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In line with the then popular policy of making folding weapons for airborne troops, the Mark IV, IVA and IVB were tried. It was probably the best version of the Sten, but did not appear in large numbers. They made yet more simplifications in the manufacture, building a gun which had a fixed barrel and the body and jacket all in one. The Mark III was introduced by Lines Brothers, l firm of toy makers, who had a large contract. It became a favourite of the French Resistance and other underground movements in Europe and in the end more than 2 million were made, a few of which still exist today.
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The stock was only held by a spring stud, and when taken down to its component parts the Mark II could be carried very easily. The magazine housing could be rotated to lie in the same plane, as the trigger mechanism. The barrel was held in by a screwed jacket and was easily removed. The stock was a single tube with l flat plate on the end for the shoulder, and the woodwork and forehand grip disappeared. It was much simplified, with all unnecessary frills removed. The Mark I was soon replaced by the Mark II which was the most famous of the series. The first production models were turned out from BSA in the late summer of 1941 and from then on by both BSA in Birmingham and Enfield in quantity. These parts were all gathered in one of the main factories for fitting together, and to be mated with the barrels which held to be made on special machines. It was quickly found that manufacture of most of the components could be contracted out to little machine shops and even to large garages around the country. The only machined parts were the bolt and barrel everything else was stamped or pressed and all joins were by pinning or welding. The barrel was short clod was held in a tubular metal sleeve, and the body was another similar metal tube. The blowback system of operation used a heavy bolt and a fairly strong return spring, a combination which gave a rate of fire of about 550 rds/min and ensured that the working parts were tolerant of dirt, dust, snow, mud and general neglect. The basic mechanism set the pattern for the 3 million or so which followed. There was a folding forehand grip, l conical flash-hider and some wooden furniture. The resulting gun must have horrified the traditional gun makers since it was crude in the extreme but it worked, though the Mark I had a number of elaborations which soon proved to be of little or no use. The overriding requirement for the Sten was simplicity of manufacture and the use of easily available materials. It was named the Sten, the letters being taken from the surnames of the two designers (Major R V Shepherd and Mr H J Turpin, who did most of the detailed work) and the location of the Enfield factory.
STEN MK II VS MK III TRIAL
The gun was attractively light and compact and a limited endurance trial of 5000 rounds seemed to prove the soundness of the design. This was a much simplified Lanchester, coupled with some ideas from a captured MP 40 in particular the manufacturing processes of the MP 40 were accepted to the new weapon and stampings and components that could be subcontracted in their entirety were used to the full. There was a desperate need for something simple and effective, and in January 1941 the Design Department of the Royal Small Arms Factory announced that they had found an, answer and had made prototypes.
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The only submachine- guns available were US Thompsons, and though, a hurried design effort had produced the Lanchester from the German MP 28 this was too expensive in factory effort to make in quantity. In 1940 Britain was in grave danger of invasion and every type of weapon was scarce. Radio Corp New Zealand Contract Sten Mk II & III hybrid Family of Sten SMG’s showing top to bottom: