed at ensuring the correct operation of the automation and improving the combat qualities of the weapon. As a result, the finished Charlton Automatic Rifle externally differed significantly from the base Lee-Metford.
Barrel, muzzle brake and bipod. Photo Forgottenweapons.com
For use in new weapons, the existing barrel received a developed muzzle brake and ribbing in the official honor. The first was intended to reduce recoil and improve firing characteristics, and the use of the second was associated with an alleged change in the barrel heating process when firing. Automatic fire was supposed to lead to intense heating of the barrel, to which the base weapon was not adapted.
The design of the receiver was changed. Its lower part remained almost unchanged, while a relatively high and long port side appeared in the upper part. In the back of the box, special holding devices for the shutter were provided. On the right side surface of the weapon, in turn, the units of the gas engine of the original design were placed.
The Charlton Field gas engine consisted of several parts assembled from two long tubes. The upper tube with its front end was connected to the gas outlet of the barrel and contained the piston. The piston rod was withdrawn at the back of the tube and connected to the reloading mechanisms. The lower tube was a casing of the return spring, which is responsible for sending the cartridge and locking the barrel.
A special curved plate with a figured hole was fixed on the rear rod of the gas engine, with the help of which it was proposed to move and lock / unlock the shutter. Also, a small handle was attached to this plate for manual reloading of the weapon: the native handle was removed as unnecessary. To avoid displacement, the plate was rigidly fixed to the piston rod, and its second edge slid along a groove in the wall of the receiver.
Ribbed breech and gas engine parts. Photo Forgottenweapons.com
The shutter has undergone relatively minor modifications. The reload handle was removed from it, instead of which a small protrusion appeared on the outer surface, in contact with the plate of the gas engine. I also had to modify some other details of the shutter. At the same time, the principle of its operation remained the same.
The Lee-Metford rifle, as standard, was equipped with an integral box magazine for 8 or 10 rounds, which was not enough for an automatic weapon. For this reason, the authors of the new project planned to abandon the existing ammunition system and replace it with a new one. It was proposed to attach a slightly modified box magazine of the Bren light machine gun for 30 rounds to the lower part of the receiver. However, there were some problems associated with this device, which is why the original 10-round magazines were used.
The sights were borrowed from the base rifle, but their location has changed. The mechanical open sight was proposed to be mounted on special clamps above the breech of the barrel, and the front sight was to be located on the muzzle brake. The sight was not finalized, which made it possible to count on the preservation of the previous indicators of range and firing accuracy. To further increase the accuracy of shooting, the rifle was also equipped with a folding bipod bipod.
F. Charlton and M. Field abandoned the existing wooden box and replaced it with several other details. The new automatic rifle received a wooden buttstock connected to a pistol grip. A front vertical handle appeared in front of the store, making it easier to hold the weapon. To protect against a heated barrel, its breech was closed with a short curved metal forend with ventilation holes.
Diagram of the main elements of automation. Photo Forgottenweapons.com
As conceived by the authors of the project, the automation of a promising weapon was supposed to work as follows. Having equipped the store, the shooter had to move the bolt forward using the handle of the gas engine, thereby sending the cartridge into the chamber and locking the barrel. When the handle moves forward, the engine plate with a figured cutout was supposed to ensure the rotation of the bolt in the extreme forward position.
When fired, part of the powder gases had to enter the chamber of the gas engine and displace its piston. At the same time, a plate with a hole was shifted, with the help of which the shutter was rotated, followed by its shift to the rear position. After that, the spent cartridge case was thrown out, and the return spring produced the next cartridge with the shutter locking.
The trigger mechanism of the weapon made it possible to fire only in automatic mode. This device was borrowed from the base rifle without significant changes, due to which it lacked a fire translator. Nevertheless, this was not considered a minus, since the introduction of an additional fire regime would require a serious modification of the design of the weapon and thereby complicate its manufacture.
The first prototype of the Charlton Automatic Rifle was built in the spring of 1941. This prototype, built on the basis of the ready-made Lee-Metford rifle, was equipped with all the necessary equipment and could be used in tests. The assembled weapon had a length of about 1, 15 m and weighed (without cartridges) 7, 3 kg. In the absence of other options, the prototype was equipped with a 10-round magazine. Soon after the completion of the assembly, F. Charlton and M. Field began to test their design. As it turned out, the new automatic rifle cannot consistently fire in bursts and needs to be improved. For some time, inventors have been trying to figure out the reasons for the delays in firing, which were associated with the jamming of the cases when ejected.
Shutter, top view. Photo Forgottenweapons.com
The problem was solved by the designers with the help of a familiar specialist. Radio engineer Guy Milne suggested filming test shooting using a stroboscopic camera of his own design. Only an analysis of the footage made it possible to establish that the rifle's problems are associated with a weak extractor, which cannot properly eject the casings. This detail was finalized, after which the tests continued without significant problems. In the course of further tests, it was found that the technical rate of fire of the new weapon reaches 700-800 rounds per minute.
In June 1941, enthusiastic gunsmiths presented their development to the military. At the Trentham test site, a demonstration of the "Charlton Automatic Rifle" took place, during which the new weapon showed good results. Representatives of the command showed interest in this sample and instructed the inventors to fine-tune their development. To conduct new tests, Charlton and Field were allocated 10 thousand.303 cartridges.
Further work continued until the end of autumn. In November 1941, another demonstration took place at the test site, as a result of which a contract was issued. Seeing the results of the work, the military ordered the conversion of 1,500 Lee-Metford and Long Lee rifles from the army's arsenals. Production was to be completed within 6 months. The contract was a confirmation of the success of the development, but its appearance did not make life easier for the gunsmiths. They needed to find an enterprise where they could produce sets of new equipment and assemble promising automatic rifles.
