A question for Capt Laidler on the Sten

[bigduke6]

Not sure about the Stens, but it still happens to this day and I suspect it happens in most militaries.

Only when scotchbrite starts to infiltrate the cleaning kits....

[Brit plumber]

I just love it when the big sections of Green scotchbright come out to play. And those individuals that think that every component should be chrome like and polished to till you can see your boat race in it.

[tankhunter]

I just love it when the big sections of Green scotchbright come out to play. And those individuals that think that every component should be chrome like and polished to till you can see your boat race in it.

Or when the L1A1 SLR was in Service, I observed quite often. 'User's. after a range session, 'Spinning' the gas piston head in sand. (Similar to starting a fire with a bow & stick plus tinder) & happily wearing the chrome off the piston crown Etc!!! & some of the Airborne Lads, stripping furniture off & 'cleaning' the rifles in the showers!!!!!!!!! Luckily, The Butt's complete with recoil springs were not immersed!....Which was a saving grace I suppose?.

'Happy (?) Day's'..........

[browningautorifle]

I still preferred oil and pullthrough cloths...after they stopped us from using volatile mineral spirits that is. There really wasn't a quicker way to clean things...just a different load of things to do.

[Peter Laidler]

The best effective method was to just dunk the piston and gas plug into a bottle of vinegar 'liberated' from the dining room. But you always knew when the crunchies had used this method because eventually it's seize the gas plug spring and plunger. How many have sat at the side of the ranges cleaning a blooxx Bren after a days military training. Not a speck of fouling was permitted, anywhere!

[browningautorifle]

a bottle of vinegar

I'd forgotten that one. Just before ATI you could find an open vessel somewhere in stores with a number of pistons for FN sticking out of them.

[Frederick303]

Why vinegar?

Is it more effective for carbon removal? I have used white vinegar to remove blue, it works for that.

Just found some record that indicate the following:

~859,000 MK III Stens made, not 876,000

~50,000 of those were sold to Finland via Interarms.

Interarms also sold some to Kenya, quantity unknown

India received something like ~100,000 between 1948 and 1950, provided as commonwealth aid or as payment for monies owned to India from WWII. That figure was quoted as a gross estimate by the way.

That said there is still 700,000 that the final disposition is lacking.

The implications are the Sten in active service did not last very long.

[Flying10uk]

That said there is still 700,000 that the final disposition is lacking.

Are you able to explain how you arrive at this figure of 700,000, please, Fredderick303?

[browningautorifle]

Why vinegar

It's an acidic base...and would eat the crap but not the chrome. Also as you know, blue.

[bigduke6]

Good for removing rust from motorbike petrol tanks and other things, needs a long soak though......

Back to Stens, (have mentioned it before) I don't know the figure but by mates Uncle witnessed a Train heading for Vickers with a few of the goods/mineral wagons full of Sten's going to the smelting pot...... unfortunately and like many the story has gone to the grave, would of been nice to sit down and get the full story but at the time you never think.