Interesting LB with an oops.

[stencollector]

Had this one pass over my bench the other day. Dewat of course. It is an early LB Sten mk2 with some of the typical early features and one little difference.

It is a very early serial number. 0L264 will be the 264th sten made by Long Branch. Notice the smoothed out welds on the magwell. They only smoothed these out on the first 500 or so. Then they just left the welds as is, until the newer stamped and rolled magwells came out in 1943. Also note the DCP proofmark. These are only on the early guns (less than a thousand I believe) as the requirement to proof fire sub machine guns was soon dropped.

The early production included 17,000 guns for British contract, and this gun shows property marks for both Canada (the C/i\ under the trigger guard) and the British crowfoot on the trigger mechanism sideplate.

The earliest Cdn stens were hand stamped. This one must have been done on a morning after. The lettering is not up to the usual LB standards, and the person doing it accidentally stamped a "C" which he had to overstamp with a "N" in the word BRANCH.

Anyway, just thought I would throw this one out there.

 

[angrysoldier]

you should see me try to stamp serial number on a c6 barrel. im the worst guy in the shop at stamping.

 

[stencollector]

you should see me try to stamp serial number on a c6 barrel. im the worst guy in the shop at stamping.

Ever get nervous about it, then hit or pinch your fingers? Then things just get worse.

I have stamped the old bren barrels before, and they seem to have been surface hardened a bit, which seems to make the stamps jump about.

 

[MapleSugar]

That stamping error leads me to wonder if it isn't a Chinese knock-off.

 

[Lee Enfield]

Anyone else notice the diamond hardness impression test spot next to the broad arrow?

 

[stencollector]

I saw the mark but had no idea what it was.

 

[J. Savoie]

stencollector too bad one can't recycle the mag well when building a semiauto Sten like the ones you did. These stampings will be lost unless that Sten is kept as a wall hanger.

 

[stencollector]

stencollector too bad one can't recycle the mag well when building a semiauto Sten like the ones you did. These stampings will be lost unless that Sten is kept as a wall hanger.

That is pretty much true for any MG. In fact, it may well be the fate for any semi auto or handgun in the next 5 or 10 years in this country.

 

[angrysoldier]

have never hit my fingers, but really hate marking "dp" into a no 4.

 

[stencollector]

have never hit my fingers, but really hate marking "dp" into a no 4.

As you well should!!