Sten
Encyclopedia
The STEN was a family of British
9 mm submachine gun
s used extensively by British and Commonwealth
forces throughout World War II
and the Korean War
. They were notable for having a simple design and very low production cost making it an effective insurgency weapon
with resistance groups.
STEN is an acronym, cited as derived from the names of the weapon's chief designers, Major Reginald V. Shepherd and Harold Turpin, and EN for Enfield
.
Over 4 million Stens in various versions were made in the 1940s.
The official designation "Carbine, Machine, Sten" should not be confused with the common understanding of carbine
; the Sten was a typical, almost stereotypical submachine gun (full-automatic firearm regardless of size/form that fires pistol rounds) while the term carbine is used to refer to short, light rifles. The "Carbine, Machine" element of the designation resulted from the British term for a submachine gun—"Machine Carbine"—in the early part of the Second World War.
, facing invasion by Germany. The army was forced to replace weapons lost during the evacuation from Dunkirk
while expanding at the same time. Prior to 1941 (and even later) the British were purchasing all the Thompson submachine gun
s they could from the United States
, but these did not begin to meet demand. The American entry into the war at the end of 1941 placed an even bigger demand on the facilities making Thompsons. In order to rapidly equip a sufficient fighting force to counter the Axis threat, the Royal Small Arms Factory
, Enfield
, was commissioned to produce an alternative.
The credited designers were Major R. V. Shepherd, OBE
, Inspector of Armaments in the Ministry of Supply Design Department at The Royal Arsenal
, Woolwich
, (later Assistant Chief Superintendent at the Armaments Design Department) and Mr. Harold John Turpin, Senior Draughtsman
of the Design Department of the Royal Small Arms Factory
(RSAF), Enfield. Shepherd had been recalled to service after having retired and spending some time at BSA
.
The Sten shared design features, such as its side-mounted magazine configuration, with the Royal Navy
's Lanchester submachine gun, which was a copy of the German MP28. In terms of manufacture, the Lanchester was entirely different, being made of high-quality materials with pre-war fit and finish, in stark contrast to the Sten's austere execution. The Lanchester and Sten magazines were even interchangeable (though the Lanchester's magazine was longer with a 50 round capacity, compared to the Sten's 32 round capacity).
The Sten used simple stamped metal components and minor welding, which required a minimum of machining and manufacturing. Much of the production could be performed by small workshops, with the firearms assembled at the Enfield site. Over the period of manufacture the Sten design was further simplified: the most basic model, the Mark III, could be produced from five man-hours work. Some of the cheapest versions were made from only 47 different parts. It was distinctive for its bare appearance (just a pipe with a metal loop for a stock), and its horizontal magazine. The Mark I was a more finely finished weapon with a wooden foregrip and handle; later versions were generally more spartan, although the final version, the Mark V, which was produced after the threat of invasion had died down, was produced to a higher standard.
The Sten underwent various design improvements over the course of the war. For example, the Mark 4 cocking handle and corresponding hole drilled in the receiver were created to lock the bolt in the closed position to reduce the likelihood of accidental discharges inherent in the design. Most changes to the production process were more subtle, designed to give greater ease of manufacture and increased reliability. Sten guns of late 1942 and beyond were, in general, highly effective weapons, though complaints of accidental discharge continued throughout the war. Such was the ease of manufacture that the Germans also produced a version of the Sten, the MP 3008
, late in the war.
The Sten was replaced by the Sterling submachine gun
from 1953 and was gradually withdrawn from British service in the 1960s. The other Commonwealth nations made or adopted their own replacements. The Sten was used extensively by Jewish partisans during the Israeli War of Independence.
with a fixed firing pin on the face of the bolt. This means the bolt remains to the rear when the weapon is cocked, and on pulling the trigger the bolt flies forward under spring pressure, stripping the round from the magazine, chambering it and firing the weapon all in the same movement. There is no breech locking mechanism, the rearward movement of the bolt caused by the recoil impulse is arrested only by the mainspring and the bolt's inertia. The basic operating principles were similar to those of the German MP40
, Russian PPSh-41
, US M3 submachine gun
and numerous other designs. These shared similar attributes and faults; they were simple and cheap to manufacture, and put an automatic weapon into the hands of soldiers, greatly increasing the short-range firepower of the infantry, especially when the main infantry weapon was a bolt-action rifle capable of only around 15 rounds per minute and not suited for short-range combat. However, the open-bolt firing and use of pistol ammunition severely restricted accuracy, with an effective range of around 100m.
Stoppages could occur due to a variety of problems: some as a result of poor maintenance, while others were peculiar to the Sten. Carbon buildup on the face of the breech or debris in the bolt raceway could cause a failure to fire, while a dirty chamber could cause a failure to feed. Firing the Sten by grasping the magazine with the supporting hand tended to wear the magazine catch, altering the angle of feed and causing a failure to feed.
Additional problems stemmed from the Sten's magazine, which was a direct copy of the one used in the German MP28, originally in order to facilitate the use of German 9 mm magazines. Unfortunately, this decision necessarily incorporated the Erma magazine's faults in the process. The magazine had two columns of 9 mm cartridges in a staggered arrangement, merging at the top to form a single column. While other staggered magazines, such as the Thompson, fed from both the left and right side alternately (double-column, double feed), the Sten magazine, like the MP38, required the cartridges to gradually merge at the top of the magazine to form a single column (double column, single feed). As a consequence, any dirt or foreign matter in this taper area could cause feed malfunctions
. Additionally, the walls of the magazine lip had to endure the full stresses of the rounds being pushed in by the spring. This, along with rough handling could result in deformation of the magazine lips (which required a precise 8° feed angle to operate), resulting in misfeeding and a failure to fire.
Modern 9 mm magazines, such as those used by the Sterling SMG, are curved and feed both sides to avoid this problem. If a Sten failed to feed due to jammed cartridges in the magazine, standard practice to clear it was as follows: remove magazine from Sten, tap the base of the magazine against the knee, re-insert magazine in Sten, then recocking the weapon and firing again as normal. To facilitate easier loading when attempting to push the cartridges down to insert the next one, a magazine filler tool was developed and formed part of the weapon's kit.
The slot on the side of the body where the cocking knob ran was also a target of criticism, as the long opening could allow foreign objects to enter. On the other hand, a beneficial side-effect of the Sten's minimalist design was that it would fire without any lubrication. This proved useful in desert environments such as the Western Desert Campaign
, where oil attracted and retained dust and sand.
The open bolt design combined with cheap manufacture and rudimentary safety devices also meant the weapon was prone to accidental discharges, which proved hazardous. A simple safety could be engaged while the bolt was in the rearwards (cocked) position. However, if a Sten with a loaded magazine, with the bolt in the closed position, was dropped or the butt was knocked against the ground, the bolt could move far enough rearward to pick up a round (but not far enough to be engaged by the trigger mechanism) and the spring pressure could be enough to chamber and fire the round. The Mk 4 cocking handle was designed to prevent this by enabling the bolt to be locked in its forward position, thereby immobilising it. Wear and manufacturing tolerances could render these safety devices ineffective.
at Perivale
, Middlesex
during December 1940/January 1941. This particular weapon is held by the historical weapons collection of the British Army
's Infantry and Small Arms School Corps
in Warminster
, Wiltshire
.
The first model had a conical flash hider and fine finish. It had a wooden foregrip and forward handle (sometimes this was made of steel), as well for a section of the stock. The stock was a small tube outline, rather like the Mark II Canadian. One unique feature was that the front pistol grip could be rotated forward to make the firearm easier to stow. The barrel sleeve extended all the way to the end, where it met the flash hider. Along the top of the tube surrounding the barrel was a line of small holes and its sights were configured somewhat differently. About 100,000 were made before production switched to the Mark II. Sten Mk I's in German possession were designated MP.748(e), the 'e' standing for englisch.
