Lanchester SMG Stripping Tool?

[peregrinvs]

Hi,

Pics attached of what was described to me as being a Lanchester stripping tool. It seems to more or less fit, (note that the spanner has space to clear the bayonet boss) but I've never heard of such a thing. The only marking looks like 'XB' and the only match I've found for that is a postwar Belgian company that made helmets.

Has anyone seen anything like this before? (Or any Lanchester armourer tools for that matter) Were the Belgians a postwar user of the Lanchester?

Thanks,
Mark
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[Vincent]

Interesting. Thanks for posting the pictures.

I have a barrel spanner, but it doesn't look that nice. More like a homemade contraption. Does the job though.

BTW, nice patina on your Lanchester.

[Peter Laidler]

We used to overhaul/FTR hundreds of Navy Lanchesters from the big Naval Ord Depot at Sembawang (?) in Singapore and from Aust/NZ ships passing through and based there. In fact as we were closing down, there were still 6 Lanchesters left there from an ex UK Submarine (was it Aurochs..... as we went on a day-out jolly up the Straits of Johore up to Kuantan on the exact same route as the Repulse and PoW. Fortunately, we got back OK unlike those!) that had been transferred to the Aust Navy, but I digress! Never saw a service tool for Lanchesters, They were easyily serviced/stripped from our basic tool kts and never saw an unduly tight barrel.

[peregrinvs]

Never saw a service tool for Lanchesters, They were easyily serviced/stripped from our basic tool kts and never saw an unduly tight barrel.

It seems to fit, so hopefully it was made for the Lanchester. Admittedly it doesn't look British made. It may have to remain a mystery...

---------- Post added at 09:51 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:46 PM ----------

Interesting. Thanks for posting the pictures.

I have a barrel spanner, but it doesn't look that nice. More like a homemade contraption. Does the job though.

BTW, nice patina on your Lanchester.

Thanks. Unfortunately I can't give it a full test as the barrel is welded into the receiver. As for the patina, I suspect some bored Egyptian army recruit in the 50's or 60's cleaned it to with an inch of it's life - taking almost all the finish off the metal. However, they didn't bother with the finish under the woodwork so hopefully it's original.

[Peter Laidler]

You could straighten the foresight protectors Peregrine. They were always getting a bit battered - as were the L2 Sterling ones. JUst a bit of cherry-red heat and they'll bend back easily. As a matter of interest (that's if anyone really is interested......) we used to have to zero the Navy Lanchesters after their full refurbishments but as they were only automatic, the ammo allocation was doubled up per gun over the Stens and Sterlings we also did. And as the Navy were always knee deep in ammo great fun was had. We used to use Sterling adjustable foresight blades to get them on zero.

So heavy but comfortable to shoot.