MP40 or Vigneron magazines in a Lanchester

[browningautorifle]

I am guessing the German mag has some kind of similar arrangement

I'm pretty sure they had a similar angle for the frame of the follower. Otherwise during a hurried or low light assembly, it could be reversed. Simple though, if your mag seems to be working, don't strip it. Only do so if it appears to be in danger of failure.

[tankhunter]

So, they'd be loose as a goose's butt...

You are quite correct BAR. They are looser, but they do work. The Sten was designed to also used captured MP.40 mags. If the user was 'In a Hurry'!......
Not as reliable as a sten mag obviously due to the gap. But they do work, sort of!

---------- Post added at 02:09 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:03 AM ----------

Mike, I have to say I am both surprised and disappointed that you don't know about the rare Stenling (its not often you get caught out mate), the product of a classified SASC cross breeding program and issued along with the equally rare Dublin Police marked Lee Enfields...

Is this you photo shopping again Johnny?..............

[Vincent]

You are quite correct BAR. They are looser, but they do work. The Sten was designed to also used captured MP.40 mags. If the user was 'In a Hurry'!......
Not as reliable as a sten mag obviously due to the gap. But they do work, sort of!

That’s exactly what I wanted to know. Thank you so much.

MP38/40 magazines are ridiculously expensive here. I found a good deal on some Vigneron magazines and I am going to give them a try. Maybe weld a plate to the back to take up the slop. Will post some pictures when I get them.

I thought the photoshopped Stenling was funny.

The man who did the best job of the Stenling conversion called me yesterday. He said he will not do any more of them and there’s slim chance the BATFE will approve any more. That’s good news for the people who have them as the prices have shot up to over $10,000. Yep, that one expensive Sten…ling.

The best news is he had a great deal on a Thompson.

[mrclark303]

Me photo shopping, why the camera never lies Mike ... or it lies as much as a "vote stay" politician, it's one of the two! Give you a call tomorrow mate, high time we had a catch up.

[Peter Laidler]

I'm not quite happy with the assertion that the Sten was designed to take MP40 magazines Tankie. I realise that it's a very minor point, but it is recorded in Harold Turpins own personal notes, a copy of them all which is held at the Warminster SASC tech library, that the Sten was designed to take the 9mm magazines already in series production in the UK. This MUST mean Lanchester magazines already in production at Dagenham and NOT MP40. It might well be that the Lanchester was designed to take MP40 magazines but......... I had heard this old chestnut too but look as I might, could find no official reference to it. If you find MP40 mags that fit and function reliably in a Sten or vice verca then that's purely coincidental.

Turpin was unable to design new magazines within the time or with the £5 budget that Maj. Shepherd allowed him. Lanchester magazines it was.

I had intended to put this in the Myths and Mysteries section of the Sten book but could only find reference to the fact that his chamber design allowed captured continental 9mm ammunition to be used. A very minor point I appreciate........

[browningautorifle]

a great deal on a Thompson.

I'd love to have another of those...

[Lee Enfield]

...snip... that the Sten was designed to take the 9mm magazines already in series production in the UK. This MUST mean Lanchester magazines already in production at Dagenham and NOT MP40. It might well be that the Lanchester was designed to take MP40 magazines but...............

As you state, the Lanchester was a "Britishized" MP28/2 and Lanchester and Sten mags are straight copies of (50 & 32rd mind you) MP28/2 magazines.

This story (usage of MP38/40 magazines) is in line with the incorrect idea of 7.62x51 Nato and 7.62x39 M.43 (and 5.56/5.45) interchangeability which is repeated by far too many soldiers and other minimally cognizant firearms users.

[tankhunter]

Pete, I agree, I have to admit to not reading/ seeing any 'material' OFFICIALY published on the topic of german Mag interchangability.

It's just that, I have personally used them in Stens. Talked to Vets who did. & read 'Somewhere' accounts of this happening, during the war.

I was therefore, under the impression that this was a small feature of the Stens original design.
But it would seem, like it was a 'Bonus' of the interface mag design?

Captured ammo was most Certainly used in Stens on occasions, as you know. & TBH, it would make perfect sense, for a Crunchie to pick up a full MP.40 mag. & Try one in His Sten!
if it fitted & fired alright. Then that would spread like wildfire, Yes?..

I'm sure that in a particular given situation. The Mag exchange scenario may very well have saved a Crunchies Life!...

Regarding Vignaron Mags. I have encountered quite a difference in Tollerances with them! Some will fit in & fire, some will not. This is also a MUCH bigger problem with Vig Mags in an MP.40! I have in my own collection, an MP.40. That even an original MP.40 mag will not go right in the mag well!!
Another original mag will!......So for ALL in the SMG class of weapon. Tollerance has a BIG part to play!

trying & fitting a number of DIFFERENT Mags. Of Differeing Weapons, may well surprise you. As to what will fit, & what wont!.......Peter will concur with that one!

[Daan Kemp]

It would be logical when designing a new machine pistol [MP 38] that it also uses existing [large stocks of?] MP 28 magazines instead of designing completely new ones ...

[Peter Laidler]

.......... exactly Dann! Like using existing magazines in the new Sten. Especially when your boss (Shepherd) only allowed you a month and £5 to go away, design and produce the SMG that you'd shown him as a paper draft the week before.