Sten
Sign in to saveThe STEN (or Sten gun) is a British submachine gun chambered in 9×19mm which was used extensively by British and Commonwealth forces throughout World War II and during the Korean War. The Sten paired a simple design with a low production cost, facilitating mass production to meet the demand for submachine guns. As well as equipping regular units, the Sten was distributed to resistance groups within occupied Europe. Its simple design made it an effective insurgency weapon for resistance groups.
Key facts
- Weapon.name
- Sten submachine gun
- Weapon.image
- File:Pistolet maszynowy STEN, Muzeum Orła Białego.jpg
- Weapon.image_size
- 300
- Weapon.caption
- A Sten MK II, this one is missing the trigger housing cover and has the late-WW2 stock design
- Weapon.origin
- United Kingdom
- Weapon.type
- Submachine gun
- Weapon.is_ranged
- yes
- Weapon.used_by
- See Users
- Weapon.design_date
- 1940
- Weapon.production_date
- 1941–1945 (version dependent)
- Weapon.number
- 3.7–4.6 million (all variants, depending on source)
- Weapon.variants
- Mk. I, II, IIS, III, IV, V, VI
- Weapon.weight
- (Mk. II)
- Weapon.cartridge
- 9×19mm Parabellum
- Weapon.action
- Blowback-operated, open bolt
- Weapon.rate
- version dependent; c. 500–600 round/min
- Weapon.velocity
- (suppressed models)
- Weapon.feed
- 32-round detachable box magazine
via Wikipedia infobox
Article
19 sectionsContents
- History
- Design
- Variants
- Mark I
- Mark I*
- Mark II
- Mark II (Canadian)
- Mark III
- Mark V
- Suppressed models
- Experimental models
- Foreign-built variants and post-1945 derivatives
- Conversions
- Service
- Users
- Non-state groups
- Notes
- References
- External links
The STEN (or Sten gun) is a British submachine gun chambered in 9×19mm which was used extensively by British and Commonwealth forces throughout World War II and during the Korean War. The Sten paired a simple design with a low production cost, facilitating mass production to meet the demand for submachine guns. As well as equipping regular units, the Sten was distributed to resistance groups within occupied Europe. Its simple design made it an effective insurgency weapon for resistance groups.
The Sten is a select fire, blowback-operated weapon with a side-mounted magazine. Sten is an acronym, derived from the names of the weapon's chief designers: Major Reginald V. Shepherd and Harold J. Turpin, and "En" for the Enfield factory. Around four million Stens in various versions were made in the 1940s, making it the second most produced submachine gun of the Second World War, after the Soviet PPSh-41. The Sten served as the basis for the Sterling submachine gun, which replaced the Sten in British service from 1953-1994.
Gallery (20)
Connections
Categories
9mm Parabellum submachine gunsAccuracy disputes from January 2019Insurgency weaponsSilenced firearmsSimple blowback firearmsSubmachine guns of the United KingdomWeapons and ammunition introduced in 1941World War II infantry weapons of AustraliaWorld War II infantry weapons of ChinaWorld War II infantry weapons of the United KingdomWorld War II submachine guns