Sterling Mk4 L2A3

[tankhunter]

And at a glance BEFORE reading the serial number. I could have told you it was NOT a British Issue Weapon. ALL L2A3 SMGs in Service, had a 'Y' Shaped plate welded in the 'U' section of the folding butt.

This MOD Plate was intended to prevent the Butt assembly from bending/ distorting in Usage. After recieving a blow to one side of it.
The plate was simply welded in, dressed to profile & painted with Suncorite 259.

I have an Extremely rare Fazackerly Manufactured Sterling. That came to Me without this MOD Plate fitted. it now has one correctly Fitted!....

[Vincent]

And at a glance BEFORE reading the serial number. I could have told you it was NOT a British Issue Weapon. ALL L2A3 SMGs in Service, had a 'Y' Shaped plate welded in the 'U' section of the folding butt.

This MOD Plate was intended to prevent the Butt assembly from bending/ distorting in Usage. After recieving a blow to one side of it.
The plate was simply welded in, dressed to profile & painted with Suncorite 259.

I posted pictures of this gun a while back.



The butt reinforcement was fabricated using the description and picture on page 265 of Peter’s Guns of Dagenham book as a guide.

I have an Extremely rare Fazackerly Manufactured Sterling.

I would like to see some pictures if you get a chance.

[Peter Laidler]

Incidentally Vince, the extractor you show in thread 39 is in fact from the L34/Mk5. It is slotted and therefore lighter and........ Supposedly not interchangeable with the Mk4 and others - but they are. However in the workshop notes it does state that they shouldn't be mixed up.

[Vincent]

Thanks Peter. I will put the extractor in my Mk5……… when I find that breech block.

[Flying10uk]

Here are the two versions of the Sterling mag which I have. The upper mag in the pictures with 2 mags in view is what came with the deac and I call the commercial version. The other example I purchased separately and I believe is of U.K. military issue? The commercial version has an arrow and "OFF" on the end plate while the other end plate is just plain. The side view showing markings with "Sterling" and Patents etc is the commercial mag.

[Vincent]

Yep, the other is U.K. military.

Here’s another version.

[Peter Laidler]

I've got a funny feeling that all the magazines and manufacturers/details are detailed in that little book wot I rit some time ago.

That 9600039 is just the shortened NSN/part number of B3-1005-99-960-0039. The earlier ones had the old MoS part number of B3/CR-111A.

If you are looking for a Mk5 breech block Vince, I am sure that they started their life as standard Mk4 breech blocks. Failing that, you can internally lighten a Mk4 one to Mk5 spec and it'll work fine

[Flying10uk]

Would the "F59" marking on one of my mags indicate manufacture at Fazackerly in 1959? Would the Sterlings that the R.U.C. had in store/issued in Northern Ireland have come via the normal British MOD procurement route or would the R.U.C. have found their own ways of obtaining them?

[Vincent]

Thanks Peter. My Mk5 has the lightened bolt.

I tried a normal Mk4 bolt in it just to see what it would do. It was a tiny bit quieter and the cyclic rate was noticeably slower. It felt like it just barely managed to push the bolt back far enough, a bit like watching a slow-motion replay.

What’s the numbering system on the Sterling breech blocks?







“S63” = Sterling 1963?

“9 602 153 M” the part number?

Last numbers. eg“6612” = the individual item number?

There’s also a mark under the numbers. What is it?

[Peter Laidler]

Nearly right..........
S63 = Sterling 1963
9 602 153 is space so as to confuse. The knowing read this as:
960-2153 = the last part of the full ordnance part number of B3/1005-99-960-2153
M-715 or whatever the number is is the Midlands Steel Stockholder (or whichever supplier) steel batch number.

The photos 1 and 2 show the marks of the very old fashioned shaping machine used at Sterling and adapted to rotate as it cut the external flutes in the breech blocks. Not shown on photo 3 as presumably a new cutter was being used!

Next questions..............

Someone on the sub guns forum said my knowledge was crap.......

F 59 indicates a Fazakerley magazine

The RUC Sterling guns were all commercial guns. Nothing to do with the UK Military