Genuine MkII Sten Gun Bayonets (?)

[Peter Laidler]

I was actually looking for that word as I was writing but couldn't think of it!!!!! Mind you, according to the spell checker on this machine every combination of accoutrements came out red-lined too!

[Flying10uk]

In Graham Priest's book there is an engineering drawing of what appears, to me, to be suggested to be a Mk2 Sten Bayonet. It would appear to be a complete redesign with the blade now a tube which would fit over the barrel and angled off to a point at the business end. There would have to be some kind of catch mechanism to lock it to the barrel or shroud? If my understanding of the text relating to this drawing is correct the Mk2 Sten Bayonet didn't progress any further than the drawing board, i.e. none were actually made.

[Aragorn243]

Your description sounds a bit like the FN FAL type 3 bayonet.

[Flying10uk]

I guess so; I don't believe it to be a new idea (in the 1940s) and also the official looking drawing, copy, is clearly titled as being for a Mk2 Sten bayonet. Interestingly, the material spec. on the drawing for the blade is stated as being mild steel. So unless the blade was later case hardened, of which there is no mention on the drawing, it must of been left in it's soft state. It was probably decided that the blade was sufficiently ridged with the partial curvature of the tube retained on the blade not to require any hardening. A closer inspection of the drawing also reveals that there is indeed a spring catch, similar in appearance to what is found on the Mk1, in order to lock it to the barrel shroud as in the Mk1 version. There may be some dimensional differences between this catch and the Mk1 catch; I haven't looked into if this is the case or not.

[catweazle_23]

About the position of the "1" on the blade.
On my MK3 it's marked length wise on the blade and not across the blade as the Stens that are offered.
Or are the blades marked randomly, length wise or across the blade ?