The barrel sleeve was shorter and rather than having small holes on the top, it had three sets of three holes equally spaced on the shroud. To allow a soldier to hold a Sten by the hot barrel sleeve with the supporting hand, an insulating lace-on leather sleeve guard was sometimes issued. Sten Mk II's in German possession were designated MP.749(e). Some MkIIs were fitted with a wooden stock as this part was desirable and interchangeable with the Mk V. Also, the Spz-kr assault rifle
uses the receiver and components from the Sten Mk II.
Regular Mark II:
a version of the Sten gun was produced at the Long Branch Arsenal in Long Branch, Ontario
now part of Toronto, Ontario. This was very similar to the regular Mark II, with a different stock ('skeleton' type instead of strut type) and improved quality of manufacture. It was first used in combat in the Dieppe Raid
in 1942.
Mark II:
was the largest manufacturer. The biggest difference from the Mark II was the unification of the receiver, ejection port, and barrel shroud that now extended farther up the barrel. The barrel was fixed and the body was welded shut along the centre of the top. Captured Sten Mk IIIs in German
possession were designated MP.750(e).
Introduced in 1944, the Mk V was essentially a better-quality, more elaborate version of the Mk 2. Changes included a wooden pistol grip, a vertical wooden fore grip (deleted on later examples), a wooden stock, and a bayonet mount. There was a No4 Lee Enfield foresight and the weapon was of better quality manufacture and finish than the Mk2 and Mk3. The Sten bandolier
issued to paratroopers held 7 full magazines.
Another variant of the MkV had a swivel stock and rear sight mirror intended for firing around corners during urban warfare, predating the CornerShot
.
. This would heat up rapidly when the gun was fired and a canvas cover was laced around the suppressor for some protection for the firer's supporting hand. The Mk IIS was, as the name suggests, a suppressed version of the Mk II. Captured examples of the Sten Mk IIS in German service were designated MP.751(e).
The Mk VI was a suppressed version of the Mk V. The Mk VI had a lower muzzle velocity than the others due to a ported barrel intended to reduce velocity to below the speed of sound; 305 m/s and was also the heaviest regular version due to the added weight of the specially designed suppressor, as well as using a wooden pistol grip and wooden stock.
The suppressed models were produced at the request of the Special Operations Executive
(SOE) for use on clandestine operations in occupied Europe, starting with the Mk IIS in 1943. Owing to their tendency to overheat, they were fired in short bursts or single shots.
In addition to its use in the European Theatre, the Mk IIS saw service with clandestine units in the Southwest Pacific Area (SWPA) such as the Services Reconnaissance Department
and SOE's Force 136
on operations against Imperial Japanese forces. The Sten Mk IIS was used by the Operation Jaywick
party during their raid into Japanese-occupied Singapore Harbour.
The Sten Mk IIS also saw service with the Australian Special Air Service (SAS) in Vietnam.
.
the resistance, under leadership of Bror With
, created a large number of Sten guns from scratch, mainly to arm members of the underground army Milorg
. Norwegian resistance fighter Max Manus
named the Sten frequently in his autobiography, as being one of the weapons his groups of commandos and resistance fighters used efficiently against German troops.
produced around 200 Sten guns in a bicycle repair shop on Gammel Køge landevej (Old Køge road) located south of Copenhagen. Holger Danske
produced about 150 Sten guns in workshops in Copenhagen. Employees of the construction company Monberg og Thorsen produced approximately 200 - 300 Sten guns in what is now the municipality of Gladsaxe
- a suburb of Copenhagen for use by Holger Danske and other groups. Resistance groups 'Frit Danmark' and 'Ringen' also built a significant number of Sten guns.
. Between 1942 and 1944, approximately 11,000 Sten Mk IIs were delivered to the Armia Krajowa
. Due to the simplicity of design, local production of Polish variants of Sten was started in at least 23 underground workshops in Poland. Some of them produced copies of Mark IIs, while others produced the so-called Polski Sten and KIS
. The Polski Sten made in Warsaw under command of Ryszard Białostocki were built from a number of legal elements made in official factories or acquired through other means. The main body of the machine pistol was made from hydraulic cylinders produced for hospital equipment. All the pistols were marked in English to disguise their origin and the production facilities. Stens' barrels were also used for SMGs produced in Poland under the name Błyskawica.
works in Germany
secretly started manufacturing copies of British Mk II Sten, apparently for diversion and sabotage purposes. These weapons were intended to duplicate the British original as closely as possible, right down to the markings. The series was referred to as the Gerät Potsdam (Potsdam Device) and approximately 28,000 weapons were made. Interesting is that Germany captured more original Stens than they produced. Today nobody knows why the Germans produced these copies.
machine pistol for the Volkssturm
. For that purpose a modified Sten was designed by Mauser
and named the MP 3008
. The main difference was the magazine attached below the weapon. Altogether, roughly 10,000 pieces were produced before the end of World War II
.
n submachine gun derived from the British Sten gun developed during the Second World War by the Lithgow Small Arms Factory
. It externally resembled the Sten but had twin pistol grips and folding stock resembling those of the German MP40
. A Mk 2 version was also produced which was of different appearance and which made more use of die-cast components. Although 20,000 were made, the Austen never achieved the success of the competing Australian-designed Owen submachine gun, known as the "Owen Gun".
was designed to circumvent the law
that defined a machine gun
as something that fired multiple rounds with one pull of the trigger. The Sputter Gun had no trigger, but fired continuously after loading and the pulling back of its bolt, firing until it ran out of ammunition. The gun was very short lived as the ATF
quickly reclassified it.
was a simpler derivative of the Sten gun of Argentine origin that was fed from a vertically inserted magazine.
is a machine pistol of Guatemalan origin and manufactured by Cellini-Dunn. It is blowback operated, firing from an open bolt and can use magazines from Ingram MAC-10
submachine guns inserted into a similar grip. The layout of the receiver is somewhat simpler than that of a Sten with its internal components light in weight enabling a very high rate of fire. Its forward pistol grip can hold a spare magazine as well as handling the weapon when firing.
was created in 1991 when the breakup of Yugoslavia
left the newly-formed Croatian State with no weapons. Since the embargo
prevented the Croatian military from buying any, they had to resort on new domestic designs.
Despite having a vertical magazine well (designed to accept UZI and Carl Gustav M/45
magazines), analogies with the Sten include a striking resemblance in the barrel assembly and in the bolt and recoil spring. In addition, this gun also fires from an open bolt. The butt stock was likely inspired by another notorious wartime SMG, the US M3 "Grease Gun"
.
Made by a variety of manufacturers, often with subcontracted parts, some early Sten guns were made poorly and/or not made to specification, and could malfunction in operation, sometimes in combat. The double-column, single-feed magazine copied from the German MP28 was never completely satisfactory, and hasty manufacturing processes often exacerbated misfeed problems inherent in the design. A common statement heard from British forces at the time was that the Sten was made "by Marks and Spencer out of Woolworth." British and Commonwealth forces in the early years of the war often extensively test-fired their weapons in training to weed out bad examples; a last-minute issue of newly-manufactured Stens prior to going into action was not always welcomed.
The MK II and MK III Stens were regarded by many soldiers as very temperamental, and could accidentally discharge
if dropped or even laid on the ground whilst the gun was cocked. Others would fire full-automatic when placed on 'single', or fire single shots when placed on 'automatic'. This was particularly true of early Stens using bronze
bolts, where the sear projection underneath the bolt could wear down more easily than ones made of case-hardened steel.
Stens could jam at inopportune moments. One of the more notable instances of this was the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich
on 27 May 1942, when a Slovak soldier - Warrant Officer Jozef Gabčík
- fired his Sten point blank at Heydrich, only to have it misfire. The Czech soldier Jan Kubiš hastily tossed a grenade, which mortally wounded Heydrich. There are other accounts of the Sten's unreliability, some of them true, some exaggerated and some which are apocryphal. France
manufactured (well-made) Sten copies postwar into the early 1950s, evidently believing in the basic reliability and durability of the design.
