Sten Gun assembly Video
- Thread starter msnacks
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You definitely had to be careful with the Sten, My dad told me that there was several guys in his battalion,in Normandy shot themselves in the foot, when their Sten went off, he didn’t know them personally , but rumours where there was going to be a Court Martial, charged with SIW , Self inflicted wound, I know the Canadian 9mm, C1 SMG, could do this if the butt was jarred ,and the breech block slam forward picking up a round from the mag, there was soldier during the FLQ Crisis whose shot himself, with his SMG, and died , I talked to a retired soldier , who was there , and saw it happen, you better have control of the muzzle at all times , with a loaded Sten or C1 SMG
I had a deactivated Sten Gun many years ago. It was a neat little rig but to deactivate it they removed the firing mechanism and cut a chunk out of the receiver area. I always liked the basic utilitarian nature of them. Would be very cool to shoot one! 
I once stumbled upon a web site that had the instructions on how to build these from common bits and pieces available from the hardware store of 1945.
The French Resistance built them and used them.
I think the Spaniards did as well.
Don’t know where that link went, but there where several othe firearms that could be made with pipes and springs and a nail or two as well.
Rob
The French Resistance built them and used them.
I think the Spaniards did as well.
Don’t know where that link went, but there where several othe firearms that could be made with pipes and springs and a nail or two as well.
Rob
I had a deactivated Sten Gun many years ago. It was a neat little rig but to deactivate it they removed the firing mechanism and cut a chunk out of the receiver area. I always liked the basic utilitarian nature of them. Would be very cool to shoot one!
I fired a Sten in Vegas, it was stamped Long Branch on the mag housing, which was neat, it fired flawlessly , but in no way compared to using a Sten in action, the Sten continued in service with the Canadians and Brits, though the Korean War, but were not popular, with the troops, the US M1 carbine was much sought after, and the Yanks were generous in giving the M1 to
the envious Canadians, for a bottle of rye, usually sealed the deal ..lol, with over 6 million Carbines made, there was no shortage
I had a deactivated Sten Gun many years ago. It was a neat little rig but to deactivate it they removed the firing mechanism and cut a chunk out of the receiver area. I always liked the basic utilitarian nature of them. Would be very cool to shoot one!
It maybe would be cool if someone shot it first but i Guarantee you would have second thoughts after handling one! Old iron tends to come apart and spray metal in all direction!!
They are known from combat to have alot of accidental discharges. The troops liked them for being light and compact, but they had a problem with the open bolt slamming shut and firing, F/A. I read an incident of one going off by hanging on a tree by the sling. Scary and dangerous wartime firearm.
Good lord..............the much maligned and venerable Sten Gun was no more "dangerous" then the person operating it. It is, and was, just another open bolt SMG of the day and very capable of doing all that was asked of it at a time it was needed in quantity and low cost. What I read by previous comments is failures, by the operators to handle the Sten in a safe manner. Maybe it was poor training on the Sten ? maybe it was a case of complacency ? maybe it was just a case of poor supervision ?
Even the Germans in the last days of the war produced copies of the Sten with the MP3008 and homemade copies where clandestinely manufactured in Norway, Denmark, Poland which speaks well of the little SMG
Even the Germans in the last days of the war produced copies of the Sten with the MP3008 and homemade copies where clandestinely manufactured in Norway, Denmark, Poland which speaks well of the little SMG
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I believe that the guns in the video were MKII versions. The genius of the STEN was it's simplicity. No great amount of tooling or machined forgings required. Late war time production guns cost $9.00 according to SAOTW.
I think the reports of STENS going full auto on their own or when chucked thru' windows is so much "everyone knows" BS that has been repeated so often, people believe it. Of course the gun fires when the bolt slams forward! It was designed to do so. That's why it has the bolt handle locking notch which requires effort to engage. Take it off that position and you had better keep your finger off the trigger and the muzzle pointed in a safe direction. The pressure on the rds from the mag spring is such that it requires a drop from full #### to strip off and chamber/fire a rd.
The STEN had a button directly under the safety slot to select FA or SA fire. In SA mode, it was incapable of firing more than one rd per trigger squeeze.
I've owned an MP 40 in the past, and while I regard it as a superior weapon (plus the cool factor) to the STEN, I wouldn't feel badly armed with one. It too had a safety notch on the receiver body and no capability of SA fire, although with practice it was possible to rap off single rds. Great fun bouncing tin cans when in this mode!
"WARNING! Always remember that this weapon fires when the bolt goes forward! Never let the bolt go home while the loaded magazine is in position. Unless you wish to fire the weapon, always remove the magazine before easing the bolt home." SAOTW
If you think the STEN was a POS, then you haven't had much experience with the Sterling C1 SMG. It was my issue weapon as a Signal Corps Lineman. How it could have been regarded as an improvement on the STEN escapes me save the fact that it had a combined thumb operated safety/select fire lever.
On annual qualification if I didn't score a 'possible' or as near as damn, I was having a bad day. The course of fire started from a sand bag rest at 100 yds and ended up at 7 yds where you had to fire off all remaining rds FA.
