Lanchester submachine gun

Infobox Weapon
name= Lanchester


caption=
origin=flagcountry|United Kingdom
type=Submachine gun
is_ranged=yes
is_bladed=
is_explosive=
is_artillery=
is_vehicle=
is_UK=yes
service= 1941–1960
used_by= United Kingdom
wars=World War II
designer=
design_date=
manufacturer=Sterling Armament Company
production_date=1941–
number=
variants=Mk I, Mk I*
weight=9.57 lb, 4.34 kg
length=33.5 in, 851 mm
part_length=8 inches, 203 mm
width=
height=
crew=
cartridge=9x19mm Parabellum
caliber=
action= Blowback, Open bolt
rate= 600 round/min
velocity= 1,245 ft/s, 380 m/s
range= 150m
max_range=
feed= 32 or 50 round detachable box magazine
sights=
breech=
recoil=
carriage=
elevation=
traverse=
blade_type=
hilt_type=
head_type=
haft_type=
diameter=
filling=
filling_weight=
detonation=
yield=

The Lanchester was a submachine gun used by the British during World War II.

History

In 1940, with the Dunkirk evacuation completed, the Royal Air Force decided to adopt some form of submachine gun for airfield defense. With no time to spare for the development of a new weapon it was decided to adopt a direct copy of the German MP28, captured examples of which were at hand for examination. The period was so desperate that the British Admiralty decided to join with the RAF in adopting the new weapon, and played a key role in its design. By a series of convoluted events, the Admiralty alone actually adopted the Lanchester into service.

The British MP28 copy was given the general designation of Lanchester after George Lanchester who was charged with producing the weapon at the Sterling Armament Company, the same company that went on to produce the Sterling submachine gun that is presently the standard submachine gun of many nations.

The Lanchester was envisioned as a weapon that could be used for guarding prisoners and accompanying naval landing and assault parties. It was a very solid, extremely heavy submachine gun, in many ways the complete opposite of its direct contemporary, the Sten. The Lanchester had a heavy wooden butt and stock, a machined steel action and breech block, and a magazine housing made from a favorite naval construction material, solid brass. A few details typical for the era were added, such as a mounting on the muzzle for use of a long bladed British bayonet. The rifling differed from the German original in details to accommodate various lots of 9 mm ammunition then being acquired for service use. The Lanchester also used furniture from the Lee-Enfield SMLE.

Operation

The magazine for the Lanchester was straight and carried a useful, if quite heavy capacity of fifty 9 mm cartridges. Stripping of cartridges into the magazine was aided by a catch on the top of the receiver. The very first model, the Lanchester Mk I, could fire either single shot or automatic. On the Lanchester Mk I* this was changed to full automatic fire only, and many Mk Is were converted to Mk I* standard at Royal Navy workshops.

ervice

The Lanchester was a copy of a German design, but gave good service to the Royal Navy throughout the war and for some years after. The Lanchester was far heavier than the Sten and had a similar tendency to accidentally discharge if the gun was dropped or knocked on a hard object while cocked and loaded. The last examples left Royal Naval service in the 1960s and are now collector's items.

ee also

*Sten submachine gun
*Sterling submachine gun

External links

* [http://www.securityarms.com/20010315/galleryfiles/1100/1112.htm Lanchester Mark 1 SMG (British)] image at Security Arms
* [http://world.guns.ru/smg/smg84-e.htm Lanchester Mk.1] at Modern Firearms