Thread: Sten Mk V

Sten Machine Carbine Mk V

Designed as a cheap expedient in the aftermath of the Dunkirk evacuation, the Sten gun was, in consequence, one of the crudest small arms ever issued to the British Army. While being somewhat unreliable in operation, Sten proved extremely useful in the street fighting which characterised the campaign in Europe during 1944-1945.

Sten Machine Carbine Mk V

• TYPE: 9 mm sub-machine gun with 32 round capacity box magazine
• WEIGHTS: Gun and magazine 6.5 Ib (2.94 kg) Magazine 1.5 Ib (0.68 kg)
• DIMENSIONS: Overall length without bayonet approximately 2 ft 6 in (0.76 m)
• PERFORMANCE: Maximum cyclic rate of fire 500-550 rpm. Effective range 90 ft (27 m). Approximate maximum range 600 ft (183 m)

The Original Sten Gun is seen here being mass produced at Royal Ordnance factories at a cost of less than £2 each. It could be fired as an automatic, or used for single shot firing, either from the shoulder or the hip …