Lanchester Mk1 SMG

[Flying10uk]

Here is my Lanchester, an old spec U.K. deactivated example. I haven't done anything to it and it is exactly as I got it. As can be seen it has been well used but fortunately it hasn't had a civilian refurb or as I describe it as having been "tarted up".

[Lee Enfield]

Here is my Lanchester, an old spec U.K. deactivated example. I haven't done anything to it and it is exactly as I got it. As can be seen it has been well used but fortunately it hasn't had a civilian refurb or as I describe it as having been "tarted up".

I see it has Greek graphity on it...

[Vincent]

It has an early stock. You can see the large gap in front of the trigger mechanism housing. It is long enough to fit over the selector. Later stocks have a smaller hole for the THM.

[Peter Laidler]

Looks like a hybrid of an early gun being transformed into the later standardised more commonly seen one. Some Mk1 trigger parts, early backsight, screw-on trigger mech casing, early barrel retaining method etc etc. Looks to me (photo 9) that the cvasing is twisted or the backsight leaf isn't square-on to the foresight. Once the parts were welded onto the casing (by the shipwright in this case!) the letter A was added to the serial number because the gun could not be fully stripped and was therefore only repairable by means of selective fitting - or something like that

For many years WWA had a beautifully skeletonised one of these

[Flying10uk]

Just had a look and you are right Peter, the rear sight and foresight are out of canter with each other. It looks to be more likely that the rear sight is out of alignment. Would this indicate that the rear sight base was welded to the receiver in slightly the wrong position or is it possible for the receiver tube to have twisted round slightly against the mag housing? Thanks for the information.

[Brit plumber]

I don't think that your gun was a Mk1 as I don't see the tripping lever slot or the change button hole. The TMH also doesn't have the 4 screw holes to each side.

Peter, I'm not sure the A suffix is for the welding as some of the examples I've seen aren't welded but still have the A suffix. I assumed the A suffix applied to those guns that were made from mixed bags of Mk1 and Mk1* parts.

[Peter Laidler]

What I mean in effect is that this gun is made up from a mixed bag of early and late bits like you say. Some TMH's are screwed to the casing using the TWO screw TMH as shown AND welded along the edge - and over the screw heads. Talk about over-kill! You'd hgave thought that they might have simply countersunk the existing holes, dispensed with the screws and just gas or arc welded into the screw holes! I wasn't able to keep the BR/EMER (as it was from the Naval Archive library at Bath and loaned out to one of the blokes doing the minigun trial with me). I associate the A prefix with the accepted Army association and the scant detail in the BR. That being that thereafter the weapon can only be repaired by selective fitting and blah blah...... Like the later hybrid Lanchesters.

I wonder if F-10's casing is twisted under the mag housing? Or whether the backsight bed has been re-welded out of true. Make sure that you get the foresight protector cherry red before you start bending it straight........... OR..... I wonder, whether the foresight protector band has been rotated slightly against the 4x substantial rivets during transportation........ But should be an easy fix

[Vincent]

Mounting a bayonet will tell you if foresight protector band is rotated.

Make sure that you get the foresight protector cherry red before you start bending it straight...........

Good tip there, Peter. Thank you.

[Brit plumber]

At long last I got some photos done.

As most of the parts are screwed on I stripped it down to try and clean the years of filth off it, it was minging! The end of the receiver has damage from where I think a previous owner in the last 27 years has made a real meal of taking the barrel out, I'll have to repair this and repin the barrel.

Unfortunately these photos are in a random order! The fourth photo of the trigger mech housing (TMH) isn't mine but shows the selector knob. I think this has been retro fitted onto a later trigger mech as there is no pin as shown in photo 5 of my trigger mech.

Photo 2 shows the 8 screws for the TMH and the slot for the tripping lever.

Photo 3 shows the damage.

Photo 5 shows my TMH with the large screw for the tripping lever, the Mk1 toggle joint (Not welded or brazed into one piece), the pin for the tripping lever and the rivet fitted to the change lever/knob hole.

Photo 6 is a front shot of the rivet in the change lever/knob hole.

Photo 7 is another Mk1 with change knob installed (Believed not an original Mk1)

Photo 8 is a Gale and Polden drawing.

Photo 9 is of a very early Steel mag housing Mk1 (IMA)

my own gun is serial number 209A

[Vincent]

I believe the pin is to prevent the tripping lever from over-traveling.

Another feature on your TMH is the slot between the first two screw holes. It is for the tripping lever spring.

The three pics below are MP28 parts.