made, 32-round Sten magazine made from a modern composite polymer material. One of the products the company offers is a U.S. TAPCO is a well-known wholesale company based in Georgia that specializes in the accessory market for firearms. Currently there are two known sources for new manufacture Sten magazines. However, the reproduction Sten magazines seem to be the exception. As a general rule, aftermarket magazines are not as reliable as original factory production. When the Sten magazine conversions for the M11/Nine submachine gun were introduced, there was a small run of Sten new magazine springs produced in an attempt to make the magazines more reliable. The new manufacture Sten magazines are made of modern materials and to closer tolerances than possible during World War II.
Springs have a finite life, and the sheet metal parts can suffer from metal fatigue and corrosion.
A british sten mark 2 plus#
One of the primary problems with original Sten magazines is that they are 70 plus years old. This brings us back to the question of just why aftermarket Sten magazines exist. The condition exists because of the stiff spring inherent of the design. The primary contributing factor of the Sten magazine’s functioning problems is the feed lips’ propensity to spread apart when loaded, changing the critical feed angle of the top cartridge. Many of the earlier magazines were upgraded when processed through a British Factory Thorough Repair program (FTR). The new magazines were designated as the Mk2 design. The floor plate was held in place by a protrusion on a plate attached to the bottom of the magazine spring.Įarly Sten magazines proved problematic and were redesigned by eliminating the holes in the rear of the magazine (used to determine how many rounds were in the magazine) and adding a cross brace to connect the legs of the follower to keep them from spreading apart and dragging on the magazine body. The floor plate was made of sheet metal and bent to slide onto the rails formed on the bottom of the magazine body. A thick steel collar was spot welded to the top of the magazine’s body to form the feed lips. The magazines were fabricated from sheet metal, with the manufacturing process of the body varying slightly by manufacturer. Sten magazines were produced by a large number of contractors and subcontractors. The double-stack double-feed design, as was used in the Thompson submachine gun, is far more reliable and much easier to load by hand. The spring makes the single feed magazine difficult to load by hand, requiring the use of a loading tool, and places a lot of force on the magazine feed lips. The double-stack single-feed magazine design is a configuration that requires a strong spring in order to force the cartridges into a single row at the top.
A similar magazine, in a 32-round configuration, was adopted for the British Sten submachine gun for the same reason. The German’s MP28II magazine was the same basic configuration later used for their MP38-MP40 magazines. The existing German magazine and the submachine gun were copied instead of designing a new one to save precious time. The reason for choosing that particular weapon was the manufacturing drawings had been made earlier from two weapons that were in British hands. The British Lanchester submachine gun and its magazine were a close copy of the German MP28 II submachine gun. With such a proliferation of Sten magazines one has to wonder just why anyone would choose to make new ones.ĭuring 1940, the British were in dire need of small arms. Because of their availability and low price, Sten magazines have been adopted for use in a number of modern firearms, both as issued and in modified form. Today, Sten magazines are very easy to find on the surplus market and usually very inexpensive. THIS ITEM IS TRANSFERABLE ONLY TO ACTIVE FFL/SOT DEALERS ON AN ATF FORM 3 BUT MAY BE RETAINED BY SOLE PROPRIETOR FFL/SOT HOLDERS WHEN THEY RELINQUISH THEIR LICENSES UPON BATF APPROVAL.During World War II there were an estimated forty-two million magazines produced for the British Sten submachine gun. THIS IS A NATIONAL FIREARMS ACT ITEM AND REQUIRES BATF APPROVAL PRIOR TO TRANSFER. Bore is very good with some brown in the grooves. CONDITION: Overall appearance and finish is fine original dull gray blue finish with some thinning to show some gray patina at high edges and scattered spots of brown on tube. in 1942 and quicker to produce than any of the previous sub-machine guns the British had fielded, and were produced in great numbers for World War II.
The Sten machine gun is a very simple and straightforward machine gun made mostly of metal stamped parts.
This gun comes with three original 32 round magazines, two of which are still wrapped in paper. Underside of magazine housing exhibits Royal Ordnance Factory, Teal marking. Fine British “SJENG” Sten MK II machine gun with broad arrow proof visible on top of magazine housing.
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