My Mk2 Sten

Morning all,

This is my old spec deactivated Mk2, she was one of a tiny number deactivated in 1988 with a removable barrel. Birmingham Proof House certificated and stamped.

I cosmetically refurbished her when I bought her a few years back as she had no remaining finish.

Sensitively deactivated, she has a clear, but over bored and slotted barrel, the breech block has the fixed FP and cartridge supporting face machined away and the extractor has been removed, all in all a very neat job.

Another Charnwood Ordnance deactivation, I don't think I ever found one of their deactivations that I wasn't thoroughly impressed by the high standard of the work carried out.

As UK collectors know, Old spec deactivation standards can vary from extremely skilled and sympathetically applied, to looking like the village blacksmith "had a go" with a big hammer, a disk cutter and an out of control mig welder".

The S/n M78148 looks to me to have been re-stamped at some point in its life.
She does have a vertical slot cut at the breech end of the cocking handle channel, I haven't seen this local mod before, but I can only assume it was to insert something to block the bolt travel as an additional safety for transport etc (see pic).

The bolt is Long Branch in origin, but has been with this Sten a long while, as this example was Birmingham Nitro proofed back in 1962.

Very nice John, out of interest are the proof house deactivation marks on the barrel, mag housing and the body or just barrel and bolt ?

Evening Geoff, barrel bolt and body, quite unusual for an early deac, I used to have a very old spec stripperble M3A1 grease gun years ago and that only had one London Proof house mark on the body.

Another very nice job you did finishing it. It’s a beauty.

Cheers Vincent, l really enjoy restoration of milsurps, repair, re-blue, re working woodwork etc.

Love getting out of the office and into the workshop as often as possible.