A well-maintained (and properly-functioning) Sten gun was a devastating close-range weapon for sections previously armed only with bolt-action rifles. In addition to regular British and Commonwealth military service, Stens were air-dropped in quantity to resistance
fighters and partisans throughout occupied Europe. Due to their slim profile and ease of disassembly/reassembly, they were good for concealment and guerrilla warfare
. Wrapping the barrel in wet rags would also cause the Sten to sound like a heavier weapon, with opposing troops believing they were faced with machine guns. Guerrilla
fighters in Europe became adept at repairing, modifying and eventually scratch-building clones of the Sten (over 2,000 Stens and about 500 of the similar Błyskawica SMGs were manufactured in occupied Poland
).
The British Sten Sub-Machine Gun was equipement and using for the local Filipino guerrilla resistance fighters during World War II under the Japanese Occupation of the Philippines from 1942 to 1945.
Canadian infantry battalions in northwest Europe retained spare Sten guns for special missions and the Canadian Army reported a surplus of the weapons in 1944. The Sten was not used in Italy due to constraints on the shipping of ammunition; .45 ACP
was already being used in that theatre by the US Army and a requirement for the 9 mm pistol round used by the Sten would have been in competition with limited shipping space.
The Sten saw use even after the economic crunch of World War II
, replacing the Royal Navy's Lanchester
submachine guns into the 1960s and was used in the Korean War
, including specialist versions for British Commandos. It was slowly withdrawn in the 1960s and replaced by the Sterling SMG in British Army service, while Canada also adopted as the C1 SMG, to replace the Sten.
The Sten was one of the few weapons that the State of Israel
could produce domestically during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
. Even before the declaration of the State of Israel, the Yishuv
had been producing Stens for the Haganah
; after the declaration, Israel continued making Stens for IDF
use. The opposing side also used (mostly British-made) Stens, particularly the irregular and semi-regular Arab Liberation Army
.
In the 1950s "L numbering" came into use in the British Army
for weapons - Stens were then known as L50 (Mk II), L51 (Mk III) and L52 (Mk V).
One of the last times the Sten was used in combat during British
service was with the RUC
during the IRA border campaign
of 1956 - 1962. In foreign service, the Sten was used in combat at least as recently as the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
.
In 1971 various marks of Stens were used by guerilla fighters during the Bangladesh Liberation War
.
A number of suppressed
Stens were in limited use by the US Special Forces during the Vietnam war
, including circa 1971, by the United States Army Rangers
.
In 1984, Indira Gandhi
was assassinated by two of her Sikh bodyguards, one of whom emptied the entire magazine of his Sten into the Prime Minister at point-blank range.
In the Second Sino-Japanese War
and the Chinese Civil War
, both Nationalists and Communists used the Sten. Some Stens were converted by the Communists to 7.62x25mm by using the magazine housing from a PPS
to accept curved PPS magazines. An example of such a conversion is on display at the Imperial War Museum, London
The Finnish Army
acquired moderate amounts of Stens in the late 1950s, mainly Mk. III versions. Refurbishment at the Kuopio
Arsenal included bluing
of the arms. Stens in Finnish service saw limited usage by conscripts (notably combat swimmers) and were mostly stockpiled for use in a future mobilization.
During the Zapatista
movement in 1994 some Zapatista soldiers were armed with Sten guns.
; fascist
soldiers made use of captured exemplars). (Used by the Yakuza in the 1940s) (Used by the Regular police paramilitary GSU, Army paratroopers replaced by G3A3/4,M4&HK416) (use of captured and copied exemplars) (used by the Philippine guerrilla resistance during World War II) /
Rhodesia: Suppressed Stens used during Vietnam War (used by American special forces). (used by the Chetniks during World War II; In Yugoslav Armed Forces until late 1940s)
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
9 mm submachine gun
Submachine gun
A submachine gun is an automatic carbine, designed to fire pistol cartridges. It combines the automatic fire of a machine gun with the cartridge of a pistol. The submachine gun was invented during World War I , but the apex of its use was during World War II when millions of the weapon type were...
s used extensively by British and Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
forces throughout World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. They were notable for having a simple design and very low production cost making it an effective insurgency weapon
Insurgency weapon
An insurgency weapon is a weapon, most often a firearm, intended for use by insurgents to engage in guerrilla warfare against an occupier, or for use by rebels against an established government...
with resistance groups.
STEN is an acronym, cited as derived from the names of the weapon's chief designers, Major Reginald V. Shepherd and Harold Turpin, and EN for Enfield
Royal Small Arms Factory
The Royal Small Arms Factory was a UK government-owned rifle factory in the London Borough of Enfield in an area generally known as the Lea Valley. The factory produced British military rifles, muskets and swords from 1816...
.
Over 4 million Stens in various versions were made in the 1940s.
The official designation "Carbine, Machine, Sten" should not be confused with the common understanding of carbine
Carbine
A carbine , from French carabine, is a longarm similar to but shorter than a rifle or musket. Many carbines are shortened versions of full rifles, firing the same ammunition at a lower velocity due to a shorter barrel length....
; the Sten was a typical, almost stereotypical submachine gun (full-automatic firearm regardless of size/form that fires pistol rounds) while the term carbine is used to refer to short, light rifles. The "Carbine, Machine" element of the designation resulted from the British term for a submachine gun—"Machine Carbine"—in the early part of the Second World War.
History
The Sten emerged while Britain was engaged in the Battle of BritainBattle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
, facing invasion by Germany. The army was forced to replace weapons lost during the evacuation from Dunkirk
Battle of Dunkirk
The Battle of Dunkirk was a battle in the Second World War between the Allies and Germany. A part of the Battle of France on the Western Front, the Battle of Dunkirk was the defence and evacuation of British and allied forces in Europe from 26 May–4 June 1940.After the Phoney War, the Battle of...
while expanding at the same time. Prior to 1941 (and even later) the British were purchasing all the Thompson submachine gun
Thompson submachine gun
The Thompson is an American submachine gun, invented by John T. Thompson in 1919, that became infamous during the Prohibition era. It was a common sight in the media of the time, being used by both law enforcement officers and criminals...
s they could from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, but these did not begin to meet demand. The American entry into the war at the end of 1941 placed an even bigger demand on the facilities making Thompsons. In order to rapidly equip a sufficient fighting force to counter the Axis threat, the Royal Small Arms Factory
Royal Small Arms Factory
The Royal Small Arms Factory was a UK government-owned rifle factory in the London Borough of Enfield in an area generally known as the Lea Valley. The factory produced British military rifles, muskets and swords from 1816...
, Enfield
London Borough of Enfield
The London Borough of Enfield is the most northerly London borough and forms part of Outer London. It borders the London Boroughs of Barnet, Haringey and Waltham Forest...
, was commissioned to produce an alternative.
The credited designers were Major R. V. Shepherd, OBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, Inspector of Armaments in the Ministry of Supply Design Department at The Royal Arsenal
Royal Arsenal
The Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, originally known as the Woolwich Warren, carried out armaments manufacture, ammunition proofing and explosives research for the British armed forces. It was sited on the south bank of the River Thames in Woolwich in south-east London, England.-Early history:The Warren...
, Woolwich
Woolwich
Woolwich is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.Woolwich formed part of Kent until 1889 when the County of London was created...
, (later Assistant Chief Superintendent at the Armaments Design Department) and Mr. Harold John Turpin, Senior Draughtsman
Technical drawing
Technical drawing, also known as drafting or draughting, is the act and discipline of composing plans that visually communicate how something functions or has to be constructed.Drafting is the language of industry....
of the Design Department of the Royal Small Arms Factory
Royal Small Arms Factory
The Royal Small Arms Factory was a UK government-owned rifle factory in the London Borough of Enfield in an area generally known as the Lea Valley. The factory produced British military rifles, muskets and swords from 1816...
