EM-2

[meles meles]

Now, if only this could be put into production (along with the Tarden) and issued forthwith...
http://www.forgottenweapons.com/em2-video/

[Charlotte the flyer]

Once again something scuppered by the British disease of inventing something very good only to shelve it or sell it on. sign01

It looked a little harsh in 7.62, much better in .280

A little clip from the past.

[Strangely Brown]

I understand the Americans revisited the .280 British calibre a few years ago at the start of the Afganistan campaign to see if there was any future development in it.
I guess with the passage of time any future development has long gone into other calibres.

Unfortuantely I cannot find the link to the article now. emrolleyes

[Watcher]

I think they call it the 6.5 Grendel!!

[saddler]

I think they call it the 6.5 Grendel!!

....that's fighting talk! Good job I don't hit laydees!

What you really mean is the 6.8SPC...THE cosest ballistic match to the .280 round...
One of the reasons I chose a 6.8 SPC....

[jjvc]

Our club visted the Royal Armouries a few years ago and I took the opportunity of examing the EM2.

This is a copy of the post I did back in 2003. Larger fotos in my original post....http://www.milsurpafterhours.com/bb/vie ... f=3&t=1174

This weapon is in their reserve collection . It is the Enfield Model 2 in .280 calibre, and it may have been the British Armys first bullpup rifle if Winston Churchill had not pulled the plug on its development.

Left and right views







Non magnifying optical sight mounted on the carrying handle, small aperture to the left is emergency battle sight!





Front emergency battle sight





Gas plug and cocking handle





Dust cover open showing bolt assembly





The .280 cartridge case with .303 and .308 for comparison





Radway Green 1949 stamp




The EM2 was trialled in the UK in 1948 and 1949, engineering trials were conducted at Aberdeen Proving Ground, USA, from March to May 1950. Troop trials by the US Army Infantry Board were conducted at Fort Benning, Georgia, from may to November 1950.

After firing almost 57,000 rounds of .280 ammunition, the overall stoppage rates on automatic fire were less than 5 per 1,000 rounds, and 3.4 per 1,000 semi-auto fire. In contrast the M1 Garand rifle, which was used as a control weapon for the trials, averaged 3.8 stoppages per 1,000 rounds firing semi-auto only.

Inspite of it being the most reliable and accurate weapon in the trial, the American Ordnance authorities considered the .280 round lacked power. The Enfield design team increased bullet weight and velocity but the Americans were still unimpressed, and considered the T65 American cartridge as the round to be desired. The T65 of course became known as the 7.62mm NATO cartridge.

The Enfield design team developed a 7.62mm version of the EM2, there is an example of this in the pattern room, unfortunately minus its magazine.

heres a couple of pics of it.

[Steve E]

There are also examples of the EM-2 in both .280 and .308 in the RMCS small arms collection ( a collection that is infinitley better than the Royal Armouries). I was fortunate enough to shoot the rifle in .280 about 10 years ago on an invite to the RMCS to view/handle many of the weapons held there. A nice rifle to shoot but I think that it was far too costly to manufacture then and today to tool up to produce it would be out of the question.

[ordnance]

A nice rifle to shoot but I think that it was far too costly to manufacture then and today to tool up to produce it would be out of the question.

I doubt if it would have being any more expensive than the SA/80 turned out to be.

[meles meles]

They could save an awful lot of brass by NOT going to a recognised small arms manufacturer. Take the drawings to any competent small engineering company with CNC facilities and they would turn them out quickly, efficiently and economically.

[Christel]

They could save an awful lot of brass by NOT going to a recognised small arms manufacturer. Take the drawings to any competent small engineering company with CNC facilities and they would turn them out quickly, efficiently and economically.

Wise words.