This is an excellent example of a very scarce class III/NFA C&R registered WWII British Lanchester Mark I * (modified) SMG as manufactured by the Sterling Engineering Company, in Essex. This model was designed in early 1940 by George Lanchester, and was used exclusively by the British Navy throughout the war. These SMGs were a direct copy of the early German MP28 II, except for a couple of minor changes to the basic design of the weapon. The internals were identical to the MP28 with the earlier Lanchester models having a repositioned selector switch, which was moved to the front of the trigger guard. Later in the war the selector switch was completely eliminated making them a fully automatic weapon only, with all previously fielded SMGs so modified. These were redesigned SMGs and were marked "Mark I * ", as in this example. The two unique features of this weapon are that the magazine housing was completely made from all brass casting and the barrel jacket has a permanently attached bayonet lug on the underside for the British 1907 pattern bayonet. The top of the magazine housing is marked "LANCHESTER/MK. I *./SA. M619/40247/CF 75". It has the standard WWII fixed front sight with a two-position (100 and 200 meter) adjustable rear sight. It has an original Enfield pattern hardwood stock with finger grooves on the sides with a small British Broad Arrow proof over "SL" on the underside. This is a very robust and heavily designed SMG, that was probably very easy to control. This weapon includes three original 30 round stick magazines in an original khaki brown magazine pouch and an original blue (Navy) web sling.

Very fine with 85% of a dark phosphate blue type finish overall with the brass magazine well having flaked off and now showing only traces of black painted finish. The stock is also in very fine condition with a nice orangish finish, nice sharp finger grooves, and only minor handling marks/pressure dents on the underside of the forend. A really nice late production model. NOTE: This item is restricted as a National Firearms Act (NFA), fully transferable Class 3, which is registered with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, (BATFE) that is classified as a "Curios or Relic" as defined in 27 CFR, 478.11. These weapons are still subject to the provisions of 18 U.S.C. Chapter 44 and 27 CFR part 478.