MP40 or Vigneron magazines in a Lanchester

[Vincent]

Will MP40 or Vigneron magazines work in a Lanchester?

The reason I ask is here Lanchester C and R transferable machine gun : Machine Guns at GunBroker.com

I can’t tell if they MP40 or Vigneron magazines.

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[browningautorifle]

I wouldn't have thought so...

[tankhunter]

I have never tried it personaly. But as the Sten was designed to accept MP.40 mags, & I have used Vig Mags in MP.40s. I would imagine that because the interface is similar.
It is entirely possible. But you would indeed have to try it to confirm this. I don't have a Lanchester now in the collection, so am unable to confirm this.

As a slight aside, the Stens follow on. The Magnificent Sterling L2A3, CAN use Sten Mags as well. BUT, without a special adaptor, the Sterling mags will NOT fit directly into a Sten!..
This was a cunning built in design by Sterling when Marketing these SMGs. As if you had an Army that used the Sten, you would have to replace the entire 'Fleet' to use the VERY reliable Sterling Magazines! That meant, you could NOT get away with the cheaper expedient of purchasing just Magazines. To upgrade the reliability factor of your Sten 'Fleet'!

I believe there is a book Titled 'The guns of Dagenham' by a Certain Author named Peter Laidler, also confirming this!......................................

[Peter Laidler]

Just a very slight correction if I might be so bold and respectful Tankie. The Sten was designed to take LANCHESTER magazines. If Turpin had had his way, he'd have designed something else - or better. But Lanchester mags were already in production. The length was shortened simply so that the 'new' Sten magazine were slightly re-designed/shortened to fit into the new '37 pattern pouches to suit Army requirements.

MP40 mags will fit into a Sten due to the loose tolerances of the mag housing but it's a bit more hit and miss when it comes to MP40 mags in a Lanchester because the mag housing is machined to a drawing (as opposed to fabricated/bent to suit a drawing!). We'd take a handfull of magazines to the range and get caught out with MP40 magazines occasionally that wouldn't operate successfully in Stens.

[browningautorifle]

Small side note, the Sten mags fit and functioned in the Canadian SMG 9mm C1, I know because I tried it. Maybe our guns had a different tolerance as our mags were just stamped followers and all...but I used four Sten mags all through one night in my SMG. Not really a good idea because of the need for a loader.

[Peter Laidler]

Sten mags will fit in our Sterlings BUT they push in too far as Tankie says and hold the bolt back. Sterling/C1 mags will interchange and this was acknowledged in BAOR/Germany when they'd occasionally find them being mixed up and the mag catches were the same.

[browningautorifle]

I know there are differences between SMG C1 and say, (L2A3) or so...but I'd need to sit with a dial caliper to sort out what was what. Ours had more stamping...and our bolt was one piece...so forth and so on. Peter, Tankie...do you ever remember using Canadian mags in UK guns or vice versa? Maybe Vincent has some hanging around...?

[tankhunter]

Jim, I have to admit. I have never used a C1 Mag in a Sterling L2A3, so cannot comment.

I THINK I have at least one Canadian C1 Mag in the Collection. But as my 'storage Facility'.
Is full from floor to ceiling, with only a 2.6" gap down the centre. locating pretty much anything these days. Is a Major 'Exploration' in itself!.....

Just to add to the Mix. Whilst in THEORY, that certain models & various manufacturers of Magazine. Are actually interchangeable in certain Weapons in the SMG Class of Firearm.
In practice, it will be frustratingly discovered. That some Mags of identical pattern, WILL function. And some will not. This is due to manufacturing tollerances in the external measurements of the magazine & also the internal dimentions of the Mag housing. If you have for example, a Mag at Maximum Tollerance. & also a mag housing at the same allowance. It may be either a very tight fit. Or will not enter the housing fully at all without FORCE.
Which is something you should never have to do, when firing any weapon!

this is ONE of the reasons that differing classes of Weapon. May be encountered with matching serial numbered magazines to an individual weapon. so they are a known & tested magazine to that particular weapon.
The German Luger is the first example of a handgun that springs to mind.. A similar situation exists with bayonets as well........

[Vincent]

I tested a C1 SMG magazine in a Mk4 Sterling a couple of years ago. It functioned perfectly. The breech block and trigger en bloc also worked.

FAMAE PAF magazines and trigger en bloc work in the Mk4 also. The breech block needed a little work. The cocking handle hole is not in the same location and had to be moved to work in the Mk4 and Mk5.

The FAMAE PAF breech block was made with the same off center internal lightening cut Mk5 breech blocks have. It uses a single return spring with a higher rate than the Mk4 big spring, so the cyclic rate is a little higher.

[browningautorifle]

I tested a C1 SMG magazine in a Mk4 Sterling a couple of years ago. It functioned perfectly. The breech block and trigger en bloc also worked.

Yes, I had occasion to use a C1 breech block, trigger mech and mags in a L2A3 myself...I suspect the UK mags and breech block will work in C1. Just can't imagine why the Sten mags didn't fit the Sterling...