This is my new Sten. There are many other like it, but this one is now mine...

[mrclark303]

SOE silencer, what a wonderful thing to have! I would agree the gun has a very Fin rebuild look to it, any SA stamps anywhere?

[browningautorifle]

I'd love to have one of those myself...or a correct M3...fun for the whole family.

[Vincent]

Thank you for posting the pictures. It’s an interesting gun and suppressor. The ground welds are consistent with other S Stens I have seen. Though I have never seen markings like that on the magazine housing. I don’t know if they are correct. All the ones I have seen have the S after the II on the top side of the housing.

The suppressor was clearly used with a thermal sleeve. The mottled spots mark where the sleeve was. I don’t see any signs of high heat… the change in colors you see when steel is heated to high temperatures.

Without seeing the internal parts I can’t tell if the suppressor is an original or a copy.

[mrclark303]

Assuming the silencer is an original SOE example, it must be a very rare piece.

With regard to the lack of S markings Vincent, was the SOE silencer designed for retrofit to a standard Sten Mk2, as required, that would fit with the nature of SOE Operations.

I don't have my Sten book to hand at the moment, but I would assume (if it was designed) for use with a standard Sten, it would come with an adjusted/modified barrel??

[Brit plumber]

As far as I know, I think it's in Peters book that I read it and saw the photos, the SOE STEN had a modified selector to remove the Auto capability, that would make it non standard.

[Vincent]

Looks like your gun is from the first batch.

Three main types of Special Sten/Sten Mk.II(S) have been observed in quantity as follows:

First production model silencing units are found on B.S.A. manufactured guns with B prefix in serial number series B 341000, B 360000 and B 363000. The silencing units are two inches in diameter and are not equipped with any web handguards. The insulation is integrated in the silencer between the inner and outer tubes of the silencer. All the weapons observed have had the letter “S” stamped on the bottom of the magazine housing. These Sten guns are typically marked STFN instead of STEN, indicating a worn die used for marking the guns.

The silencer has a number of metal discs in front of the 7.2 inch barrel, which is ventilated with 6 bleed holes. A thick rubber disc is placed at the muzzle of the silencing unit to stop the powder gases from escaping. The effect of the silencing unit decreases as the rubber disc wears out. A number of silencing units have been observed with light bullet strikes at the muzzle, possibly caused by firing in recent times after the rubber had hardened thus diverting the bullets.

The silencing units are serial numbered and observations have been made in a range from 1-3400. It is not possible to say if as many as 3,400 were made but the observed numbers from 1-1500 have been so many that it’s quite possible that this range was filled. A number of these weapons were also equipped with night sights. Guns with night sights had the silencing unit permanently attached to the submachine gun. Most of the observed silencing units with night sights were in the 1-350 serial number range with one exception around serial number 3400. This model appears to have only been used by SOE agents. As mentioned above, these silencing units are possibly the shortened Kulikowski silencing units mentioned in the reports.

http://www.smallarmsreview.com/displ...darticles=2360

[browningautorifle]

Then again, who is likely to still be "clandestine" after expending several mags of 9mm, even with a decent muffler? The "smack" of bullets striking, even at sub-sonic velocities, is not to be ignored, never mind the rattle of the action and the "tinkling" of the spent brass.

"Silent" they ain't: the whole point is to "diffuse" the muzzle blast that is the rather distinctive signature of "normal" shooting.

Exactly the case with an M3A1 I used. It was a story wet day and still the smack of bullets at 25 yards and the jingle of brass was constant. It just wasn't loud like it would have been. And it was fun...and very hot. I had to use a glove on one hand.

[Peter Laidler]

That's right. there is always a distinct and unforgettable heavy dull 'thud' as the bullet hits home. Preferably into someone else of course. Difficult to describe the actual noise........ a thud like smack - but you know it when you hear it again, even when fired into a sheep carcass

[browningautorifle]

The noise varied with the exact backstop. I was of course moving around a bit, rubber matt, dirt, foreground...backdrop...jingling brass and mags changing...good fun.

[Bruce_in_Oz]

It was interesting to play with much later designs on 5.56 and 7.62 NATO platforms, using standard, supersonic "ball" ammo..

The instantly noticeable effect was that muzzle "blast" was subjectively reduced to something like a high-velocity .22 Rimfire; loud-ish, but not the familiar bellow of a 7.62 NATO fired without the muffler. The interesting thing was that there was a kind of "whoosh" as the bullet went down-range. This was actually the reflections of the "sonic boom" bouncing off the trees along the range border.

Down in the butts, the bullets "cracked" overhead as per normal, still being supersonic, BUT there was barely any of the "thump" of the actual discharge muzzle-blast. And these rounds were only fired from 300metres away.

These "cans" were an "experimental" co-axial design, but as with all such devices, they got VERY hot in a few shots, especially with amount of powder burnt in the "big" 7.62 NATO round. Another fun day with the 'meriCAN cousins!

One of the 5.56 versions was fitted to a VERY short-barreled toy, (think XM-177 clone).

A 30-round mag of ball was "dumped" into a tree-stump about 25 metres away. The extra mass of the muffler held the beast on target and the chips flew, accompanied by the sound of tortured timber and a fast-moving mechanism. DEFINITELY not "silent' but an impressive demonstration.

One "downside" is that, with semi/full-autos, "back-pressure", especially with co-axial cans, blows incompletely burnt powder particles back into the action. This gets things dirty, but with "open-topped" toys like the M-14, or Bill Ruger's mini version, you also need your serious shooting glasses OR one of the old "blank-firing" shields.

Furthermore, with gas-operated goodies, it is nice to be able to adjust the port pressure, (L1A1s are good for this), or you may well be "over-driving" the system, especially with "full-strength" ammo.