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Sten SMG: Pinnacle of Simplicity
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I had a couple, my first was a 1942 Long Branch I bought from a Warrant Officer that claimed he "Found" it hanging in a tree in Germany back in the '50s. Possible, there was enough stuff still around over there at the time. It worked perfectly.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by
browningautorifle
claimed he "Found" it
I find it funny that we Military Folks seem to always "Find" things lying about
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The Sten MkII is not "simplicity", rather it is an example of extremely intelligent design.
If you were to class subguns into generations, one could argue that a STEN MkI is a Gen 1.5 subgun, but a MkII has leapt the MP40 and PPSh into a Gen 2.5.
In reality a MkIII Sten is a MkI* converted to modern production methods, truely analagous to the relationship between an MP38 and an MP40
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If you had a solid tube Mk2 - or better still, a Mk5 Sten and 10 good magazines the worked in YOUR gun, that was all you needed. It was as safe as the other SMG's too. In that fired when you wanted it to and wouldn't fire when you didn't want it to, contrary to some ill informed writings.
But If I had to carry one in action again, it'd be a trusty L2A3 Sterling. The Rolls Royce of SMG's
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3 Attachment(s)
Just the other week I finished a semi-auto SBR for a friend. The Sten is agriculturally simple and an excellent example of efficiency on a budget. It's magazines sort of stink, but it works.
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Sten magazines were based on the Lanchester SMG because the Lanchester was in production already. The Lanchester in its turn was based on the German MP28, thus magazines also. MP38/40 magazines in turn were based on the MP28 magazines as production existed. In theory [and practice?] the Sten magazines should be able to use MP38/40 magazines. The Sten magazines were used as the basis for the US M3 SMG?
Is my reasoning correct?
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Quote:
Originally Posted by
Daan Kemp
Sten magazines were based on the Lanchester SMG because the Lanchester was in production already. The Lanchester in its turn was based on the German MP28, thus magazines also. MP38/40 magazines in turn were based on the MP28 magazines as production existed. In theory [and practice?] the Sten magazines should be able to use MP38/40 magazines. The Sten magazines were used as the basis for the US M3 SMG?
Is my reasoning correct?
"Based on" does not entail interchangeability and I don't believe any of the magazines can be used in another gun. The M3 SMG had it's own magazine not interchangeable with anything I know of. The Sten magazines are almost impossible without a loading tool. Out of two one would take 10 and the other 12 without having bloody fingers. Hardest loading magazine I've ever seen.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by
eb in oregon
Hardest loading magazine I've ever seen.
Agreed, I had to do it sitting in the bush one day after going through six mags quick...loader was elsewhere.
Lanchester and Sten mags would interchange, many times the Sten mag was issued when Lanchester mags were short supply. Sten mags would also fit and operate in Sterling(SMG C1,9mm), I did that one too to see.
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Harold Turpin only had £5 to spent to make the two prototype guns, No.T/1 and No.T/2. There was no money - or time - left for a new design of magazine. The Lanchester magazine was already in production. It was 9mm and so said, it was Major Shepherd who dictated that the Stens would be submitted for trials using the shortened* Lanchester magazines - from Sterling at nearby Dagenham!
Like I say many times. Get 6 magazines that work flawlessly with your gun and you're home and dry. That said, again, there were plenty of Bren magazines that were scrapped, not because they were damaged as such, but simply because they failed to function properly
* shortened to 32 rounds to fit the new short pouches/