Sten Truck picture.. guess how many!
- Thread starter gtiguy
- Start date
I had a couple of Stens before Bill C68. I sold one and I tuned one in to the authorities - without compensation... PMO!
A WW2 veteran paratrooper told me that when the Germans surrendered the GIs would get rid of them as fast as they could, stomping them into the mud in the ditches. He said they all got docked $6.00 on their pay for not turning them in.
A WW2 veteran paratrooper told me that when the Germans surrendered the GIs would get rid of them as fast as they could, stomping them into the mud in the ditches. He said they all got docked $6.00 on their pay for not turning them in.
I don't blame them one bit, I sure as hell wouldn't trust my life to a Sten gun. It was probably the worst mass produced SMG of the whole war... even the Russians did better.
Brutus
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Well, you ever shoot one?
I have once, shot a Mk 2 with suppressor, in the course of military instruction. And I can tell you, it was not at all that bad, and accurate as well.
Personally, I liked it better than the Uzi.
I have once, shot a Mk 2 with suppressor, in the course of military instruction. And I can tell you, it was not at all that bad, and accurate as well.
Personally, I liked it better than the Uzi.
Last edited:
My neighbor across the street was at Caen during the Normandy landing, driving a truck that was a mobile machine shop & garage. One of the fellows in his squad accidentally killed himself when he put the Sten down butt-first in front of himself while climbing into the back of a truck.
The Sten was designed to be robust, simple, inexpensive and easily manufactured. It wasn't really designed to be safe.
The Sten was designed to be robust, simple, inexpensive and easily manufactured. It wasn't really designed to be safe.
I don't blame them one bit, I sure as hell wouldn't trust my life to a Sten gun. It was probably the worst mass produced SMG of the whole war... even the Russians did better.
+2 I'd take a PPSH-41 over a Sten any day.
Neat pic though.
Just imagine the RCMP pulling that truck over today.
+2 I'd take a PPSH-41 over a Sten any day.
Neat pic though.
Just imagine the RCMP pulling that truck over today.
I can see the headlines now:
"Truck full of high power semiautomatic assault rifles pulled over by RCMP"
It's amazing how the use of "semiautomatic" is meant by the media to sound more menacing than fully automatic. My wife actually remarked to me the other day "I didn't know you were allowed to purchase semi-automatic guns!"
No, just fully automatic ones. Semi's are banned.
Handled, never shot. I wasn't terribly impressed.
But judging from the accounts of veterans who actually used them overseas, in person and in writing, I wouldn't trust my life to one.
- Location
- Tucson, Arizona
My MkII works quite well. If you were issued one you would damm well HAVE to trust your life to it! Of course if it was a MkIII you might have a point. Production was terminated on them before the war ended. (production shortcuts taken a tad too far) As for accidently shooting yourself with one, they do have a safety, its up to you to use it.
There are alll kinds of stories. Some are plausible, others are just plain silly.
The Sten was rushed int o production. Training was unsophisticated. The Sten can be quirky, and there is a learning curve to using one effectively and safely.
Can't give much credibility to sameone who makes a definitive statement about Stens, and then it turns out that they have never fired one, but did handle one once.
If you want an excellent overview, read Laidler's Sten Machine Carbine.
I have fired the better part of 2000 rounds through II and III carbines. When I hear the stories about how awful Stens were, coming from the mouths of someone who has no experience with them, I smile.
Stens are what they are. They filled a need at a time when the need was great. Their production was a remarkable achievement. And they did work. They are also a LOT more accurate than generally assumed. But then again, there is nothing in the manuals - and likely in the body of experience at the time -to teach how to get the best performance out of one.
The Sten was rushed int o production. Training was unsophisticated. The Sten can be quirky, and there is a learning curve to using one effectively and safely.
Can't give much credibility to sameone who makes a definitive statement about Stens, and then it turns out that they have never fired one, but did handle one once.
If you want an excellent overview, read Laidler's Sten Machine Carbine.
I have fired the better part of 2000 rounds through II and III carbines. When I hear the stories about how awful Stens were, coming from the mouths of someone who has no experience with them, I smile.
Stens are what they are. They filled a need at a time when the need was great. Their production was a remarkable achievement. And they did work. They are also a LOT more accurate than generally assumed. But then again, there is nothing in the manuals - and likely in the body of experience at the time -to teach how to get the best performance out of one.
I am basing my judgement on the comments of veterans I have spoken to who actually used them overseas. If the vets liked them, I wouldn't be saying such things.
Right, because firing 2000 rounds on a clean and dry "one way" range is somehow comparable to combat experience?