(RSAF), Enfield. Shepherd had been recalled to service after having retired and spending some time at BSA
Birmingham Small Arms Company
This article is not about Gamo subsidiary BSA Guns Limited of Armoury Road, Small Heath, Birmingham B11 2PP or BSA Company or its successors....
.
The Sten shared design features, such as its side-mounted magazine configuration, with the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
's Lanchester submachine gun, which was a copy of the German MP28. In terms of manufacture, the Lanchester was entirely different, being made of high-quality materials with pre-war fit and finish, in stark contrast to the Sten's austere execution. The Lanchester and Sten magazines were even interchangeable (though the Lanchester's magazine was longer with a 50 round capacity, compared to the Sten's 32 round capacity).
The Sten used simple stamped metal components and minor welding, which required a minimum of machining and manufacturing. Much of the production could be performed by small workshops, with the firearms assembled at the Enfield site. Over the period of manufacture the Sten design was further simplified: the most basic model, the Mark III, could be produced from five man-hours work. Some of the cheapest versions were made from only 47 different parts. It was distinctive for its bare appearance (just a pipe with a metal loop for a stock), and its horizontal magazine. The Mark I was a more finely finished weapon with a wooden foregrip and handle; later versions were generally more spartan, although the final version, the Mark V, which was produced after the threat of invasion had died down, was produced to a higher standard.
The Sten underwent various design improvements over the course of the war. For example, the Mark 4 cocking handle and corresponding hole drilled in the receiver were created to lock the bolt in the closed position to reduce the likelihood of accidental discharges inherent in the design. Most changes to the production process were more subtle, designed to give greater ease of manufacture and increased reliability. Sten guns of late 1942 and beyond were, in general, highly effective weapons, though complaints of accidental discharge continued throughout the war. Such was the ease of manufacture that the Germans also produced a version of the Sten, the MP 3008
MP 3008
The 9 mm MP 3008 was a German substitute standard submachine gun manufactured toward the end of World War II in early 1945....
, late in the war.
The Sten was replaced by the Sterling submachine gun
Sterling submachine gun
The Sterling submachine gun is a British submachine gun which was in service with the British Army from 1944 until 1994, when it was phased out with the introduction of the L85A1 assault rifle.-History:...
from 1953 and was gradually withdrawn from British service in the 1960s. The other Commonwealth nations made or adopted their own replacements. The Sten was used extensively by Jewish partisans during the Israeli War of Independence.
Design
The Sten was a blowback-operated submachine gun firing from an open boltOpen bolt
A semi or full automatic firearm is said to fire from an open bolt if, when ready to fire, the bolt and working parts are held to the rear. When the trigger is pulled the bolt goes forward, feeding a round from the magazine into the chamber and firing it...
with a fixed firing pin on the face of the bolt. This means the bolt remains to the rear when the weapon is cocked, and on pulling the trigger the bolt flies forward under spring pressure, stripping the round from the magazine, chambering it and firing the weapon all in the same movement. There is no breech locking mechanism, the rearward movement of the bolt caused by the recoil impulse is arrested only by the mainspring and the bolt's inertia. The basic operating principles were similar to those of the German MP40
MP40
The MP 38 and MP 40 , often called Schmeisser, were submachine guns developed in Nazi Germany and used extensively by paratroopers, tank crews, platoon and squad leaders, and other troops during World War II.-Development:The MP 40 descended from its predecessor, the MP 38, which was in turn based...
, Russian PPSh-41
PPSh-41
The PPSh-41 was a Soviet submachine gun designed by Georgi Shpagin as an inexpensive, simplified alternative to the PPD-40. Intended for use by minimally-trained conscript soldiers, the PPSh was a magazine-fed selective-fire submachine gun using an open-bolt, blowback action...
, US M3 submachine gun
M3 submachine gun
The M3 was an American .45-caliber submachine gun adopted for U.S. Army service on 12 December 1942, as the United States Submachine Gun, Cal. .45, M3. The M3 was designed as a more cost-effective alternative to the Thompson, optimized for mass production...
and numerous other designs. These shared similar attributes and faults; they were simple and cheap to manufacture, and put an automatic weapon into the hands of soldiers, greatly increasing the short-range firepower of the infantry, especially when the main infantry weapon was a bolt-action rifle capable of only around 15 rounds per minute and not suited for short-range combat. However, the open-bolt firing and use of pistol ammunition severely restricted accuracy, with an effective range of around 100m.
Stoppages could occur due to a variety of problems: some as a result of poor maintenance, while others were peculiar to the Sten. Carbon buildup on the face of the breech or debris in the bolt raceway could cause a failure to fire, while a dirty chamber could cause a failure to feed. Firing the Sten by grasping the magazine with the supporting hand tended to wear the magazine catch, altering the angle of feed and causing a failure to feed.
Additional problems stemmed from the Sten's magazine, which was a direct copy of the one used in the German MP28, originally in order to facilitate the use of German 9 mm magazines. Unfortunately, this decision necessarily incorporated the Erma magazine's faults in the process. The magazine had two columns of 9 mm cartridges in a staggered arrangement, merging at the top to form a single column. While other staggered magazines, such as the Thompson, fed from both the left and right side alternately (double-column, double feed), the Sten magazine, like the MP38, required the cartridges to gradually merge at the top of the magazine to form a single column (double column, single feed). As a consequence, any dirt or foreign matter in this taper area could cause feed malfunctions
Firearm malfunction
A firearm malfunction is the partial or complete failure of a firearm to operate as intended. Malfunctions range from temporary and relatively safe situations, such as a casing that didn't eject, to potentially dangerous occurrences that may permanently damage the gun and cause injury or death...
. Additionally, the walls of the magazine lip had to endure the full stresses of the rounds being pushed in by the spring. This, along with rough handling could result in deformation of the magazine lips (which required a precise 8° feed angle to operate), resulting in misfeeding and a failure to fire.
Modern 9 mm magazines, such as those used by the Sterling SMG, are curved and feed both sides to avoid this problem. If a Sten failed to feed due to jammed cartridges in the magazine, standard practice to clear it was as follows: remove magazine from Sten, tap the base of the magazine against the knee, re-insert magazine in Sten, then recocking the weapon and firing again as normal. To facilitate easier loading when attempting to push the cartridges down to insert the next one, a magazine filler tool was developed and formed part of the weapon's kit.
The slot on the side of the body where the cocking knob ran was also a target of criticism, as the long opening could allow foreign objects to enter. On the other hand, a beneficial side-effect of the Sten's minimalist design was that it would fire without any lubrication. This proved useful in desert environments such as the Western Desert Campaign
Western Desert Campaign
The Western Desert Campaign, also known as the Desert War, was the initial stage of the North African Campaign during the Second World War. The campaign was heavily influenced by the availability of supplies and transport. The ability of the Allied forces, operating from besieged Malta, to...
, where oil attracted and retained dust and sand.
The open bolt design combined with cheap manufacture and rudimentary safety devices also meant the weapon was prone to accidental discharges, which proved hazardous. A simple safety could be engaged while the bolt was in the rearwards (cocked) position. However, if a Sten with a loaded magazine, with the bolt in the closed position, was dropped or the butt was knocked against the ground, the bolt could move far enough rearward to pick up a round (but not far enough to be engaged by the trigger mechanism) and the spring pressure could be enough to chamber and fire the round. The Mk 4 cocking handle was designed to prevent this by enabling the bolt to be locked in its forward position, thereby immobilising it. Wear and manufacturing tolerances could render these safety devices ineffective.
Variants
Sten guns were produced in several basic marks (though the Mk I saw limited service, and the Mk IV was never issued), and nearly half of the total produced were Mark II versions. Approximately 4.5 million Stens were produced during the war.Mark I
The first ever Mk I Sten gun (number 'T-40/1' indicating its originator Harold Turpin, the year 1940 and the serial number "1") was handmade by Turpin at the Philips Radio worksPhilips
Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. , more commonly known as Philips, is a multinational Dutch electronics company....
at Perivale
Perivale
Perivale is a small suburb in the London Borough of Ealing, west of Charing Cross, central London. Landmarks in the suburb include the A40, a large road that connects Central London with the M40 motorway, and the large Art Deco Hoover Building, as well as St Mary's Church , the River Brent and...
, Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
during December 1940/January 1941. This particular weapon is held by the historical weapons collection of the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
's Infantry and Small Arms School Corps
Small Arms School Corps
The Small Arms School Corps is a small corps of the British Army responsible for maintaining the proficiency of the army in the use of small arms, support weapons and range management.-History:...
in Warminster
Warminster
Warminster is a town in western Wiltshire, England, by-passed by the A36, and near Frome and Westbury. It has a population of about 17,000. The River Were runs through the town and can be seen running through the middle of the town park. The Minster Church of St Denys sits on the River Were...
, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
.
The first model had a conical flash hider and fine finish. It had a wooden foregrip and forward handle (sometimes this was made of steel), as well for a section of the stock. The stock was a small tube outline, rather like the Mark II Canadian. One unique feature was that the front pistol grip could be rotated forward to make the firearm easier to stow. The barrel sleeve extended all the way to the end, where it met the flash hider. Along the top of the tube surrounding the barrel was a line of small holes and its sights were configured somewhat differently. About 100,000 were made before production switched to the Mark II. Sten Mk I's in German possession were designated MP.748(e), the 'e' standing for englisch.
Mark I*
This was the first simplification of the Mk I. The foregrip, the wooden furniture and the flash hider were deleted for production expediency.Mark II
The Mark II was the most common variant, with two million units produced. It was a much rougher weapon than the Mk I. The flash eliminator and hand guard (grip) of the Mk I were eliminated. A removable barrel was now provided which projected 3 inches (76.2 mm) beyond the barrel sleeve. Also, from the operator's perspective, a special catch allowed the magazine to be slid partly out of the magazine housing and the housing rotated 90 degrees counter-clockwise, together covering the ejection opening and allowing the weapon and magazine both to lie flat on its side.Wimmersperg Spz-kr
The Spz-kr was an assault rifle that was invented during the latter days of the Third Reich. It was one of the "last ditch" weapons alongside the VG 1-5, StG 45, and MP 3008.-Overview:...
uses the receiver and components from the Sten Mk II.
Regular Mark II:
- Overall Length: 762 mm (30 in)
- Barrel Length: 197 mm (7.8 in)
- Weight: 3.2 kg (7.1 lb)
Mark II (Canadian)
During World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
a version of the Sten gun was produced at the Long Branch Arsenal in Long Branch, Ontario
Long Branch, Toronto
The former Village of Long Branch is a neighbourhood in the south-west of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located in the south-west corner of the former Township of Etobicoke and was a partially-independent municipality from 1930-1967...
now part of Toronto, Ontario. This was very similar to the regular Mark II, with a different stock ('skeleton' type instead of strut type) and improved quality of manufacture. It was first used in combat in the Dieppe Raid
Dieppe Raid
The Dieppe Raid, also known as the Battle of Dieppe, Operation Rutter or later on Operation Jubilee, during the Second World War, was an Allied attack on the German-occupied port of Dieppe on the northern coast of France on 19 August 1942. The assault began at 5:00 AM and by 10:50 AM the Allied...
in 1942.
- Overall Length: 896 mm (35.3 in)
- Barrel Length: 198 mm (7.8 in)
- Weight: 3.8 kg (8.4 lb)
Mark III
This simple design was the next most commonly produced after the Mark II. It was a simplification of the Mk I made both in Canada and the UK. Lines Bros LtdLines Bros Ltd
Lines Bros Ltd was a British toy manufacturer of the 20th century, operating under the Tri-ang brand name.Lines Bros Ltd, at its peak, was claimed to be the largest toy maker in the world.-History:...
was the largest manufacturer. The biggest difference from the Mark II was the unification of the receiver, ejection port, and barrel shroud that now extended farther up the barrel. The barrel was fixed and the body was welded shut along the centre of the top. Captured Sten Mk IIIs in German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
possession were designated MP.750(e).
Mark IV
The Mark IV was a smaller version which did not progress beyond the prototype stage. It was near pistol-sized and it had a different configuration with a conical flash hider, a rear pistol grip, a very light stock and a much shorter barrel.
Mark V
Bandolier
A bandolier or a bandoleer is a pocketed belt for holding ammunition. It was usually slung over the chest. In its original form, it was common issue to soldiers from the 16th to 18th centuries. This was very useful for quickly reloading a musket....
issued to paratroopers held 7 full magazines.
Another variant of the MkV had a swivel stock and rear sight mirror intended for firing around corners during urban warfare, predating the CornerShot
CornerShot
CornerShot is a weapon accessory invented by Lt. Col. Amos Golan of the Israeli Defense Forces in cooperation with American investors. It was designed in the early 2000s for SWAT teams and special forces in hostile situations usually involving terrorists and hostages...
.
Mark VI
- Overall Length: 908 mm (35.7 in)
- Barrel Length: 198 mm (7.8 in)
- Weight: 4.5 kg (9.9 lb)
Suppressed models
Mk IIS and Mk VIS models (sometimes recorded as 6(s)) were produced which incorporated an integral suppressorSuppressor
A suppressor, sound suppressor, sound moderator, or silencer, is a device attached to or part of the barrel of a firearm which reduces the amount of noise and flash generated by firing the weapon....
. This would heat up rapidly when the gun was fired and a canvas cover was laced around the suppressor for some protection for the firer's supporting hand. The Mk IIS was, as the name suggests, a suppressed version of the Mk II. Captured examples of the Sten Mk IIS in German service were designated MP.751(e).
The Mk VI was a suppressed version of the Mk V. The Mk VI had a lower muzzle velocity than the others due to a ported barrel intended to reduce velocity to below the speed of sound; 305 m/s and was also the heaviest regular version due to the added weight of the specially designed suppressor, as well as using a wooden pistol grip and wooden stock.
The suppressed models were produced at the request of the Special Operations Executive
Special Operations Executive
The Special Operations Executive was a World War II organisation of the United Kingdom. It was officially formed by Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Minister of Economic Warfare Hugh Dalton on 22 July 1940, to conduct guerrilla warfare against the Axis powers and to instruct and aid local...
(SOE) for use on clandestine operations in occupied Europe, starting with the Mk IIS in 1943. Owing to their tendency to overheat, they were fired in short bursts or single shots.
In addition to its use in the European Theatre, the Mk IIS saw service with clandestine units in the Southwest Pacific Area (SWPA) such as the Services Reconnaissance Department
Services Reconnaissance Department
The Services Reconnaissance Department , also known as Inter-Allied Services Department , Special Operations Australia and Section A, Allied Intelligence Bureau was an Australian military intelligence and special reconnaissance unit, during World War II.Authorised by General Thomas Blamey in March...
and SOE's Force 136
Force 136
Force 136 was the general cover name for a branch of the British World War II organization, the Special Operations Executive . The organisation was established to encourage and supply resistance movements in enemy-occupied territory, and occasionally mount clandestine sabotage operations...
on operations against Imperial Japanese forces. The Sten Mk IIS was used by the Operation Jaywick
Operation Jaywick
Operation Jaywick was a special operation undertaken in World War II. In September 1943, 14 commandos and sailors from the Z Special Unit raided Japanese shipping in Singapore Harbour, sinking seven ships.- Background :...
party during their raid into Japanese-occupied Singapore Harbour.
The Sten Mk IIS also saw service with the Australian Special Air Service (SAS) in Vietnam.
Argentine Sten
Sten MkIIs were licence copied in Argentina by Pistola Hispano Argentino and can be recognised with a wooden handguard in front of the trigger group. It was known as the Modelo C.4. Another variant came with a pistol grip section based on the Ballester-Molina .45 pistolBallester-Molina
The Ballester-Molina was a pistol designed and built by the Argentine company Hispano Argentina Fábrica de Automotores SA . The Ballester was originally called the Ballester-Rigaud...
