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I am working on a MK5 SBR build and am curious regarding markings. My mag well is marked "STEN MK 5" and "65 A00996" there is a small gouge in front of the "65" so I am not sure if I am missing a code letter. other markings on the trigger housing are "(arrow) 617? could be G17 and "WIP" "D" and either "10" or "AO". Any ideas as to who made this one?
TIA,
Don
Good question GPD. That answer is this! Without the small gouge you mention, that code you mention would read SA65 A00996. This code indicates that in 1965 when your Sten was being rebuilt in UK Military service, it was identified as having a what we call '.....a lost or otherwise indistinguishable or unidentifiable number' So a new unique number was issued. Broken down like this:
SA Small Arms/weapons and Army (although the SA was also used on Navy Lanchesters and RAF weaponry)
65. The year the number was allocated by the ACA who dealt with these things
A-00996 is the sequential serial number issued in the re-numbering category
From that, you know that your gun was still in UK Military service in 1965
The other part letter/numbers are the different manufacturing codes for the component parts
As to who assembled your gun (the parts were made across the whole of the UK!), then the original serial number will tell us. But as it's a new number, then I would hazzard a certain guess that it was Fazakerley assembled gun as Faz were notorious for losing the shallow engraved serial number. The sure bet is to look carefully on the magazine housing for the letter F for Fazakerley or RTL for Theale.
Great little gun and I hope that you enjoy it. There's some useful info on the SBR's here.........
Thanks for the information! Ill post pics when its finished.
Don
Just to add to this a little, Adam at WWA had a load of UF55 prefixed Mk5 STENS. It appeared they had been FTRd and remarked with new UF serial numbers.