I think the reports of STENS going full auto on their own or when chucked thru' windows is so much "everyone knows" BS that has been repeated so often, people believe it. Of course the gun fires when the bolt slams forward! It was designed to do so. That's why it has the bolt handle locking notch which requires effort to engage. Take it off that position and you had better keep your finger off the trigger and the muzzle pointed in a safe direction. The pressure on the rds from the mag spring is such that it requires a drop from full #### to strip off and chamber/fire a rd.
The STEN had a button directly under the safety slot to select FA or SA fire. In SA mode, it was incapable of firing more than one rd per trigger squeeze.
I've owned an MP 40 in the past, and while I regard it as a superior weapon (plus the cool factor) to the STEN, I wouldn't feel badly armed with one. It too had a safety notch on the receiver body and no capability of SA fire, although with practice it was possible to rap off single rds. Great fun bouncing tin cans when in this mode!
"WARNING! Always remember that this weapon fires when the bolt goes forward! Never let the bolt go home while the loaded magazine is in position. Unless you wish to fire the weapon, always remove the magazine before easing the bolt home." SAOTW
If you think the STEN was a POS, then you haven't had much experience with the Sterling C1 SMG. It was my issue weapon as a Signal Corps Lineman. How it could have been regarded as an improvement on the STEN escapes me save the fact that it had a combined thumb operated safety/select fire lever.
On annual qualification if I didn't score a 'possible' or as near as damn, I was having a bad day. The course of fire started from a sand bag rest at 100 yds and ended up at 7 yds where you had to fire off all remaining rds FA.
My favorite Sten story is about the Mk.V. It was mechanically identical to the Mk.II that the troops were so unhappy with except that it had a wood stock and pistol grip to replace the welded tubular metal one and a meatier front sight (stolen from a no.4 Enfield rifle). The muckie-mucks upstairs though all that wood would (pardon the pun) inspire confidence in the weapon. All it did was add weight.
Heathen. Mk.III Stens are the epitome of wartime expedience and so ugly they're special. Mk.III Stens were never made in Canada despite many who think they were because of the makers stamp 'L.B.' on them. This did not indicate Canada's Long Branch, it was the British manufacturer Line Brothers.
Never did get to shoot the Mk.V but did convert a dewat Long Branch MkII into the Mk.V look for a fun project. For those who like to read the Printed word, in a real book, made with paper.... buy The Sten Machine Carbine by Mr Laidler. Even if you may never own, handle or shoot a Sten it is THE book to own on the little SMG that got the job done.
- Location
- Behind a large rock
Any ideas on where that book could be bought?
Another feature of the MKII STEN was that the mag housing could be turned on the axis of the receiver so that it acts as a dust cover for the magazine and ejection port. I presume this would act as an additional safety.
The German copy was called the MP3008 and had the magazine housing on the bottom of the receiver as per the MP40. Hitler didn't like it as he felt that the German soldier deserved the finest in weaponry.
In my memory, the C1 SMG was the lowest regarded weapon during it's era. Most soldiers I knew disliked it intensely, but then we were spoiled by the FN C1 which we had immense confidence in.
The German copy was called the MP3008 and had the magazine housing on the bottom of the receiver as per the MP40. Hitler didn't like it as he felt that the German soldier deserved the finest in weaponry.
In my memory, the C1 SMG was the lowest regarded weapon during it's era. Most soldiers I knew disliked it intensely, but then we were spoiled by the FN C1 which we had immense confidence in.
Put close to 2000 rounds through Stens back in the day. Don't believe most of the stories you hear. With a magazine in place, and the bolt closed but not locked (Mk. V cocking handle) a jar could result in a round being fired. Pre Mk. V cocking handle, the only safe way to have a loaded Sten was to #### the gun and turn the cocking handle into the safety notch. Used properly, just about impossible to fire an unintended shot. Most open bolt smgs had this problem. Germans even used a leather strap to hold the MP38 bolt closed, to prevent a bump from firing a round. The bump had to be just right. Small bump, nothing happens. Strong bump, gun cocks. Just right, and the bot picks up a round, closes and fires one shot.
They are a lot more controllable and accurate that the stories would have you believe. Watched a friend break three clay pigeons with 5 shots, shooting a Mk. III prone with a forearm rest, at 100y.
Don't get too carried away with how a Sten could be made form assorted bits and pieces of junk. Not that simple. Very clever design, though, for mass production, with most of the parts coming from dispersed workshops. Long Branch had it easy. They weren't getting bombed.
They are a lot more controllable and accurate that the stories would have you believe. Watched a friend break three clay pigeons with 5 shots, shooting a Mk. III prone with a forearm rest, at 100y.
Don't get too carried away with how a Sten could be made form assorted bits and pieces of junk. Not that simple. Very clever design, though, for mass production, with most of the parts coming from dispersed workshops. Long Branch had it easy. They weren't getting bombed.
- Location
- Behind a large rock
I know! I was looking on amazon and they want 700 bucks! That’s more than a Dewat Sten!
