And England didn’t keep this ugly secret to themselves they exported the design and the methods to the rest of the British Commonwealth and her allies, cementing the STENs open bolt design, curious horizontal magazine and even inspiring copycat (and by most accounts superior) designs like Australia’s Owen submachine gun. The nutty part is this however: despite all of the guns’ well understood, cash strapped driven design flaws, more than 4 million STEN guns produced for Commonwealth troops through WWII. This fickleness could also be attributed to the belief that, because of the minimalist design, the weapon could be fired without lubrication (it can and it can’t). The STEN also quite crucially could fire captured German 9 mm ammunition though STEN ammo magazines of inferior quality which further reduced trust and reliability. Ironically, this third iteration, the STEN Mark III, was manufactured by Lines Brothers in England, a firm of toy makers, and surprisingly these guns are considered to be the best quality weapons of all the models produced.Īt time when any type of weapon was in short supply, an unpredictable, sewn together submachine gun was better than nothing and with production cost so low the Brits weren’t anxious about handing them out to resistance fighters, who loved because they could be dismantled and components hidden with ease. As the war progressed, the design became more Spartan-the Mark III, which replaced a wood stock with essentially just a length of pipe, could be made in a matter of five man hours. With only 47 parts (and with only two of those parts machined) the simple STEN gun was made of stamped steel, welded together so that production could be done in small shops, rather than in large factories. Seeking a domestically produced solution, an already resource hungry Great Britain turned to the Royal Arsenal to design a user friendly, threadbare weapon that even a country on rations could afford to produce. Losing a substantial number of men and weapons at the battle of Dunkirk, a shaken British military realized demand for submachine guns could not be filled by the US, who would be entering the War in 1941 and up until that point had been supplying the Brits with US made Thompsons. Germany’s attempted invasion of the United Kingdom). Though the gun received very little praise in its heyday, by modern standards the rawness of the design deserves respect, particularly when you place the weapons initial manufacture squarely during the Battle of Britain (i.e. The STEN, its name is derived from the chief designers initials (S for Shepherd, T for Turpin) and EN for Enfield or The Royal Small Arms Factory, Enfield, was described in one unflattering early account as, “resembling a roughly machined collection of scrap metal that was quite exciting to be around as it tended to go off when knocked” and it is more than likely this love hate relationship with the gun (courtesy of the role it played in history) that best epitomizes this classic small arm. Please see our legal page for more information.The STEN gun was a 9 mm Parabellum submachine gun developed by Britain for use in WWII and this damnably straightforward piece of kit today still elicits conflicting emotions from machine gunners and history buffs alike. We assume no liability associated with misuse of our products. All orders are subject to acceptance by IMA Inc, which reserves the right to refuse any order. By placing an order, the buyer represents that he/she is in compliance with the law and will utilize the items in a lawful manner. However, it is ultimately the responsibility of the buyer to be in compliance of laws that govern their specific location. IMA works diligently to be aware of these ever changing laws and obeys them accordingly. Gun magazine laws, concealed weapons laws, laws governing new made display guns, airsoft guns, blank fire guns, and other items vary greatly by nation, state and locality. IMA considers all antique guns offered on our website as non-firing, inoperable and/or inert.
This law exempts antique firearms from any form of gun control or special engineering. Code, Section 921(a)(16) defines antique firearms as all guns manufactured prior to 1899. Every musket, rifle, display machine gun, machine gun parts set or gun sold by IMA, Inc is engineered to be inoperable according to guidelines provided by the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATF). Everything for sale on is completely legal to own, trade, transport and sell within the United States of America. Legal Notice - International Military Antiques, Inc observes all Federal, State and local laws.