David HOwroyd and the Sterling sub machine gun

Morning Geoff, I thought long and hard about getting rid of my old spec MP5, Sten Mk2 and Sterling before the new law became active in April 2017 (making trading, loaning or giving them away illegal in the UK) , but in the end decided to keep them as part of my personal collection, stuck with them now as they are effectively grandfathered, but I think I can live with that!

The only way to trade them would be to weld them solid .... NOT ON MY WATCH...

They are all really nice examples of their type.

Sterlings have quite a following here. They are smooth as a Rolls Royce. Naturally, machinegun collectors here love them.

While I have always appreciated the Sterling’s smoothness and handling, it’s the durability and reliability I love.

If you are reading this, then you have probably seen the torture test film of the Sterling, frozen, soaked full of mud, filled with sand and always ran like a champ. It was designed and built to run in those conditions and it would see them in service. That unparalleled reliability is why it was and still is the favorite of many people.

Mr. David Howroyd’s work played a large role in legendry reliability of the Sterling Mk4 (L2A3). It’s really something to be proud of. There’s no doubt it saved many lives.

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Originally Posted by Vincent

the torture test film of the Sterling, frozen, soaked full of mud, filled with sand and always ran like a champ.

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Saw it first hand, gun in hand. Thing was, we looked the same...

David Howroyd & Bill Patchett. Two engineering Visionaries. That are now no longer with us, Sadly. :(

I knew the Designer Frank Waters as a Personal Friend also. Frank left Sterling's & Worked for the same company that I did. A few years back.

The tales He regaled Me with of Bill Patchett had to be heard to be believed!
What a Man! & what an Inventor! :cheers:

Something we Brits do well.............invent, especially when it comes to guns!

Its interesting to note that both by design and accident of fate, the UK and Canada in the 70's and 80's were equipped with the finest, most reliable small arms of their type in the world.


L9 Hi Power
L2 Sterling
L1 Rifle
L7 GPMG

A great line up ...

Thats why any countries with sense who have been part of the Colonial set up in the past all prefer SLR's, that includes those countries that Aus and NZ looked after too.
The stopping power was what it was all about in the past not anymore!!:(

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Originally Posted by mrclark303

L7 GPMG

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We only got the L7 after we'd blundered along with the 1919A4 for decades as the C1/C4/C5 gun. Once we cycled out the FN family, we changed to the C6/MAG 58/L7...too late. I always wondered why we didn't have that when I was younger, when we wanted to do that stuff...

It was GEORGE Patchett Mike!! Went to David Howroyds funeral last week and re-met up with many of the old and the bold from the Patchett, Howroyd, List families and James Edmiston who took the Sterling Co to great heights and rocketing world wide sales

If anyone wants to read the continuation of The Sterling Years by James Edmiston, read THE STERLING REDEMPTION, Pen and Sword books 47 Church Street Barnsley, S70 2AS. You won't believe what you are reading................

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Originally Posted by mrclark303

Its interesting to note that both by design and accident of fate, the UK and Canada in the 70's and 80's were equipped with the finest, most reliable small arms of their type in the world.


L9 Hi Power
L2 Sterling
L1 Rifle
L7 GPMG

A great line up ...

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I thought I was a free man before I came here and they told me I could have them and take them home with me. It didn’t take long before I had a Sterling, Hi Power and a SLR. Never bought the FN MAG, though I am thinking about it now. The Vickers is feeling heavy these days. Well, the tripod is.