![sten mark 2 magazine sten mark 2 magazine](http://www.canuck.freehosting.net/stendia.gif)
Is a rectangular shaped steel pressing with a tube of rectangular section welded thereto. It consists essentially of a spring loaded vertical plunger which is attached externally to a case, the latter to assemble on the magazine. “hand operated but of different design from the MkI and MkII. The MkIII, which is possibly the rarest of the fillers, is described as:
![sten mark 2 magazine sten mark 2 magazine](https://www.lsb-malta.com/dynimage/galleria/733/image.jpg)
The rear of the spring is turned up slightly to allow the user to remove its from the magazine. The MkII is very similar but simplified by having the spring catch mounted on the rear instead of the side and engaged a “small rectangular slot on the magazine”. The MKI slipped over the top of a magazine with a rivetted spring tab which indexed into a notch in the front of the Sten mag. It is hand operated, the loading lever being given a rocking motion during filling. The MkI is described as consisting of “a lever mounted on a short case which conforms to the shape of the magazine. These are described in the British Army’s official List of Changes in February 1943.
STEN MARK 2 MAGAZINE SERIES
So a series of four marks of ‘magazine fillers’ were developed. The nature of the single feed makes the magazine difficult to load by hand with the last few rounds very hard to insert. Sten Magazine, inert 9x19mm rounds and MkII and MkIV magazine fillers Currently the BATF paperwork list the manufacture of this weapon as "ENGLAND WWII".While the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic has prevented some archival research I had planned which would have informed much of the STEN series, our good friend Richard at the Vickers Machine Gun Collection and Research Association, has come to our aid and we’re able to cover some of the loading accessories developed for the Sten’s magazines.Īs we know the Sten uses a 32-round double stack, single feed magazine which can trace its origins back through the Lanchester Machine Carbine to the Haenel MP28,II’s magazine designed by Hugo Schmeisser. This example has later "T" style buttstock and is complete with one 20 round and six 30 round Sten magazines, two canvas magazine pouches and an original canvas STEN sling. The receiver/tube itself is unmarked or proofed, with a small (PHX) etched on the right side, with the left rear trigger housing stamped "ENGLAND".
![sten mark 2 magazine sten mark 2 magazine](https://www.gamemaps.com/img/addons/l4d2/ss/sten_mk_ii__smg__18234_0.jpg)
The top of the magazine well housing is marked "STEN MKII" with the underside marked "FK 71265" over "SECO & CO.". During WWII they were produced by two primary factories, BSA Shirley and the Royal Ordnance factory at Fazakerley, as well as Canada and after WWII also in India. It is estimated that well over 1 million were produced with an estimated manufacturing cost of approximately $9.00 each. They have three basic machined parts the barrel, barrel bushing and bolt with the various remaining parts all produced from sheet metal stamping all welded together.
![sten mark 2 magazine sten mark 2 magazine](https://www.morphyauctions.com/jamesdjulia/wp-content/uploads/images/auctions/369/images/lrg/51967.jpg)
STEN MARK 2 MAGAZINE FULL
They are a simple blow-back operated SMG that can be fired both in full or semi-automatic. They were produced in several configurations with the MKII being the most widely used and remained well in service until the 1970s.
STEN MARK 2 MAGAZINE FREE
These SMGs were the workhorse of the British and United Kingdom forces throughout WWII to include many US, and Free French Resistance forces as well as Allied paratroopers and special operations units. This is an excellent example of a fully functional WWII British MKII STEN submachine gun.