Sterling Contract info

[Lee Enfield]

Just for my curiosity then..........what era were KR prefix's from?

KR ("K"enton "R"edgrave [Managing Director of Sterling]) prefix run from the MkIII (L2A2) & Mk4 (L2A3) commercial Sterlings (approx. c.1955 - 1971)
S ("S"isi Edmiston [Wife of new owner of Sterling]) prefix run from the Mk4 (L2A3) & Mk5 (L34A1) commercial Sterlings (c.1972-1988)

[Gil Boyd]

Thought I would throw this one into the SMG pot, an interesting photo from D-DAY showing a Royal Canadian Navy Beach Commando with his trusty Lanchester and bayonet

[Peter Laidler]

The interesting thing abo9ut the Lanchester is that the production contracts distinctly mention the two types of rear bayonet fiitings. I can only assume that there were to be TWO rear mount types available. The standard one we all know for the No1 bayonet and another type, presumable for the No3 rifle bayonet. Never seen one but as always, you always come across someone who says that they have!

[mrclark303]

Thought I would throw this one into the SMG pot, an interesting photo from D-DAY showing a Royal Canadian Navy Beach Commando with his trusty Lanchester and bayonet

Interesting picture Gil, I assumed Lanchesters would be second line issue by that point in the war.

[Vincent]

The interesting thing abo9ut the Lanchester is that the production contracts distinctly mention the two types of rear bayonet fiitings. I can only assume that there were to be TWO rear mount types available. The standard one we all know for the No1 bayonet and another type, presumable for the No3 rifle bayonet. Never seen one but as always, you always come across someone who says that they have!

That’s interesting, Peter. Do you think those mounts for the No3 rifle bayonet were ever produced?

I have never seen one, but until now I had no idea there might be such a thing. So, I have not been looking for one. I suppose the bayonet would extend further below the Lanchester and look a bit like the early Jap type 100 SMG?

The Lanchester looks pretty formidable with its long No1 bayonet attached. That blade could go all the way through a normal size man. It probably wouldn’t go through some of the obese ones we have around here, but it could go through a lot of blubber and maybe reach vital organs. Just the sight of the bayonet is bound to have a psychological effect.

[mrclark303]

the obese ones we have around here, but it could go through a lot of blubber and maybe reach vital organs

Vincent, you could get in a lot of trouble for a comment like that these days, don't you know harpooning Whales was banned years ago...

[Peter Laidler]

The 'other' bayonet mount is definitely mentioned in the design criteria but I've never seen one. But it would make sense. Same as Sten No(T)2 was adapted to take a bayonet. But nobody truly knows whether it was the No4 spike or the No1 blade type. . I agree whole heartedly about the need for extras long bayonets today! Some of 'em look like they need pushing back into the sea!

[mrclark303]

You've done it now Peter, that's me, you and Vincent on Hate Crime charges against a "sizable" minority!

[Vincent]

The 'other' bayonet mount is definitely mentioned in the design criteria but I've never seen one. But it would make sense. Same as Sten No(T)2 was adapted to take a bayonet. But nobody truly knows whether it was the No4 spike or the No1 blade type. . I agree whole heartedly about the need for extras long bayonets today! Some of 'em look like they need pushing back into the sea!

Peter, you have probably handled more Lanchesters than anyone alive. If you haven’t seen it, then it’s either extremely rare or doesn’t exist.

Vincent, you could get in a lot of trouble for a comment like that these days, don't you know harpooning Whales was banned years ago...

Haha! Yeah, there’s abundance of Whales these days.

Here some of the motorized shopping carts the great beasts roam supermarket aisles on now have warning labels, “Max Capacity 750 lbs.”

[Peter Laidler]

A few weeks agi I was at one of the queues in the local shopping supermarket when an......, er......., rather 'well fed' muffin top female was pulling her bulging cake filled shopping trolley backwards a few feet to position it in the gap when someones mobile phone started to bleep.........bleep...........bleep.........bleep. ...... Someone a bit further back in the queue quick thinking commented rather loudly 'Christ, it's reversing now'. I almost cried laughing - as did several others in the same queue...........