The Daisy V/L was the first production rifle for caseless ammunition. It was released in 1968 by Daisy Outdoor Products.
| Daisy V/L | |
|---|---|
| Type | Single-shot rifle |
| Place of origin |  United States |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Jules Van Langenhoven |
| Designed | 1961 |
| Manufacturer | Daisy Outdoor Products |
| Produced | 1968–1969 |
| No. built | 23,000 |
| Specifications | |
| Cartridge | .22 caliber, caseless round |
| Cartridge weight | 29 grains (1.9 g) bullet |
| Caliber | .22 in (5.6 mm) |
| Action | Compressed air to ignite cartridge |
| Muzzle velocity | 1,150 feet per second (350 m/s) |
| Feed system | Single shot |
| Sights | Front post, rear leaf sight |
In 1961, Cass Hough, the president of Daisy Heddon division of Victor Comptometer, purchased the design of a new firearm system. The new system was developed by a Belgian chemist named Jules Van Langenhover. The new gun would be known as the Daisy V/L rifle.[1]
The Daisy V/L ammunition consisted of a .22 caliber bullet with a small cylinder of propellant on the back, and no primer.[2] The rifle resembled a typical spring-air rifle, but the 2,000 °F (1,090 °C) high-pressure air served not only to propel the projectile, but also to ignite the propellant on the back of the Daisy V/L cartridge. The rifle uses a small, unique, and well designed part called an Obturator (obturator/ignitor) to compress the air as it is pushed through a tiny hole. This air is heated as it is pushed through the small hole enough to ignite the powder of the caseless round.[3]
The Daisy V/L rifles and ammunition were discontinued in 1969 after the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives ruled that they constituted a firearm, and Daisy, which was not licensed to manufacture firearms, decided to discontinue manufacture rather than become a firearms manufacturer. About 23,000 of the rifles were made before production ceased.
The Daisy V/L rifle and ammunition has been added to the ATF Curio & Relic list.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Nonte Jr., Major General George C. (October 1967). An Amazing New Kind of Gun. Popular Mechanics.
- ^ Walker, Robert E. (2013). Cartridges and Firearm Identification. CRC Press. ISBN 9781466588813.
- ^ Nonte Jr., Major General George C. (October 1967). An Amazing New Kind of Gun. Popular Mechanics.
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