Does anyone make accurate reproduction MkV Sten foregrips?

Very nice, Peter. It looks a bit like the one on the Sterling Mk5 wood fore hand grip. They hold the grip very firmly.

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Originally Posted by philb

any pics of the actual wooden handles ?

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It's on page 79 of Peter's Sten book.

Haven't seen a repro but the original threaded hole went right through. And that was the problem. Once thge bolt and band had crushed the wood internally, top and bottom and bottomed out onto the barrel nut it was doubly useless! Pic of original grip in the Sten book. You'll just have to scale it up.

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Originally Posted by Peter Laidler

Haven't seen a repro but the original threaded hole went right through. And that was the problem. Once thge bolt and band had crushed the wood internally, top and bottom and bottomed out onto the barrel nut it was doubly useless!

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And all this time I thought the problem was “crunchies” loosening the barrel nut. ;)

Well, it was....... and knackering the ratchet teeth of the barrel nut and teeth. Mind you, they'd do that without the grip! But in doing that, the grip which was after all, only a friction fit on the nut would slip. And there's only one way to tighten the original - tighten the screw from underneath which just pulls the underside of the grip upwards. Whereas the 'sterling' method (thanks Vince.....) I show tightens up the grip by way of tightening the encircling band.

There were only a couple of small-arms that used to wind my clock up and the little Sten was one of them. Mind you, we didn't have to write long reports with the ammo indent either!

The Vickers was another. I used to tighten the packing so that it ran a bit sluggishly at first. So I'd shoot it/them until it/they loosened up and were running on-song and hand it/them over to the GPMG/SF induction course crews for the remainder of the morning on the field firing range at Netheravon. Me and my old boss, Major John Xxxxxx used sit and have our lunch with them after the shoot to gauge the interest. Yep, they loved it too!

I did see a de-ac Mk5 Sten for sale at a Militaria Fair at Malvern a couple of months ago with what I assumed to be an original grip. I concluded that it must be an original simply by the condition of it ( the grip)- it was in a hell of a state. I forget how much was being asked for the gun.

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Originally Posted by bigduke6

Mark,when you send up your bits send the repro grip also and I'll resize the band to suit or make a new one.

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You are a gentleman and a scholar sir. :)

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Originally Posted by peregrinvs

You are a gentleman and a scholar sir. :)

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Thanks Mark, not sure on the gentlemen etc, but the thought of PVC waste pipe or car exhaust and epoxy on a Sten.......... I just think it deserves better.

were the mkV grips/handles just made from one type of wood ?

if yes what was it ?

According to a lady from Frederick Tibbenhams (FT in a diamond) who made thousands of Sten butts and grips in 1944, the wood was Canadian maple that came over in billetted form that Tibbies machined into shape. UK stuff made/machined elsewhere was beech or birch. If you have a maple one, it#s virtually impossible to patch

Hi
Like peregrinvs I purchased a front grip for my Mk V, like his mine also turned out to be the wrong size at over 40mm internal diameter. So I did some research on others that I found selling these reproductions, so that any one who hasn't purchased one will have an idea on what size they might expect, and save them self's some time and trouble.

Mine was from Soldier of Fortune and is approximately 40mm
Epic Militaria inform me that theirs are 38/39mm you might be in luck, let us know if you try
E-bay seller avmc 123 quoted his at 41mm

Terry