.
French Sten
French "Gnome et Rhône" R5 Stens, were manufactured by the Motorbike & Airplane Engine manufacturer Gnome et Rhone (SNECMA) hence the name came with a forward pistol grip and distinctive wooden stock. But the most salient feature of this model is the sliding bolt safety that was added to perfectly secure the bolt when it was in its forward position.Norwegian Sten
In German-occupied NorwayNorway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
the resistance, under leadership of Bror With
Bror With
Bror With , born in Norway's capital Kristiania, was a mechanical engineer, inventor and industrialist. He graduated in 1925 from the Norwegian Institute of Technology....
, created a large number of Sten guns from scratch, mainly to arm members of the underground army Milorg
Milorg
Milorg was the main Norwegian resistance movement in World War II....
. Norwegian resistance fighter Max Manus
Max Manus
Maximo Guillermo "Max" Manus DSO, MC & Bar was a Norwegian resistance fighter during World War II.Manus was born in Bergen to a Norwegian father and a Danish mother...
named the Sten frequently in his autobiography, as being one of the weapons his groups of commandos and resistance fighters used efficiently against German troops.
Danish Sten
Several groups in the Danish resistance movement produced Sten guns for their own use. BOPABOPA
BOPA was a group of the Danish resistance movement operating at the time of the occupation of Denmark by Nazi Germany during the Second World War....
produced around 200 Sten guns in a bicycle repair shop on Gammel Køge landevej (Old Køge road) located south of Copenhagen. Holger Danske
Holger Danske (resistance group)
Holger Danske was a Danish resistance group during World War II. It was created by veteran volunteers from the Winter War who had fought on the Finnish side against the Soviet Union. It was among the largest resistance groups and consisted of around 350 volunteers towards the end of the war...
produced about 150 Sten guns in workshops in Copenhagen. Employees of the construction company Monberg og Thorsen produced approximately 200 - 300 Sten guns in what is now the municipality of Gladsaxe
Gladsaxe
Gladsaxe Kommune is a municipality near Copenhagen in Region Hovedstaden on the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark. The municipality covers an area of 25 km², and has a total population of 62,562...
- a suburb of Copenhagen for use by Holger Danske and other groups. Resistance groups 'Frit Danmark' and 'Ringen' also built a significant number of Sten guns.
Polish Sten
The Polish resistance was provided with numerous Stens of various models by the SOE and the CichociemniCichociemni
Cichociemni were elite special-operations paratroops of the Polish Home Army of the Polish Army in exile, created in Great Britain during World War II to operate in occupied Poland.-The name:...
. Between 1942 and 1944, approximately 11,000 Sten Mk IIs were delivered to the Armia Krajowa
Armia Krajowa
The Armia Krajowa , or Home Army, was the dominant Polish resistance movement in World War II German-occupied Poland. It was formed in February 1942 from the Związek Walki Zbrojnej . Over the next two years, it absorbed most other Polish underground forces...
. Due to the simplicity of design, local production of Polish variants of Sten was started in at least 23 underground workshops in Poland. Some of them produced copies of Mark IIs, while others produced the so-called Polski Sten and KIS
KIS (weapon)
Kis was the name of a Polish machine pistol from the time of the Second World War. It was designed and manufactured by engineers in Jan Piwnik's "Ponury" guerrilla unit that was operating in Holy Cross Mountains region...
. The Polski Sten made in Warsaw under command of Ryszard Białostocki were built from a number of legal elements made in official factories or acquired through other means. The main body of the machine pistol was made from hydraulic cylinders produced for hospital equipment. All the pistols were marked in English to disguise their origin and the production facilities. Stens' barrels were also used for SMGs produced in Poland under the name Błyskawica.
Gerät Potsdam
In late 1944, the MauserMauser
Mauser was a German arms manufacturer of a line of bolt-action rifles and pistols from the 1870s to 1995. Mauser designs were built for the German armed forces...
works in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
secretly started manufacturing copies of British Mk II Sten, apparently for diversion and sabotage purposes. These weapons were intended to duplicate the British original as closely as possible, right down to the markings. The series was referred to as the Gerät Potsdam (Potsdam Device) and approximately 28,000 weapons were made. Interesting is that Germany captured more original Stens than they produced. Today nobody knows why the Germans produced these copies.
MP 3008
In early 1945, Germany was seeking a cheap version of the MP40MP40
The MP 38 and MP 40 , often called Schmeisser, were submachine guns developed in Nazi Germany and used extensively by paratroopers, tank crews, platoon and squad leaders, and other troops during World War II.-Development:The MP 40 descended from its predecessor, the MP 38, which was in turn based...
machine pistol for the Volkssturm
Volkssturm
The Volkssturm was a German national militia of the last months of World War II. It was founded on Adolf Hitler's orders on October 18, 1944 and conscripted males between the ages of 16 to 60 years who were not already serving in some military unit as part of a German Home Guard.-Origins and...
. For that purpose a modified Sten was designed by Mauser
Mauser
Mauser was a German arms manufacturer of a line of bolt-action rifles and pistols from the 1870s to 1995. Mauser designs were built for the German armed forces...
and named the MP 3008
MP 3008
The 9 mm MP 3008 was a German substitute standard submachine gun manufactured toward the end of World War II in early 1945....
. The main difference was the magazine attached below the weapon. Altogether, roughly 10,000 pieces were produced before the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Austen Mk I
The Mark I Austen (from "Australian Sten") was a 9mm AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n submachine gun derived from the British Sten gun developed during the Second World War by the Lithgow Small Arms Factory
Lithgow Small Arms Factory
The Lithgow Small Arms Factory is a military small arms factory located in the town of Lithgow, New South Wales in Australia.- History :Opened on 8 June 1912, the factory initially manufactured Short, Magazine, Lee-Enfield Mk III rifles for the Australian military during World War I...
. It externally resembled the Sten but had twin pistol grips and folding stock resembling those of the German MP40
MP40
The MP 38 and MP 40 , often called Schmeisser, were submachine guns developed in Nazi Germany and used extensively by paratroopers, tank crews, platoon and squad leaders, and other troops during World War II.-Development:The MP 40 descended from its predecessor, the MP 38, which was in turn based...
. A Mk 2 version was also produced which was of different appearance and which made more use of die-cast components. Although 20,000 were made, the Austen never achieved the success of the competing Australian-designed Owen submachine gun, known as the "Owen Gun".
Imperia submachine gun
After the Second World War the Belgian army was mainly equipped with a mixture of British and American submachine guns. The army, wanting to replace them with a modern and preferably native design, tested various designs with the Vigneron M2 and licence produced FN Uzi being selected. However, the Imperia was an improved Sten with a fire selector and retractable stock.Sputter Gun
A short-lived American invention, the Sputter GunSputter Gun
The Sputter Gun was a modification of the British Sten Submachine Gun, designed to circumvent then-existing U.S. laws defining a machine gun. The Sputter Gun, lacking a trigger, was designed to fire multiple rounds upon release of the bolt, until all ammunition was expended...
was designed to circumvent the law
National Firearms Act
The National Firearms Act , 73rd Congress, Sess. 2, ch. 757, , enacted on June 26, 1934, currently codified as amended as , is an Act of Congress that, in general, imposes a statutory excise tax on the manufacture and transfer of certain firearms and mandates the registration of those firearms. The...
that defined a machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
as something that fired multiple rounds with one pull of the trigger. The Sputter Gun had no trigger, but fired continuously after loading and the pulling back of its bolt, firing until it ran out of ammunition. The gun was very short lived as the ATF
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is a federal law enforcement organization within the United States Department of Justice...
quickly reclassified it.
