STEN gun identification please

Hi Gents

Im hoping you can help. I acquired this STEN gun about a year ago, the licence from our police has only just been granted, and I need help identifying exactly what I have here.
I assume she is Canadian by the pattern stock, however what im trying to figure out is that if she is Canadian then how did she get here.

Just to fill in the gaps I live in South Africa. I am a firearms collector. I collect Russian and German. However when this STEN presented itself I had to jump on it.
This weapon and several other weapons were found in an old military store. I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time, this weapon along with the others where destined to go to the smelter. I managed to save this and several other collectables at a price. Time and money, red tape etc.

I would really like to know from the experts exactly what I have here?

The weapons I managed to salvage where all war bring backs from Angola im told! I know that all the old colonies used STEN's and Sterlings. Could this have come from Zambia or Rhodesia perhaps. Someone has said that during the South Africa border war, that UNITAS used STEN guns?! Is this fact?!

All help appreciated.

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This weapon is also fully functional. No modifications have been made to her at all.

Looks like a Mk II that has been Teflon coated for the Belgian Navy. There are a few around. Good catch.

Nice neat looking Sten, looks like it's had a zinc park finish which gives a lighter grey. Doesn't look like it's Canadian by the serial number on the mag housing. The cp Mark may be a giveaway. Has a late cocking handle.

That's not grey Parkerizing.

Also get yourself a copy Peter Laidler's book, " The Sten Machine Carbine". It'll answer most of your questions.

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Originally Posted by browningautorifle

That's not grey Parkerizing.

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Just checked some equipment in the zinc parkerizing and it matches the grey on the Sten but looking closer it looks like a grey paint finish. Cant realy tell without the piece in your hands. Did they Telfon coat weapons?

Ive had another look at the sten and the grey is not painted on.

It was assembled at Fazakerley in Liverpool. There were literally thousands of Sten guns sloshing around in Africa. In a recent thread here I mention of us (the UK MoD) being offered some Canadian made Sten guns by the Mine Clearance teams in the former Belgian Congo. Grey finish - Belgium...... there's very probably your answer! Incidentally, your magazines are Indian conversions to 20 rounds. Said to be more reliable than the usual capacity. Not in my limited experience if you keep them clean and find 10 standard ones that work well with your gun

Being a Sten owner I would take advantage of GSimmons suggestion (thread 5) and get that book he mentions.

Incidentally, the book is now on the verge of being sold out. Like all the Collector Grade books, he doesn't reprint and just watch the prices sky rocket. Like they say, everything is cheap - yesterday

Very good book worth the money for anyone with a Sten in their collection.:)

Thank you gents. Let see if I can get my hands on a copy.

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Originally Posted by Topfmine

Did they Telfon coat weapons?

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As I said above the Belgians had rifles, Brens and Stens done. The mag above is parked...

It's certainly been painted in something as the split pin through the change lever is painted grey too.

As for the Sten. You'll like it. It was cheap and cheerfull and if you've got one, it's better than NOT having one!

I'm surprised that Peter L didn't pick up on the fact that your magazine housing appears to be SECO marked, and is likely from a Danish (or Norwegian) manufactured resistance weapon from WW2...

The story was that the British air dropped magazines and loading tools to the resistance which were Sterling Engineering Co. (SECO) marked, so the Danes adopted it as their own "false" British coding so that the German authorities would believe that the guns were also air dropped.

Sipsey Street Irregulars: Praxis: Homemade Danish Submachineguns. "When guns are outlawed, plumbers will build them in the basement."

Dear o' dear o' dear......... wherever did you get that from...............?

He has a Fazakerley assembled gun with an F serial number prefix which = Fazakerley, with a Sterling Engineering co made magazine housing and very probably fifty other components made elsewhere around the Country

Hi guys, just a little update. It was mentioned earlier that my mag would be a 20 rounder. Was was at the range today and this is fact. The mag only accepts 20 rounds.

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Originally Posted by Lee Enfield

I'm surprised that Peter L didn't pick up on the fact that your magazine housing appears to be SECO marked, and is likely from a Danish (or Norwegian) manufactured resistance weapon from WW2...

The story was that the British air dropped magazines and loading tools to the resistance which were Sterling Engineering Co. (SECO) marked, so the Danes adopted it as their own "false" British coding so that the German authorities would believe that the guns were also air dropped.

Sipsey Street Irregulars: Praxis: Homemade Danish Submachineguns. "When guns are outlawed, plumbers will build them in the basement."

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If only that was true I'd have 4 resistance STENs in the attic. Also note that the trigger axis pin is orientated the correct way where as if I remember correctly Norgy guns were back to front.

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Originally Posted by Peter Laidler

Dear o' dear o' dear......... wherever did you get that from...............?

He has a Fazakerley assembled gun with an F serial number prefix which = Fazakerley, with a Sterling Engineering co made magazine housing and very probably fifty other components made elsewhere around the Country

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Yes I recognized the serial number as a Faz issued one, however I took the information from "The Sten Machine Carbine" by Peter Laidler, Page 187 "Other Military Machinations" illustration and caption numbers 186, 187, 188 Referencing Norwegian resistance manufactured guns.


Perhaps this is the case of the early identified samples of "Potsdam Gerat" which were identified as being perfect copies of the MkII Sten right down to fake manufacturer & inspection markings in the early 1950s and 1960s specialist books (ref: Nelson&Lockhaven The Worlds Submachine Guns Vol 1 (1963) p.267 & 268...it turned out that the supposed samples were in fact British manufactured Sten MkII's...which explained the British inspection markings.

The Israeli resistance Sten I had the opportunity to shoot had a gray parkerized finish. I remember being impressed by how well it was made. Not at all what I was expecting in a resistance made gun. Even the Hebrew markings were beautifully done.