Early Bren...how low can you go?

[tankhunter]

TBH, I think the MKI Sten's are pretty Rare ANYWHERE in the world! I have only seen them in 'Quantity', in Films. Indicating to Me, that Bapty's (Now Zorg) in the UK have a 'Few' of them. With Restrictors in the barrel.To enable them to fire Full Auto on Blanks. & now I come to think about it. They are all Modified to MKI* Spec. By the removal of the flash hider, & Wooden Forend furniture. Just My own Thoughts!.........

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[Brit plumber]

Rod, Thanks for the number, I'll make a note of it.

TBH, I think the MKI Sten's are pretty Rare ANYWHERE in the world! I have only seen them in 'Quantity', in Films. Indicating to Me, that Bapty's (Now Zorg) in the UK have a 'Few' of them. With Restrictors in the barrel.To enable them to fire Full Auto on Blanks. & now I come to think about it. They are all Modified to MKI* Spec. By the removal of the flash hider, & Wooden Forend furniture. Just My own Thoughts!.........

I think Bapty's or Zorg as it is, had a big clear out a few years ago but non of the STENs came up. I've seen them in most of the British 1950s/60s/70s films like 633 Sqn, The Guns of Naverone etc. they could have been Mk1 to Mk1* conversions or more likely they were the 3rd contract Mk1* guns that they acquired for making propaganda films in the War.

With reference to Mk1 STENs being rare, I know of the Mk1* at Warminster, 3 Mk1 and a Mk1* in the Army Museum collection, the IWM have a Mk1 and Mk1*, The Royal Armouries have some but I don't know how many, The REME museum possibly have a Mk1 (Not confirmed), There is a semi relic Mk1 (Dragged out of a UK pond), a Mk1* and a damaged Mk1 in civilian hands in the UK, There is my own Mk1, Rods Mk1 and A Mk1 and Mk1* in civilian hands in the USA. If any one knows of any others can they jump in with some details.

So I know of potentially 5 STEN Mk1 and 2 Mk1* in private collections, there are bound to be lots more but the owners are obviously very secretive!