Halcon ML-57
The Halcon ML-57Halcon ML-57
The ML-57 is a submachine gun manufactured by the Buenos Aires based Halcon corporation.-Overview:As good as the M-1943 submachine guns were, the ML-57 was requested as it was a lighter/cheaper alternative as FN FAL rifles fulfilled this role in Argentine service...
was a simpler derivative of the Sten gun of Argentine origin that was fed from a vertically inserted magazine.
International Ordnance MP2
During the 1970s-80s, International Ordnance of San Antonio, Texas released the MP2 machine pistol. It was intended as a more compact, simpler derivative of the British Sten gun to be used in urban guerrilla actions, to be manufactured cheaply and/or in less-than-well-equipped workshops and distributed to "friendly" undercover forces. Much like the previously mentioned FP-45 "Liberator" pistol of World War II, it could be discarded during an escape with no substantial loss for the force's arsenal. The MP2 is a blowback-operated weapon that fires from an open bolt with an extremely high rate of fire.Cellini Dunn SM-9
The SM-9SM-9
The SM-9 is a machine pistol of Guatemalan origin and manufactured by Cellini-Dunn. It is blowback operated, firing from an open bolt and can use magazines from Ingram MAC-10 submachine guns inserted into a similar grip. The layout of the receiver is somewhat simpler than that of a Sten with its...
is a machine pistol of Guatemalan origin and manufactured by Cellini-Dunn. It is blowback operated, firing from an open bolt and can use magazines from Ingram MAC-10
MAC-10
The MAC-10 is a highly compact, blowback operated machine pistol developed by Gordon B. Ingram in 1964.-Design:The M-10 was built predominantly from steel stampings...
submachine guns inserted into a similar grip. The layout of the receiver is somewhat simpler than that of a Sten with its internal components light in weight enabling a very high rate of fire. Its forward pistol grip can hold a spare magazine as well as handling the weapon when firing.
Pleter 91
The Pleter submachine gunPleter 91 submachine gun
The Pleter submachine gun is a submachine gun created in 1991, when the dissolution of Yugoslavia left Croatia with few weapons to arm their yet to be formed military in the midst of Croatian War of Independence...
was created in 1991 when the breakup of Yugoslavia
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Yugoslav state that existed from the abolition of the Yugoslav monarchy until it was dissolved in 1992 amid the Yugoslav Wars. It was a socialist state and a federation made up of six socialist republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,...
left the newly-formed Croatian State with no weapons. Since the embargo
Embargo
An embargo is the partial or complete prohibition of commerce and trade with a particular country, in order to isolate it. Embargoes are considered strong diplomatic measures imposed in an effort, by the imposing country, to elicit a given national-interest result from the country on which it is...
prevented the Croatian military from buying any, they had to resort on new domestic designs.
Despite having a vertical magazine well (designed to accept UZI and Carl Gustav M/45
Carl Gustav M/45
Kulsprutepistol m/45 , also known as the Carl Gustav M/45 and the Swedish K SMG, is a 9 mm Swedish submachine gun designed by Gunnar Johnsson, adopted in 1945 , and manufactured at the Carl Gustafs Stads Gevärsfaktori in Eskilstuna, Sweden. The m/45 was the standard submachine gun of the...
magazines), analogies with the Sten include a striking resemblance in the barrel assembly and in the bolt and recoil spring. In addition, this gun also fires from an open bolt. The butt stock was likely inspired by another notorious wartime SMG, the US M3 "Grease Gun"
M3 submachine gun
The M3 was an American .45-caliber submachine gun adopted for U.S. Army service on 12 December 1942, as the United States Submachine Gun, Cal. .45, M3. The M3 was designed as a more cost-effective alternative to the Thompson, optimized for mass production...
.
SaskSten
SMG International in Canada manufacture reproductions of the Sten in six variants. They make copies of the Sten's Mk 1*, Mk II and Mk III, a "Rotary Magazine Sten" (a Mk II Sten with a drum magazine attached below the weapon and wooden horizontal forward grip on the left side of the weapon), a "New Zealand Sten" (a Mk II Sten but with sights similar to the Mk III) and the "FRT Gun" (a long barrel Sten with a wooden or Mk 1* type butt stock, a drum magazine attached below the weapon and sliding ramp rear sights).Service
The Sten, especially the Mark II, tended to attract affection and loathing in equal measure. Its peculiar appearance when compared to other firearms of the era, combined with sometimes questionable reliability made it unpopular with some front-line troops. It gained nicknames such as "Plumber's Nightmare", "Plumber's Abortion", or "Stench Gun". The Sten's advantage was its ease of mass-production manufacture in a time of shortage during a major conflict.Made by a variety of manufacturers, often with subcontracted parts, some early Sten guns were made poorly and/or not made to specification, and could malfunction in operation, sometimes in combat. The double-column, single-feed magazine copied from the German MP28 was never completely satisfactory, and hasty manufacturing processes often exacerbated misfeed problems inherent in the design. A common statement heard from British forces at the time was that the Sten was made "by Marks and Spencer out of Woolworth." British and Commonwealth forces in the early years of the war often extensively test-fired their weapons in training to weed out bad examples; a last-minute issue of newly-manufactured Stens prior to going into action was not always welcomed.
The MK II and MK III Stens were regarded by many soldiers as very temperamental, and could accidentally discharge
Accidental discharge
Accidental discharge is the event of a firearm discharging at a time not intended by the user. Perhaps most commonly, accidental discharges occur when the trigger of the firearm is deliberately pulled for a purpose other than shooting—dry-fire practice, demonstration,...
if dropped or even laid on the ground whilst the gun was cocked. Others would fire full-automatic when placed on 'single', or fire single shots when placed on 'automatic'. This was particularly true of early Stens using bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
bolts, where the sear projection underneath the bolt could wear down more easily than ones made of case-hardened steel.
Stens could jam at inopportune moments. One of the more notable instances of this was the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich
Reinhard Heydrich
Reinhard Tristan Eugen Heydrich , also known as The Hangman, was a high-ranking German Nazi official.He was SS-Obergruppenführer and General der Polizei, chief of the Reich Main Security Office and Stellvertretender Reichsprotektor of Bohemia and Moravia...
on 27 May 1942, when a Slovak soldier - Warrant Officer Jozef Gabčík
Jozef Gabcík
Jozef Gabčík was a Slovak soldier of Czechoslovak army involved in Operation Anthropoid, the assassination of acting Reichsprotektor of Bohemia and Moravia, SS-Obergruppenführer Reinhard Heydrich....
- fired his Sten point blank at Heydrich, only to have it misfire. The Czech soldier Jan Kubiš hastily tossed a grenade, which mortally wounded Heydrich. There are other accounts of the Sten's unreliability, some of them true, some exaggerated and some which are apocryphal. France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
manufactured (well-made) Sten copies postwar into the early 1950s, evidently believing in the basic reliability and durability of the design.
A well-maintained (and properly-functioning) Sten gun was a devastating close-range weapon for sections previously armed only with bolt-action rifles. In addition to regular British and Commonwealth military service, Stens were air-dropped in quantity to resistance
Resistance movement
A resistance movement is a group or collection of individual groups, dedicated to opposing an invader in an occupied country or the government of a sovereign state. It may seek to achieve its objects through either the use of nonviolent resistance or the use of armed force...
fighters and partisans throughout occupied Europe. Due to their slim profile and ease of disassembly/reassembly, they were good for concealment and guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare and refers to conflicts in which a small group of combatants including, but not limited to, armed civilians use military tactics, such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, the element of surprise, and extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and...
. Wrapping the barrel in wet rags would also cause the Sten to sound like a heavier weapon, with opposing troops believing they were faced with machine guns. Guerrilla
Guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare and refers to conflicts in which a small group of combatants including, but not limited to, armed civilians use military tactics, such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, the element of surprise, and extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and...
fighters in Europe became adept at repairing, modifying and eventually scratch-building clones of the Sten (over 2,000 Stens and about 500 of the similar Błyskawica SMGs were manufactured in occupied Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
).
