Mk2 Sten Gun

[Achtung Spitfire!]

Probably my favourite deactivated SMG in my collection.In nice original condition. Manufactured in the millions. A crude but effective 9mm weapon and much much cheaper to produce than the Thompson. 32 round magazine but filling to capacity regularly caused jams so 28 rounds was the recommended mag load. Pretty hard to come by in the UK these days. 

Complete with silencer. This would only be used on semi auto.

 

[ChrisHall]

I'm not an avid gun enthusiast but I have some info that might be of interest.

My late father-in-law (1926-2010) started work in 1942-3 at a secret bomb testing site in the New Forest, England. One day the team he worked with received a Sten Gun with a request to try and find out why it was jamming (soldiers were dying in the war because of it)

Part of their bomb testing was to film them exploding with high speed photography (camera was driven by an electric motor geared up via an Austin 7 gearbox!) They bolted down a Sten fitted a full magazine and fired it off. Due to sods law the gun wouldn't jam during the several seconds of film that was available each run, eventually after a few wasted rolls of film it jammed. It was seen that occasionally a spent cartridge case wasn't ejected properly and the next cartridge would hit it. Gun was sent back with a recommendation that the ejector mechanism was modified.

This along with other bits of info was told to me by my FIL over many years as we walked around the wartime site. Wish I could ask him more as time passing makes it more interesting. 

[Achtung Spitfire!]

Hi Chris thats a really interesting recollection of events. Sten gun magazines could hold 32 rounds but as a rule they were loaded with 28 as this would prevent jamming. There were 5 variants of the Sten gun Mk1 to Mk 5. Mk1s & 4s are hard to find. Mk2s & 3s come on the market from time to time and Mk5s are easily obtainable at this time. See photo of my Mk5 with a 7 cell bandolier that was usually associated with paratroopers and commandos.

 

 

[ChrisHall]

Hi

Another story from my late FIL:

Sometime around 1943 he helped to test & evaluate the Bren Gun (Mk2 or mk3 perhaps?) 

It was duly fixed firmly down on a special mount and a full mag was fired on auto at a target, either 100 or 200 yards, I can't remember which. When the target was examined to see what grouping was achieved they were surprised to see only one bullet hole, the rest appeared to have missed.  Someone then commented that there was something strange about the hole, sort of slightly enlarged, it was then realised that all the bullets had gone through the same hole! When it was eventually returned it was recommended that a degree of imbalance be introduced to scatter the shot slightly, otherwise it would be wasted ammo. 

[ChrisHall]

24 minutes ago, ChrisHall said:

Hi

Another story from my late FIL:

Sometime around 1943 he helped to test & evaluate the Bren Gun (Mk2 or mk3 perhaps?) 

It was duly fixed firmly down on a special mount and a full mag was fired on auto at a target, either 100 or 200 yards, I can't remember which. When the target was examined to see what grouping was achieved they were surprised to see only one bullet hole, the rest appeared to have missed.  Someone then commented that there was something strange about the hole, sort of slightly enlarged, it was then realised that all the bullets had gone through the same hole! When it was eventually returned it was recommended that a degree of imbalance be introduced to scatter the shot slightly, otherwise it would be wasted ammo. 

More stuff here. 

https://nfknowledge.org/contributions/millersford-arde-superintendent-the-lancaster-crash-and-an-unrecognised-hero/#map=10/-1.7/50.96/0/24:0:0.6|39:1:1|40:1:1

My late FIL assured me that he witnessed the crash, caused by the last in line of a group of low flying Lancasters of the Dam Buster Squadron losing control in the turbulent slipstream and turning left into clear air, the pilot then had to steepen the turn to avoid a line of electricity pylons, unfortunately he clipped the ground with his port wingtip and cartwheeled. Crew very lucky to survive. 

[Gildwiller1918]

I have seen a lot of Mk 3's in the US lately, even have companies that make new receiver tubes to restore to semi-auto firing, or full-auto, depending on your license and state requirements.  I might have to pick one up soon for the collection.

[Achtung Spitfire!]

Nice option to have the conversion option to a functional weapon (depending on state law) One of the big plusses for a weapons collector living in the states!

Personally I'm not a fan of the Mk3 with its cast barrel shroud (that's the only way I can describe it) I've held one and it feels & looks cheap compared to my Mk2 & Mk5. However from a collecting perspective it would be nice to have one. Budget constraints dictate that I have to choose my SMG purchases 'carefully' but I do have a nice old spec Thompson M1 coming my way to compliment my 1928A1.

That'll give me 5 SMGS; 2 Stens 2 Thompsons and an M3A1 Grease Gun.

The Stens and the Grease guns were of course significantly cheaper to produce than the Thompson so I think the weapons I have tell a story of sorts as they are linked from a  manufacturing perspective as the war progressed if that makes sense. Britain developed the Sten gun and the USA developed the Grease Gun to replace the expensive Thompsons.

This new spec Mk3 Sten sold recently for £650 over here as a comparison to prices in the States. Cocking handle moves under springs pressure, trigger moves, not sure about the semi/full auto button (some do work some don't depending on the deactivation) and the mag detaches.

Interesting to note that in the rest of Europe a new law recently passed that dictates Thompsons magazines (and all other types I imagine) have to have one of the feeder lips cut away as a legal sale requirement which makes them none functional. Thats pretty draconian!!! Luckily I have a pretty extensive collection of  working Thompson mags (many manufacturers /eras which makes them collectable to those magazine hacks out there like myself)

Interesting as a foot note to see the comparison of different lengths of Thompson Sten gun & Lanchester magazines here from my collection:

Lanchester 50 rounds

Sten gun 32 rounds

Thompson 30 rounds

Thompson 20 rounds

[Gildwiller1918]

Nice magazines, do you have the Thompson drum as well?  I understand the governments concerns in some cases, other times it seems a little carried away. I do however like the Thompsons, they are very heavy and robust, but they were designed towards the end of WW1 to be trench clearers. 

[Achtung Spitfire!]

My 1928A1  model which was manufactured in 1942 with 100 round C Drum 50 Round L Drum & 20 round stick mag. 

Repro 1921 Colt Era Wood set. Note the large front grip so in essence this weapon has the look of a 1921 Thompson. 1921 deactivated Thompsons are upward of £10k so I cloned my 1942. 

C Drum loaded with 100 inert rounds

I have a passion for gangsters of the roaring 20's. My tribute to John Dillinger 

My extensive Thompson magazine collection. Numerous manufacturers. The oldest being manufactured in 1921 known to collectors as a 'Colt Era Blank' (the front face isn't stamped). Only 15,000 were produced.

There are also 30 round Thompson mags, Sten Gun mags, Grease Gun mags and a Lanchester mag in this photo.

 

 

 

[sven erik dahl]

 Jeg er en norsk våpensamler . Ser dere diskuterer Sten-Gun . Her i Norge har de akkurat vedtatt en lov som tillater samlere å inneha inntil 5 helautomatiske våpen . Jeg har akkurat registrert denne .  den kom i flyslipp fra Engeland sent i 1944  , til den norske motstandsbevegelsen .

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