Sterling SMG (MarkIV Police Carbine)

Heavy_Dark said:
Somebody in Canada needs to manufacture some new Police Carbines.
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I brought it up a year or so ago, and I'll bring it up again. India's rifle factory is always looking for new customers, they manufactured and still have the sterlings in use, and they work cheap. Why doesn't an importer have RFI make up a batch of semi-auto police carbine mk4s? It would not be much different from the VZ58s and their varients....a firearm leaving it's origional factory as a semi auto.
If the price was reasonable (say about $1200-1500) they would sell. And they certainly have more history and nostalgia than the current crop of "for the collector" semi-auto SMGs on the Canadian market today.
 
peckerwood said:
MRstormtrooperblasterg.JPG

..........
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I'm not sure if those were modelled more after the Sterling or the FG-42. :D
 
stencollector said:
Those are the closed bolt semi-auto conversions with the double springs. They are not the same as the open bolt type sterling which we can own here. In the US, open bolt guns are a no-no.
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Dumb question but... why are open bolt guns a "no-no" in the US?


NavyShooter said:
Honestly, if RFI Was making them, the price would have to be lower than $12-1500....I've got a 1A1 and a No1 Mk III from RFI....not the best fit and finish.
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RFI = Rifle Factory India ?

I would think that a gun of the Sterling design would be pretty cheap to make compared to other guns like the VZ58 that go for $600. Wasn't one of the reasons the Sterling and Sten were used in the war was the price compared to a Thompson, etc.?


Fudd
 
Dumb question but... why are open bolt guns a "no-no" in the US?
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The BATF considers them as too easy to make into a full auto. That was the reason why sterling made the closed bolt versions, so they could enter the US market.

RFI = Rifle Factory India ?
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Rifle Factory, Ishapore
I would think that a gun of the Sterling design would be pretty cheap to make compared to other guns like the VZ58 that go for $600. Wasn't one of the reasons the Sterling and Sten were used in the war was the price compared to a Thompson, etc.?
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The Sterling was developed toward the end of the war, and may have even been used at Arnhem, but really wasn't adopted until the 50s. While the Sten was aimed at cheapness (a Cdn sten cost about $13.55 to produce) the sterling was to replace the cheap look of the sten. There were a lot of major improvements, like the stainless steel trigger mechanism, the folding stock, and the improved magazines. The Sterling ran around 21.50 pounds in the 50s, and by the mid 80s, that price had climbed to 256 brit pounds.

While most Indian produced FNs and rifles I have seen really looked like they were maintained with bailing wire, my impression of using them was that they were fairly well built.
 
Just curious, but besides the semi-auto only feature, what parts are different between the Sterling Police Carbine, and the prohib models??

(Translation, if one was to actually convince RFI to make the guns, how many current inventory parts could be used, and how much would have to be custom built)
 
Canuck223 said:
Just curious, but besides the semi-auto only feature, what parts are different between the Sterling Police Carbine, and the prohib models??

(Translation, if one was to actually convince RFI to make the guns, how many current inventory parts could be used, and how much would have to be custom built)
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The markings on the gun.
 
I always loved the Sterling when I was in the Army. It was by far the best standard issue weapon. Dead simple and it always worked. What I used to like about it was that you can get completely flat on the ground with a Sterling, something you can't do with most SMGs. The L1A1 was more lethal obviously and I suppose if the Ruskies had ever actually invaded it would have made more sense, but our L1A1s were totally crapped out, and they'd jam all the time because the gas systems were so worn. Plus it was just too damn long.

We had Mk II Hi-Powers too, but they were virtually useless, because in cold weather or with wet combat gloves on they were impossible to ####.

Liked the L4A4 LMG too, but it was clearly old hat because of the stupid magazine transit cases that had to be lugged around with it. Very accurate though.
 
stencollector said:
I brought it up a year or so ago, and I'll bring it up again. India's rifle factory is always looking for new customers, they manufactured and still have the sterlings in use, and they work cheap. Why doesn't an importer have RFI make up a batch of semi-auto police carbine mk4s? It would not be much different from the VZ58s and their varients....a firearm leaving it's origional factory as a semi auto.
If the price was reasonable (say about $1200-1500) they would sell. And they certainly have more history and nostalgia than the current crop of "for the collector" semi-auto SMGs on the Canadian market today.
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Great point. However, the carbine would have to be extremely well built to jusitfy that kind of price. I think pricing more in line with the VZ58's would see many more sold. 500 bucks or less, and every collector would have one! Already, visions of hyper pimped Sterlings are swirling through my nightmares...
 
ollie said:
Great point. However, the carbine would have to be extremely well built to jusitfy that kind of price. I think pricing more in line with the VZ58's would see many more sold. 500 bucks or less, and every collector would have one! Already, visions of hyper pimped Sterlings are swirling through my nightmares...
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With the size of the Canadian market, I think a dealer would see more profit selling 30 guns at $1200 each than trying to sell 300 at $500 each.
If $500 is all you would pay for a Sterling, then you don't really want one all that bad. And if you don't want one all that bad, it just tells me that you haven't used one before. They really are a fun gun, with lots of history to back them up. The only thing I don't like with mine is that you just start enjoying shooting it and those 5 round magazines are already empty.

We'll have to find you the oppourtunity to try one Ollie.
 
But Indian Sterling (if you can call that) is not the real thing no matter how you slice it.
 
Nope

Dimitri said:
So you dont need a 12(X) to get a Sterling in Semi-Auto ??

Dimitri
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as long as you can find a Mark IV and have the $3500, oh yeah and have a restricted PAL..........it's all yours
 
No Sterlings listed at Haines Gun House (in Halifax) from this Gunrunner ad in March 1974, but try not to drool on the keyboard at the prices for the other full auto (and fully functional) firearms.
Back when this was a truely free country...
autohaines.jpg


And to chime in my own .02 cents (as usual), we used the C1 SMG in the late 70's/early 80's when I was in the reserves, and yes it was fun to shoot. But one day, a Lt. in the Battalion we were attached to, asked if he could join us during our semi-annual qualification, and that he had some personally owned weapons to bring. One of them was a MP40. He let us each have a burst from it (after all, we were using issue ammo). Very very nice. Better handling, more accurate and less felt recoil than the C1 (Sterling).
FWIW.
And I "ran into" this Lt a few years ago on can.talk.guns, when he posted a tirade that he was refused a permit for a CA, when he legally owned FAs already. Yup, just because you own a full auto, doesn't mean you can but a converted auto.
 
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