Canadian infantry battalions in northwest Europe retained spare Sten guns for special missions and the Canadian Army reported a surplus of the weapons in 1944. The Sten was not used in Italy due to constraints on the shipping of ammunition; .45 ACP
.45 ACP
The .45 ACP , also known as the .45 Auto by C.I.P., is a cartridge designed by John Browning in 1904, for use in his prototype Colt semi-automatic .45 pistol and eventually the M1911 pistol adopted by the United States Army in 1911.-Design and history:The U.S...
was already being used in that theatre by the US Army and a requirement for the 9 mm pistol round used by the Sten would have been in competition with limited shipping space.
The Sten saw use even after the economic crunch of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, replacing the Royal Navy's Lanchester
Lanchester SMG
The Lanchester is a submachine gun manufactured by the Sterling Armaments Company between 1941 and 1945. It is a copy of the German MP28/II and was manufactured in two versions, Mk.1 and Mk.1*; the latter was a simplified version of the original Mk.1, with no fire selector and simplified sights...
submachine guns into the 1960s and was used in the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, including specialist versions for British Commandos. It was slowly withdrawn in the 1960s and replaced by the Sterling SMG in British Army service, while Canada also adopted as the C1 SMG, to replace the Sten.
The Sten was one of the few weapons that the State of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
could produce domestically during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
1948 Arab-Israeli War
The 1948 Arab–Israeli War, known to Israelis as the War of Independence or War of Liberation The war commenced after the termination of the British Mandate for Palestine and the creation of an independent Israel at midnight on 14 May 1948 when, following a period of civil war, Arab armies invaded...
. Even before the declaration of the State of Israel, the Yishuv
Yishuv
The Yishuv or Ha-Yishuv is the term referring to the body of Jewish residents in Palestine before the establishment of the State of Israel...
had been producing Stens for the Haganah
Haganah
Haganah was a Jewish paramilitary organization in what was then the British Mandate of Palestine from 1920 to 1948, which later became the core of the Israel Defense Forces.- Origins :...
; after the declaration, Israel continued making Stens for IDF
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
use. The opposing side also used (mostly British-made) Stens, particularly the irregular and semi-regular Arab Liberation Army
Arab Liberation Army
The Arab Liberation Army , also translated as Arab Salvation Army, was an army of volunteers from Arab countries led by Fawzi al-Qawuqji...
.
In the 1950s "L numbering" came into use in the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
for weapons - Stens were then known as L50 (Mk II), L51 (Mk III) and L52 (Mk V).
One of the last times the Sten was used in combat during British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
service was with the RUC
Royal Ulster Constabulary
The Royal Ulster Constabulary was the name of the police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2000. Following the awarding of the George Cross in 2000, it was subsequently known as the Royal Ulster Constabulary GC. It was founded on 1 June 1922 out of the Royal Irish Constabulary...
during the IRA border campaign
Border Campaign (IRA)
The Border Campaign was a campaign of guerrilla warfare carried out by the Irish Republican Army against targets in Northern Ireland, with the aim of overthrowing British rule there and creating a united Ireland.Popularly referred to as the Border Campaign, it was also referred to as the...
of 1956 - 1962. In foreign service, the Sten was used in combat at least as recently as the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 was a military conflict between India and Pakistan. Indian, Bangladeshi and international sources consider the beginning of the war to be Operation Chengiz Khan, Pakistan's December 3, 1971 pre-emptive strike on 11 Indian airbases...
.
In 1971 various marks of Stens were used by guerilla fighters during the Bangladesh Liberation War
Bangladesh Liberation War
The Bangladesh Liberation War was an armed conflict pitting East Pakistan and India against West Pakistan. The war resulted in the secession of East Pakistan, which became the independent nation of Bangladesh....
.
A number of suppressed
Suppressor
A suppressor, sound suppressor, sound moderator, or silencer, is a device attached to or part of the barrel of a firearm which reduces the amount of noise and flash generated by firing the weapon....
Stens were in limited use by the US Special Forces during the Vietnam war
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, including circa 1971, by the United States Army Rangers
United States Army Rangers
United States Army Rangers are elite members of the United States Army. Rangers have served in recognized U.S. Army Ranger units or have graduated from the U.S. Army's Ranger School...
.
In 1984, Indira Gandhi
Indira Gandhi
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhara was an Indian politician who served as the third Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms and a fourth term . She was assassinated by Sikh extremists...
was assassinated by two of her Sikh bodyguards, one of whom emptied the entire magazine of his Sten into the Prime Minister at point-blank range.
In the Second Sino-Japanese War
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
and the Chinese Civil War
Chinese Civil War
The Chinese Civil War was a civil war fought between the Kuomintang , the governing party of the Republic of China, and the Communist Party of China , for the control of China which eventually led to China's division into two Chinas, Republic of China and People's Republic of...
, both Nationalists and Communists used the Sten. Some Stens were converted by the Communists to 7.62x25mm by using the magazine housing from a PPS
PPS submachine gun
The PPS was a family of Soviet submachine guns chambered in 7.62x25mm Tokarev, developed by Alexei Sudayev as a low-cost personal defense weapon for reconnaissance units, vehicle crews and support service personnel.The PPS and its variants were used extensively by the Red...
to accept curved PPS magazines. An example of such a conversion is on display at the Imperial War Museum, London
The Finnish Army
Finnish Defence Forces
The Finnish Defence Forces are responsible for the defence of Finland. It is a cadre army of 15,000, of which 8,900 are professional soldiers , extended with conscripts and reservists such that the standard readiness strength is 34,700 people in uniform...
acquired moderate amounts of Stens in the late 1950s, mainly Mk. III versions. Refurbishment at the Kuopio
Kuopio
Kuopio is a city and a municipality located in the region of Northern Savonia, Finland. A population of makes it the ninth biggest city in the country. The city has a total area of , of which is water and half forest...
Arsenal included bluing
Bluing (steel)
Bluing is a passivation process in which steel is partially protected against rust, and is named after the blue-black appearance of the resulting protective finish. True gun bluing is an electrochemical conversion coating resulting from an oxidizing chemical reaction with iron on the surface...
of the arms. Stens in Finnish service saw limited usage by conscripts (notably combat swimmers) and were mostly stockpiled for use in a future mobilization.
During the Zapatista
Zapatista Army of National Liberation
The Zapatista Army of National Liberation is a revolutionary leftist group based in Chiapas, the southernmost state of Mexico....
movement in 1994 some Zapatista soldiers were armed with Sten guns.
Users
: Used in the Israeli war of Independence. (Used by the resistanceItalian resistance movement
The Italian resistance is the umbrella term for the various partisan forces formed by pro-Allied Italians during World War II...
; fascist
Italian Social Republic
The Italian Social Republic was a puppet state of Nazi Germany led by the "Duce of the Nation" and "Minister of Foreign Affairs" Benito Mussolini and his Republican Fascist Party. The RSI exercised nominal sovereignty in northern Italy but was largely dependent on the Wehrmacht to maintain control...
soldiers made use of captured exemplars). (Used by the Yakuza in the 1940s) (Used by the Regular police paramilitary GSU, Army paratroopers replaced by G3A3/4,M4&HK416) (use of captured and copied exemplars) (used by the Philippine guerrilla resistance during World War II) /
Rhodesia: Suppressed Stens used during Vietnam War (used by American special forces). (used by the Chetniks during World War II; In Yugoslav Armed Forces until late 1940s)External links
- Sten Gun to be forerunner of invasion September 1943 detailed article in Popular SciencePopular SciencePopular Science is an American monthly magazine founded in 1872 carrying articles for the general reader on science and technology subjects. Popular Science has won over 58 awards, including the ASME awards for its journalistic excellence in both 2003 and 2004...
- Various high-resolution photos of the Sten Mk II, III and V
- How to field-strip a Sten
- Complete machinist's plans to manufacture a Sten Mk II
- Sten at Modern Firearms
- REME Museum
- MP3008
- French Sten
- Imperia submachine gun
