Lanchester SMG
- Category
- Submachine Gun
- Barrel
- 203 mm
- Weight, empty
- 4.34 kg
- Introduced
- 1941
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Lanchester is a British submachine gun adopted in 1941, named after George Herbert Lanchester who led its development at the Sterling Armaments Company. It is a near-direct copy of the German Bergmann MP28/II, hurriedly put into production after the Battle of Britain when the RAF identified a need for a submachine gun to defend its airfields. Built around a milled steel receiver with a brass magazine housing and a wooden stock derived from the Lee-Enfield No. 1 Mk III rifle, the Lanchester was heavy, expensive, and exceptionally rugged compared to the contemporary Sten.
Named for engineer George Herbert Lanchester of the famous Lanchester Motor Company, the gun cost roughly £14 to make against the Sten's £2 - so reliable and over-engineered that the Royal Navy kept it in service into the 1970s, decades after the war it was rushed out to fight.
Produced in Mk I, Mk I* (simplified two-position flip sight) and Mk I** (Mk I* fitted with a bolt safety stop from 1944) versions. Its 50-round box magazine was interchangeable with the German MP28/II. Although requested by the RAF, the Royal Navy became the principal user.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Sterling Armaments Company
- Category
- Submachine Gun
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Status
- Out of production
- Produced
- 1941 to 1943
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 203 mm
- Overall length
- 851 mm
- Weight, empty
- 4.34 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Blowback
- Firing mechanism
- Open bolt
- Trigger
- Single stage
- Capacity
- 50
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Wood
- Finish
- Blued
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 379 m/s
- Effective range
- 150 m
- Rate of fire
- 600 rpm
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Brass magazine housing
Lee enfield wooden stock
Bayonet lug
Fixed stock
Select fire
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 201 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 4.34 kg | 3.18 kg | Heavier than about 90% |
| Overall lengthAmong 200 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 851 mm | 723 mm | Longer than about 80% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 202 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 203 mm | 213 mm | Shorter than about 60% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 204 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 50 | 32 | Holds more rounds than about 90% |
Answers
Questions about the Lanchester SMG
How much does the Lanchester SMG weigh?
The Lanchester SMG weighs 4.34 kg (9.57 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Lanchester SMG?
The Lanchester SMG is chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum.
How many rounds does the Lanchester SMG hold?
The Lanchester SMG holds 50 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the Lanchester SMG?
The Lanchester SMG is 851 mm (33.5 in) long overall, with a 203 mm (7.99 in) barrel.
Who makes the Lanchester SMG?
The Lanchester SMG is made by Sterling Armaments Company (United Kingdom). It was designed by George Herbert Lanchester.
When was the Lanchester SMG introduced?
The Lanchester SMG was introduced in 1941 and discontinued in 1943.
How does the Lanchester SMG operate?
The Lanchester SMG uses a blowback action, and its firing mechanism is open bolt.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- Royal Navy
- 1941
- Royal Air Force Regiment
- 1941
- Royal Canadian Navy
- Canada
Provenance
Confidence in this record
78%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/lanchester-smg' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "lanchester-smg", "name": "Lanchester SMG", "manufacturer": { "id": "sterling-armaments", "name": "Sterling Armaments Company", "countryCode": "GB", "foundedYear": 1900, "website": null, "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-11 23:44:40", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:40:48", "version": "34f9baced1950446f43ac14c70518da29b385f1386d27c8c1213e23b042e40bc" }, "category": { "id": "submachine-gun", "name": "Submachine Gun", "description": "Automatic firearms chambered in pistol calibers" }, "country_of_origin": "GB", "year_introduced": 1941, "barrel_length_mm": 203, "weight_empty_g": 4340, "action_type": "blowback"}