Enfiled EM2

[SPG]

I've always loved bullpups, and would really love to break out of the SA80, FAMAS, Steyr Aug club, so I've had an idea about making an EM2, which was the British Army's 1950's assault rifle that never was. In the end America pushed for the 7.62mm round as the NATO standard and then a few years later went ahead with the 5.56mm calibre M16 anyway. If they'd opted either for the 7mm of the EM2 or the 5.56mm in the first place, no doubt the British Army would have had a bullpup in the 50's.

 

Anyway this is what it looks like.

 

 

Although personally I'm not a big fan of the wooden for-end. So given that FN were also very keen on the 7x43mm round, and given that the British Army ended up with FN FALs I thought I'd do a bit of lateral thinking and ame up with the Enfield-FN EM3 family.

 

 

Which is basically the same but with slightly modified FN FAL furniture, and chambered (well OK, magazined) for 5.56 NATO.

 

Now of course a lot of it is going to have to be scratch built, but I'm wondering, should I start with a bullpup of some sorts, or should I go down the pistol route that some people have done in the past? I'm thinking pistol and false barrel as that way I could develop an LSW version and just have interchangable front ends. But I suppose I could still do that with a bullpup too, and just have a barrel sleeve.

 

Because images are very rare, I'm really going to have to guesstimate the dimensions, all I know is the overall length of the EM2 which is 889mm and the barrel length of 623mm.

 

If anyone's got any sites other than Worldguns with info on the EM2 I'd be really grateful and if anyone's got any ideas for the building, well that'd be even better. I think this will probably end up as a show rifle, more than a skirmishing rifle, but I'd still like it to work.

[DarkLite]

Fine gun. Shame we dropped it.

 

IIRC some of the FN FAL line was made in 7mm/.280 for a while.

 

The main issue you'll have is that there really isn't much room at all for a gearbox.

[SPG]

No, almost no room, looking at it, hence the thoughts about using a pistol instead of trying to convert an existing bullpup.

[SPG]

I know I shouldn't but I'm bumping this in the hope that someone somewhere's got some info on the Enfield (I spelt it wrong in the title ) EM2 that I don't have.

[Blingmaster$$]

right here

[Lord Blackgoat]

If anyone's got any sites other than Worldguns with info on the EM2 I'd be really grateful and if anyone's got any ideas for the building, well that'd be even better. I think this will probably end up as a show rifle, more than a skirmishing rifle, but I'd still like it to work.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Yes, the US forcing NATO to adopt their .308 cartridge made everyone lose their time. France and some other countries were really interested in that British 7mm. And yes, the FAL was tested by the British Army in this caliber (or was it the opposite, testing the new cartridge in a proven rifle?)

Well, yeah, that sure was a nice concept.

But it really has no space for a GB.

One solution could be housing the GBB used in the magazine, retaining the bulpup design (which is the originality of the rifle, so you'd rather keep it in the concept) and would of course improve the barrel length. Then you'd have to stick with a large caliber mag, closer to the original. As you don't use the magazine you probably don't have to worry about the M16 mag availability.

And, I'd keep the original design, but make the parts out of plastic rather than wood.

 

EDIT : It's damn late, and I need to sleep. Sorry if any spelling mistakes are left...

[SPG]

That's actually a really good idea, I'd of course thought about mounting it with the pistol becomeing the pistol grip, but putting it in the (fake) magazine would be much better, as it could line up with the barrel better.

 

Now to look for a slim pistol.