This time, F. Charlton was again helped by connections. He brought in his friend Syd Morrison, who owned Morrison Motor Mower, to the project. This company was engaged in the assembly of gasoline-powered lawnmowers, but due to the war, production fell sharply due to lack of fuel. Thus, a new non-standard order could provide the army with the necessary weapons, as well as save S. Morrison's company from ruin.
Receiver and other assemblies of a rifle with a "short" magazine. Photo Forgottenweapons.com
By early 1942, the Morrison Motor Mower Company was ready to manufacture the parts needed to "convert" rifles into automatic weapons. According to some reports, the manufacture of new products was carried out even without drawings, since F. Charlton and S. Morrison considered the preparation of the documentation unnecessary and negatively affecting the pace of the contract. Morrison's enterprise was supposed to be engaged in the manufacture and supply of the necessary parts, and Charlton and Field should be responsible for reworking existing rifles.
Despite all the specific measures aimed at accelerating production, the estimated rate of release of the "Charlton Automatic Rifles" did not suit the customer. In this regard, the military were forced to intervene in the process and involve new enterprises in it. Contract curators from the Department of Armaments John Carter and Gordon Connor distributed the production of various parts among several factories. So, the release of some of the main parts of the trigger mechanism and automation was entrusted to the Precision Engineering Ltd plant, the springs were to be supplied by NW Thomas & Co Ltd. Moreover, even Hastings Boy's High School received an order, whose high school students were to produce gas engine pistons. Nevertheless, the students of the school managed to make only 30 pistons, after which the production of these parts was taken over by Morrison's company.
All the main parts were planned to be manufactured in New Zealand, but a 30-round magazine was offered to be ordered in Australia. One of the Australian enterprises was already assembling Bren machine guns, which was the reason for the corresponding proposal.
The general assembly of automatic rifles was carried out at F. Charlton's own firm. Even before the war, he opened a body shop, which by 1942 was going through hard times. By this time, only Charlton himself and a certain Horace Timms worked at the enterprise. They soon called in engineer Stan Doherty for help, and the three of them began to turn the workshop into an arms factory. After the start of the supply of rifles for conversion, the company hired several new employees.
New Zealand rifle (above) and one of the prototype weapons for Australia (below). Photo Militaryfactory.com
The first batch of the Charlton Automatic Rifle was built without F. Charlton. By this time, the Australian command learned about the development, which wished to receive similar rifles. Charlton left for Australia to negotiate the finalization of the weapon and the deployment of its production. The leadership of the workshop passed to G. Connor from the Department of Armaments. He brought in another gunsmith, Stan Marshall, who took over some of the engineering work.
Having studied the situation on the spot, G. Connor came to sad conclusions. The refusal of Charlton and Morrison from blueprints, limited production options and the specific design of an automatic rifle could seriously hit the pace of production. Because of this, S. Marshall and S. Doherty had to modify the design of the weapon and improve its manufacturability. The technical and technological improvements made made it possible to start a full-fledged mass production of all the necessary parts and the alteration of existing rifles.
Production of Charlton Automatic Rifle rifles began only in mid-1942 and took longer than originally planned. The last batch of weapons was handed over to the customer only two years later, although initially only six months were allocated for all work. Nevertheless, all the supplied weapons were not only manufactured, but also passed the necessary checks.
The project of F. Charlton and M. Field implied the use of modified Bren machine gun magazines with a capacity of 30 rounds. The production of these products was entrusted to an Australian company, which, as it turned out later, was not the most correct decision. Due to loading with other orders, the contractor was unable to deliver the stores on time. Moreover, when the stores were nevertheless delivered to New Zealand, it turned out that they were incompatible with the new rifles. Because of this, they had to be finalized already on the spot and, in this form, attached to rifles.
"Charlton automatic rifles" based on Lee-Metford (top) and SMLE Mk III (bottom). Photo Guns.com
As a result of such problems, full-fledged stores for 30 rounds received only fifty rifles of the last batch. The rest of the weapon remained with the "short" magazines for 10 rounds, obtained from the basic rifles. After the completion of the assembly of 1,500 automatic rifles, almost 1,500 large-capacity magazines were lying idle in warehouses, unusable. In view of the completion of the supply of weapons, the stores were sent to warehouses.
F. Charlton's four-month trip to Australia led to the start of production of a new modification of his weapon. Together with the specialists of the company Electrolux Vacuum Cleaner, which produced household appliances, the New Zealand gunsmith created an upgrade kit for the Lee-Enfield rifles of the SMLE Mk III version. A contract was signed for the manufacture of 10 thousand such automatic rifles, but it was not fully fulfilled. According to various sources, no more than 4 thousand rifles were converted. The Charlton Automatic Rifle based on the SMLE Mk III had minimal differences from the base rifle based on the Lee-Metford.
Despite all the difficulties and the threat of attack, the New Zealand Army never considered the Charlton Field rifle as a full-fledged weapon. However, these weapons were ordered to form a reserve in case of additional mobilizations. The produced automatic rifles were sent to three warehouses, where they were stored until the end of World War II. In connection with the end of hostilities and the complete elimination of the threat of attack, more unnecessary weapons were transported to Palmerston. The rifles were stored there for some time, but later a fire broke out in the warehouse, as a result of which the overwhelming majority of them were destroyed. Only a few samples of the Charlton Automatic Rifle survived to this day, which are kept in museums and private collections.
