Much as the M1 Carbine would also be adopted by US airborne troops because it was The Sten would prove to be a compact arm that would give engineering, signals and other support troops short-range defensive firepower, was issued to officers and NCOs in infantry units, and was widely used by armoured crews. Both the Sten and the M1 Carbine found a role among troops who would not normally need the range and power of a rifle, and among those who valued light weight and firepower.
#Sten mk ii submachine gun pdf update#
As a result, this update of the venerable SMLE remained in service through World War II and into the 1950s.
4 Mk I Lee-Enfield was already in production and it was not deemed feasible to switch to a completely new infantry rifle. Although the semi-auto M1 Garand rifle had been considered for adoption for British forces in 1939, the bolt-action No. The role of the Sten in Britain’s armed forces was not unlike that of the US M1 Carbine. In addition, captured German and Italian 9mm ammunition could be used, although care had to be taken not to mistake Italian 9mm Glisenti for 9mm Parabellum ammunition, as the lighter load of the Glisenti made malfunctions more likely. 45 Thompson, the Sten’s chambering in 9mm Parabellum also offered the advantage of requiring less lead, copper and brass in the manufacture of its ammunition. Hence, the Sten required less steel and other materials. Needing only 48 parts in its simplest version, the Mk III, the Sten primarily used stamped components, with only the bolt and barrel having to be machined. A submachine gun that could be manufactured cheaply and quickly using light machinery in small shops offered an alternative to importing the expensive M1928 Thompson from the United States, especially once the US entered the war and needed Thompsons to arm its own forces.
When the Sten was developed during 1941, Great Britain’s industrial capacity was strained to the limit and the threat of a German invasion remained a reality. In many ways the Sten gun was the perfect weapon for its time and its place.
#Sten mk ii submachine gun pdf series#
It has less recoil than the Thompson 1928 and is slightly more controllable when fired in bursts.LEROY THOMPSON Series Editor Martin Pegler Like all smgs it is weak at longer ranges and not very accurate beyond 100m. It excels in the close quarter combat that the CP produce and great when capping cp or Army base bunker. However despite sometimes poor reputation the sten gave good service through various models and inspired various other submachine designs that can still be found in armouries across the globe. Early marks also had no safety and the gun was known to go off occasionally when bumped.
It had repudiation for jamming, caused by the magazine feed system which was copied directly from the Germans. The firearms where then assembled at the Enfield site Much of the production could be performed by small workshops or in some cases by schoolboys in metal shop classes. The Sten used simple stamped metal components and minor welding, which required minimal machining and manufacturing. The Lanchester and Sten magazines were even interchangeable (though the Lanchester's magazine was longer with a 50-round capacity, compared to the Sten's 32-round capacity). In terms of manufacture, the Lanchester was entirely different, being made of high-quality materials with pre-war fit and finish, in stark contrast to the Sten's austere execution. The Sten shared design features, such as its side-mounted magazine configuration, with the Royal Navy's Lanchester submachine gun, which was a copy of the German MP28. So Britain turned the Royal Small Arms Factory, Enfield who produced the Sten. However these where expensive and there was not enough to meet demand. It had been purchasing as many Thompson Submachine guns as it could get its hands on. After the fall of France Britain quickly realised it needed a submachine gun and fast.
0 kommentar(er)
