Lanchester SMG info wanted

[redleg105]

Does anyone know the Outside Diameter of a Lanchester Receiver tube. I know the Sten is 1.50 inches but what is the Lanchester?

Information

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[Vincent]

Attachment 48245

[Peter Laidler]

That's a well pitted tube Vince. Looks like it needs blasting and phosphating........ We used to get them like that off the Navy ships/Naval Ordnance at Sembawang. Always went back looking like new.

[Vincent]

I will blast and phosphate it. Then powder-coat it with black crackle finish. I read in your GoD book (Guns of Dagenham) that the crackle finish on the Sterling can hide a multitude of imperfections.

The wood has rotted away,, so I am looking for a stock for it.

The barrel is well used, with several little dings on the breech face around the chamber. However, the bore is remarkably good. Not pitted or worn.

[Peter Laidler]

Are parts like the stock available? Do you have the other stock hardware? Does it have a bit of history? You can easily convert a spare Sterling barrel to fit a Lanchester if any of you other forumers ever needs to

[gsimmons]

New made barrels are available but, they are $200 plus and are ready to install.

[Peter Laidler]

That ain't bad Gary. Plus it means you can keep the Sterling barrel for a rainy day. As a matter of interest, you can also use a Sterling breech block in a Lanchester too. Just have to......... anyway you can if you need to.

Something else that'll improve a Lanchester. We used to find that they'd misfire on some issued 9mm ammo. The ammo techs used to say that it was the hard primers that would thwart the efforts of the separate striker (unlike the fixed striker in the Stens and Sterlings). Incidentally, George Patchett discovered this too when he was faffing about with ex Lanchester breech blocks and separate strikers in his early Patchetts/Sterlings. Fixed is best! Anyway, I digress....

To cure this with a Lanchester, break through the not very hard surface of the breech block and drill into the core where the large diameter striker block seats. Tap the hole and insert a grub screw and lock it down onto the block with the striker forwards. There it is, a 'fixed' striker. Never approved in service but for reasons best known to myself and a few others, a GOOD idea and improvement.

Can we see a few more pics of yours Vince?

Merry Xmas Gary and all the very best to you and yours.

[gsimmons]

Thank you, Peter
Merry Christmas.

[Vincent]

Parts come up from time to time. I have seen some stocks in the past. Most had Egyptian markings cut into the wood. Also, there was a guy somewhere in Europe making very nice walnut reproduction stocks.

I didn't get any stock hardware with it and I don't know its history.

I will get some pictures up after the holidays.

[Peter Laidler]

The quality of the woodwork/stocks was absolutely dire in many cases. We had loads of replacement stocks and bits at our big workshops or via the Naval Ordnance blokes but even then, the stocks needed fitting and patching.

If you do find who is making decent black walnut replacements, let us all know. If anyone has a Lanchester with the No1 butt plate and butt sling swivel aperture patched and replaced with a No4 butt plate and swivel, then that was a UK Naval modification authorised in their OBR's (the Navy EMER's!)

Very sweet gun to shoot - if there is such a thing as a sweet gun!