The Replica Prop Forum

The Replica Prop Forum
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Monday, June 3, 2013

Hickok45 revisits the STEN



Since Youtube restricts comment length I will post a few comments here instead.

#1 if you ever have a chance to fire a STEN  DO NOT rely on the safety.  A hard knock on the butt can bring the bolt back far enough to allow the cocking knob to slide out of the safety cut.  I've seen it happen twice when I lived in Missouri a friend of my family was a Class III collector and supplier to most of the Police Departments in Missouri.  A STEN he had acquired in a trade went disco from a worn sear after the cocking knob slid out of the safety catch.  It only fired 8 rounds before the sear finally caught. but it left some holes in the roof of the firing line at his farm.  And remember, "What goes up, MUST come down."

#2 at about the 13 minutes  mark he discusses how long it took to make a STEN, During WWII Enfield had gotten it down to where they could turn out a STEN MK II every 15 minutes depending on the parts availability.

#3 around the  15 minute 15 second mark the STEN stopped firing, but Hikok45 still had a few rounds in the mag.  What happened?  NEVER fire the STEN while holding onto the magazine.  It angles the magazine hence it angles the feed lips causing a misfeed.  The CORRECT way to fire a STEN was shown quite well in the Brendan Frasier movie "The Mummy - Tomb of the Dragon Emperor" from which the below pic comes from.

Photo from the Internet Movie Firearms Database
That is the correct way to hold a STEN while firing it.

#4  The STEN MKIIs Suppressed version was used by the S.O.E. and the O.S.S. and was dropped to Partisan fighters all through out the European Theater of Operations during the war.  The STEN was still in use by the Israeli's during their war for independence and was in use by the US Special Operations during Vietnam.  My mother's ex-fiance a retired Special Forces Medic preferred a STEN and a suppressed Browning Hi-Power during his service in Vietnam.

#6 Most STENs were sighted in for 100 yards. The front sight was either bent with pliers or filed down to adjust windage or elevation before the weapon was phosphated/parkerized.

#7 The STEN is fun to shoot and I actually found it more accurate than an UZI or a M3 Grease Gun, but full auto is EXPENSIVE!!!

My post on Hickok45's earlier video with the STEN is: Hickok45 has some fun with a STEN SMG

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