Building the Canadian Semi-Auto STEN

[Claven2]

I think we have the safety slot thing figured out. We're using a thinner slug than even the revised kit, gives a few extra milimeters to move the slot back, along with the space savings from the shorter hammer. Should be possible to put the gun on safe without modding the ejector, but I need to mock it up first.

No progress this week since I was off in Toronto and also the big lathe being used blew a capacitor, a replacement is en-route. Could use the smaller lathe, so not really an excuse, but as I said, I was out of town!

In other news, I ordered a 6" rotary table and dividing head, so machining some parts should now be easier and faster

[Claven2]

OK! Some new progress!

Got a receiver tube cut out using an SAS3 style template.


Here we see the ejector welded in. Note that it has been shortened a little at the rear to allow clearance for the bolt when put on safe. (The SAS kit was originally designed for the MkIII sten which uses a much thinner ejector (front to back).

Mocked up with some parts:





And here we see the cuts made to accommodate the front barrel bushing

[stencollector]

Time to register it I would say. You are at the point of being able to discharge a round.

Looks good. One important point for those making one is that the hole for the sear (on the bottom of the tube) is very critical. If you make it too long, the sear will turn into the tube. Best bet is to make the final fitting with a file once the trigger housing is welded into place.

[Claven2]

Nope, can't discharge yet b/c the barrel bushing isn't welded in yet and the mag box is not welded on yet Almost there though...

[Claven2]

The above tube is made to use the SAS3 safety notch. The following tube uses the SAS bolt system as well, but is machined to cosmetically place the safety notch where it was on the originals. It is NOT 20 degree canted, however, so an original turned-down bolt will still not fit. I'm using a selector switch mod that makes the selector act as a safety, so the notch isn't really needed and it looks much better this way

[J. Savoie]

Personal update:

Yours truly with my Sten Mk2 parts kit that just came in from Manitoba. Thanks stencollector!


A better view of the kit here:




Now, the Sten Mk3 parts kit that I own for a few years:


All I need now are 2 conversion kits (semiauto bolt, hammer, firing pin etc) from USA if someone finally imports them some day OR a canadian version (less trouble for all).

J. Savoie

[Claven2]

In other news, we at MSC soon plan to have a limited number of .095" thick receiver tubing suitable for building the SAS3 in MkII trim to offer for sale. They will be already cut to length and counterbored on either end for installing the barrel nut and for clearance of the spring cap at the other end. This is the single hardest part to make without a big lathe, the rest can be done on a mini-lathe Being 80% tubes, you will have to fasten a template and make the necessary cuts.

[Claven2]

Anoher update,

Here is a late war longbranch kit assembled on the previously shown (though closer to completion) tube with the cocking slot further to the rear like on an open bolt sten. In this design, the slot is for COSMETICS ONLY. The "safety" will be accomplished through use of the selctor switch on this version.


DISCLAIMER: Note that NO WELDS have been made yet. Everything is just friction fitted for the mockup. This gun can not fire without the barrel block welded into place. Although the mag housing is ready to be welded together, this housing is still in two pieces and is not a completed receiver. Once the receiver is completed, it will be registered.

Here we see more details. Note that thc chip out of the top of the rear cap on the trigger plate assembly happened during disassembly of the donor demilled sten. These late longbranches were spot welded and the surrounding metal was a bit brittle. This area will be filledwith weld and dressed to be invisible during assembly and welding:




Also note that on all these builds, a replica of the wartime MkII cocking handle is being used, as opposed to the later MkIV and MkV handles found on most Sten kits. These handles are individually fitted on the lathe to the SAS bolt in question as there is some dimensional variance over the original sten bolts.

[Claven2]

Will do I'll post photos of it as it's developped and built, but I haven't started yet

In the meantime, here are mode details of the build:

[tiriaq]

The selector to safety conversion can be found at Sten Semi_Auto.