Chris Hall

your correct, only some of the Stevens production had 2 groove barrels. Some of the STEN Mk2 and 3 barrels were drawn over mandrel made, they were never flat sheet rolled and welded. They simply got a tube and pressed the rifled mandrel into the tube and then rolled the barrel under pressure. They then pressed out the mandrel and ended up with a barrel that looked like it had already fired 5000 rounds.

They are known as Savage Enfields but they were made by Stevens. The squared S logo is theirs but as they were owned by Savage, that's what they have been known as. The very first were Mk1 but the bulk were Mk1*. oh and they are No4 Mk1 etc rather than SMLE.

The 12xxx serial is a WD/C and the more complete bike is I think a post war model C built on left over WD spares. There is a contract number finely pantographed on the left crank case of Enfield WD/C and COs. Contact Jan (REWDCO) as he is the author of an excellent article on the RE WD bikes. The WD/C had a centre stand and the CO a rear stand. The Panier frames were retro fitted to some earlier bikes and fitted at factory from a certain contract. Again Jan has the answers.

Your 44 WDCO is in fact a WD/C or if your going off the frame number (And it's not in the recognised WD/C range) then it could be a post war model C built on WD spare parts. also just noticed the bikes sat on a Bren Gun mag box, if it's not your then grab it with the bikes. That's £20 or more on eBay.

That's one very old veteran engine, probably pre to 1st world war but no later. The big fin projections on top are to get access to the valves.

That .50 is terrible, wouldn't even pass the 20 foot test.

Have you checked this? http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4101295 http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7161413

I think these are 3 separate aircraft. If you look in the backgrounds you can see the other Hurricanes, especially the one with the ferry tanks installed. The skinless Hurricane looks to me like it's being stripped for spares. You would never remove the skin in the open as the sand will get into places it can never be cleared from, and you don't want that in an aircraft that will be repaired.

/\ /\ /\👍

Interestingly 112sqn RAF had a P40 named Jinx, coincidence??

Ron, I've sent you an email with a link to a good condition magneto chain cover if you still need one.

I love the fact there are dozens of civilians including a young lady standing on the tank to the rear. The rear one looks in a bigger pickle that the front one. Unless it too difficult to get recovery vehicles to the tanks I'm not sure they would have been left.

This is what we need to watch for in our aircraft and I suspect some specialist vehicles would suffer with this too. http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-Bio19Tuat01-t1-body-d4.html

Mike Priest usually has plenty of Browning M2 and 1919 stuff (I think he supplies drop zone, is his name Peter???) Are you building a replica?

Things do have a strange way of working out in the end. i happened to click on the link to your first post on this thread and saw the photo of your daughter. I remember my son was about the same age and he's almost 7 now. Time flies!!

Oddly enough the compass is usually one of the first things to be liberated from a cockpit once an Aircraft is surplus. I sold the last RAF GR1 2 years ago and I had a lot of phone calls from Aircrew asking if they could have the compass out of it. Unfortunately photos had been taken recording the condition so that sealed bids could be placed so the cockpit remained intact (As intact as it was at the time of the photos).

That one is a Greener production gun, not a common gun to find. As you have the earlier brass mag housing without the lock screw for the barrel, you should find the barrel has a screw in the front face of the barrel at the 12 o'clock position.

What's the serial number? Looks like it will be about SA9xxx give or take a few thousand.

That's a good group you have going there. I'm not one for doing the reenactor thing either, I ware the uniform for real during the week so don't fancy it at the weekend. I've attached a photo of some of my guns so you can see how a standard LE rifle sling appears on a Lanchster. The top gun is an original Mk1 (SA209), no welding as everything is screwed in place. It requires a selector knob and change lever to return it to the original Mk1 spec (Only a few hundred Mk1s were made). Middle gun is a Mk1 intermediate gun, that is a gun that has Mk1 parts but was made as a Mk1* (SA12859), bottom is a BOSS made Mk1* (77445)

I visited the National Firearms Centre last month (Which is next to the Royal Armouries) and they had some nice Lanchesters. I didn't get chance to have a good look at them so I need to go back. I want to convert my Very Early Mk1 back to Semi Auto selectable and just need the dims of the selector knob and how the detent worked.

What source do you have for a specific Lanchester sling? I ask as I don't know why they would have a shorter sling when the rifle sling fits perfectly. There's also no mention of it on karkeeweb but if there is one it will be mentioned in the naval EMERS or whatever they called them (NCIs?)

thats a Sterling L2 sling, and expensive too.

I just have standard GS rifle slings on my Lanchester and STEN Mk1. I can't find reference to a Lanchester sling, there was an Aussie SMG sling though.

When you say revive the brass plates, are they instructions that should be brass letters showing on a black paint back ground?

I've got a lot of bullet proof items. The salesman told me my car Diesal engine was bullet proof 'till they forgot to put the oil in. My glasses were bullet proof 'till I sat on them. My dishwasher was bullet proof till the heater failed. So far, everytime some one tells me something is bullet proof....it isn't!