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Legacy Member
Lanchester Mk1 SMG
Is there a forum member out there with a photo of a unmodifed Mk1 Lanchester SMG? Every Mk1 I've seen has been modified to Mk1* standard, I can't believe that every single one was modified, I would have expeced the odd one to get through.
Cheers, Chris.
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04-07-2010 07:22 AM
# ADS
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We have two photographed in the MKL entry on the Lanchester, but as noted, both have had the selector removed in service, otherwise they are configured as MkI (no star) guns.
Союз нерушимый республик свободных Сплотила навеки Великая Русь. Да здравствует созданный волей народов Единый, могучий Советский Союз!
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Legacy Member
I saw those shown and as you say, they have been modified. I have both a Mk1 (* converted) and Mk1* and was hoping I may be able to convert the Mk1 back to its original config but I can only assume the area where the selector was, has been completely removed to prevent it being converted back. I also noticed that every Mk1 conversion I've seen apears to have original been screwed together and then had welds applied to the sight and the trigger mech assembly.
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There are very many variables of the Lanchester but I don't recall ever seeing a Mk1 modified to Mk1* spec by having the hole in the front of the trigger guard blanked out. In fact I've only ever seen two original unmodified Mk1's and the one in the book was from Shrivenham during my days there.
There were welded and screwed variants and all sorts. There is reference in the Navy BR info sheets that those with the welded casings are suffixed with the letter A to indicate their non-repairable status. This is clearly a mistake because you certainly could repair them providing that it wasnt any of the welded on bits that needed fixing/replacing or the mag housing that was non removeable when the bits in front or behind were welded.
We used to get them through our Base Workshops occasionally from the NOD (the RN Ordnance Depot at HMS Terror in Singapore when they'd been used for the ship searches or boarding parties off Borneo or Sarawak when they got rusty. The original blueing wasn't the best method of keeping the rust at bay it has to be said. There were plenty of fore-ends as spares and if I remember correctly - it's a long time ago now - , the butt sling loop was an odd-ball and as we didn't have any, we had to patch out the sling loop recess and fit the standard No4 sling loop in its place. We also used to replace the odd shaped butt plates too. Were they originally from the No1 rifle?
The Naval guards at HMS Terror used to have them up until the British left the place. The NZ and Aust Navy used them too because we had about 8 or so from an Australian submarine in our strongroom/store that were there while the submarine was in dry dock at Sembawang (? probably spelled wrong...) and we couldn't seem to side load them to anyone, even the Australian Army!
I'd be interested to know if anyones got one with the No4 type butt plate and sling loop. Internally, the quality of the wood butts was attrocious but they seemed to work. That's another thing. We couldn't accuracy test them on the Enfield rest because they wouldn't fit in the short brackets used for Stens, Owens or L2A3 Sterlings due to the fact that the Lanchester was rifle size....., but short!. We did the depression and elevation test but accuract, such as it was, was left undone.
I seem to remember that the foresight blades were the old/very early fixed height L2A1 and L2A2 Sterling type and the adjustable-for-height later L2A3 blades wouldn't fit for some reason or other. It could be that they would, but the Naval Ord blokes wouldn't sanction it. We couldn't write them off either, even though the value was zilch. If one was fit for scrap, it had to go back to the NOD with reams of crap Naval authority paperwork.
Lanchesters............
Does anyone have or use one?
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I forgot to say earlier but we've got a couple of variants at Warminster, both Mk1*'s though. I let my son have a shoot one morning on the range but he wasn't impressed really. But when you're 14 or so, after a Sten gun or big Thompson, the Lanchester wasn't in the impressive league. But it plodded on and didn't stop.
Sterling SMG breech blocks fit if you re-position the cocking handle. But the case hardening is about .014" or so deep, so if you need to do it grind away a small area first.
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If you need a new Lanchester barrel (are they still available in the US anyone?) you can easily convert a Sterling L2A3 barrel by machining off the front flanges, stepping the muzle down and inserting and brazing it into the stripped down multi holed Lanchester muzzle flange.
I suppose there are other ways but...............
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Legacy Member
Yes. Barrels are still available. IMA has them.
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Advisory Panel
I know this was not the question but I recall seeing a Turkish sentry in Cyprus carrying a Lanchester out in the open fields outside Nicosia city. You could tell because the brass bits shone brilliantly in the desert sun. I couldn't help but wonder how it worked then. (1975) There were other neat things too, MP38 without a lick of blue, Brens, Stens of all breeds, one #5 carbine, Vickers, Thompson of every mark...would have kept Peter busy refitting on a slow day.
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Someone told me that the reason the little Lanchester is so prolific around the world is because when these nations in the 50's 60's and 70's were all buying ex Royal Navy, Australian and NZ navy ships, they got the ships complete - or as we say in REME technical circles, complete to CES! That is all the weaponry and even the kitchen utensils too.
My friend, a former supplies Officer in the RN went onto a Pakistan Navy destroyer (I think he said it was the former HMS Cadiz but don't quote me .......) and there were still Lanchester SMG's in the rifle racks. He was in Chile too during the Falklands 'misunderstanding.......' and there were still plenty in the Chilean Navy. Another big buyer of our ships
Is/are there many of them in firing/useable condition in the US?
From my very limited experience of Lanchesters, as used by the Brit and Aust/NZ boarding parties in Borneo and Sarawak, they didn't mix too well with salt water and the casings soon went rusty
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Darn few transferable Lancesters in the US, from what I've seen. Some made from STEN "receivers" (don't read too much into that- they were registered bit of tube that ATF considers "STENs"), but I recall only one Lanchester for sale anytime recently. Don't know if there's many dealer samples even. If they're out there, they stay at home. Folks don't swap 'em or bring them to shoots much. I'd like to be proven wrong, though! Where's the secret stash?
It's one I'd like to shoot but haven't yet had the opportunity.
Last edited by jmoore; 08-31-2010 at 05:13 AM.
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