Sten MkI & MkI*: The Original Plumber's Nightmare

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The Sten gun was designed by RSAF Senior Draftsman (sorry, Draughtsman) Harold Turpin in December, 1940. He sketched out a simple trigger mechanism on December 2, showed it to Major Reginald Shepherd the next day, and then finished out the rest of the submachine gun design that week. The first prototype gun was completed on January 8, 1941 and it was tested by the Small Arms School that same month. The design was approved for production (alongside the Lanchester) March 7th, 1941 and the first of 300,000 Sten MkI guns was delivered to the British military on October 21, 1941. The MkI and MkI* Stens were all manufactured by the Singer sewing machine company in Glasgow, with three contracts for 100,000 guns each issued in 1941.
The Sten was the British response to a dire need for a large number of cheap infantry weapons, and it served that purpose well. The MkI was quickly followed by a somewhat simplified MkI*, which discarded the unnecessary flash cone and the wooden front grip. An even simpler MkII optimized for mass production followed, along with a MkIII. As the end of the war approached the MkV was introduced which had much improved handling, and it would remain in service until the 1950s, when it was finally supplanted by the Sterling.
Many thanks to the Royal Armouries for allowing me to film and disassemble these rare submachine guns! The NFC collection there - perhaps the best military small arms collection in Western Europe - is available by appointment to researchers:
royalarmouries.org/research/n...
You can browse the various Armouries collections online here:
royalarmouries.org/collection/
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Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! shop.forgottenweapons.com

[@thomas316]

"I've had an amazing idea at the pub, now I'm going back to my shed to cobble together a prototype." - Every British inventor.

[@HAZZZZZZZZZAAAA]

usually after a "one more for the road please"

[@saltzkruber732]

«Everything good that came out of Britain, came out of a shed» James May

[@DustyGamma]

I'm sure many British stories start with: "So I was at the pub..."

[@mattwoodard2535]

@@DustyGamma The good ones at least. sm

[@Preywinder]

Damn, maybe British people need to go back to spending more time in their sheds. Who knows what might happen!

[@AkioHabana]

imagine being promised an ''improved Lanchester'' only to get a partially skeletonized toob

[@Kevin-mx1vi]

I could argue that in a combat submachine gun anything more than the bare minimum required is just more to go wrong, so in that sense it _is_ improved. 😊

[@JohnHughesChampigny]

@@Kevin-mx1vi and no need to spend time polishing the brass bits.

[@Ca-gt4ko]

The truth came under light by the acknowledgement of prominent researcher climatologists that was cleared to them this week that the cause of climate disasters is due to the solar eruptions and not because of the carbon dioxide from human factories. Verily the truth came under light to perish who perished opposing the clear argument, and to make him live he who lived by a clear argument.. “You would find the news announcement in the words of the following title: (The world is threatened by a wave of hurricanes and natural disasters caused by the sun..) Done This is a fulfillment of Allah’s promise in His decisive Book; the grand Quran in the word of Allah the Most High: [Sabaã´] 34:6 {وَيَرَى الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْعِلْمَ الَّذِي أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ هُوَ الْحَقَّ وَيَهْدِي إِلَىٰ صِرَاطِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَمِيدِ ‎﴿٦﴾‏} صدق الله العظيم [سورة سبأ]. But they bashfully announce it in the British Daily Mail newspaper and on many news channels and news agencies, bashfully written, so why don’t they announce this important scientific news on satellite channels to the worlds? Is this due to shame that an international generation was raised to believe that the cause of climate changes on earth is carbon dioxide gasses from human factories, that (allegedly) caused global warming, resulting in climate disasters for the planet? This was the prevailing theory among all climate scientists / meteorologists that climate changes are caused by carbon dioxide from human factories, and they admitted that their knowledge is limited, that solar eruptions only affect electricity generators, the communications network, radio, and GPS sites only temporarily, and it has nothing to do with climate change, including floods also sea and land hurricanes. How much I argued with them that climate changes’ secret lies in the triggering of solar eruptions due to the skirmishes of the planet Saqar, which affected the sun and moon, while they ruled out that solar flares as the cause of climate disasters at all, as this is what commonly known in scientific inner-circles with all climate scientists among the non-Arabs and Arabs, but none among the worlds disagreed with them except one person who is the Imam Mahdi Nasser Mohammad Al-Yemeni, with authority. So my true fatwas were established based on the authority of knowledge of the true explanatory-statement for the Quran in the decisive grand Quran, then they turned away from it for twenty years, but the truth cleared to them which is in the challenge of the Imam Mahdi Nasser Mohammad Al-Yemeni, so why do they announce the news timidly only in writing on the channels and news websites?! Or is it arrogance that the news came confirming the truth in the explanatory-statements of the Imam Mahdi Nasser Mohammad Al-Yemeni? You can find the news with the following search words: (The world is threatened by a wave of hurricanes and natural disasters caused by the sun..) Done Then we uphold the argument against them with truth, and I say: In the name of Allah the All Merciful, the Most Merciful.. O community of astronomers and climatologists / meteorologists, didn’t tell you that I know from Allah what you do not know, and that the planet Saqar affects the sun and forces it to send out subsequent and larger solar eruptions, thus causing the ripple-blows of Allah’s climate war of floods, hurricanes, and others that you call climate disasters! It has become clear to you that it is not because of your greenhouse gasses, which all climate scientists in the non-Arabs and Arabs taught you that the cause of climate disasters is emissions of the exhausts of your factories, your cars, and all your engines with greenhouse carbon gasses, and it caused (which itself that caused) the global warming of planet earth. But you find the Imam Mahdi Nasser Mohammad Al-Yemeni tweeting alone and declaring absolute disbelief in your unscientific theory of which Allah did not send down authority, and we have taught you that it is due to the approach of the planet Saqar, which affected the sun, so it would trigger solar flares to occur and they in turn affect the climate of planet earth, and the reason is planet Saqar during the journey of its approach from a distant place, declaring the war of skirmishes from a distant place, but the effect has now become greater and greater with a rope from the sun, the glowing lantern, and a rope from the dark, glowing, thermal planet Saqar. That’s in order for it not to come over them except all of a sudden, so it would profoundly startle them, and they can neither avert it, nor would they be helped. And only, the reality of its coming will become clear to them because of its effect by a skirmish war from a distant place, as like its effect on the sun. Here are the non-Arabs climatologists after the last successive major solar eruptions during the current month of May for this year of yours, 2024 AD; in fact, this week, they noticed an increase in climate disasters, so they suspected that they were not due to the theory of greenhouse gasses rather the climate changes are in the sun as well. Then they conducted scientific research by tracing the dates of all solar eruptions over the years. Then they looked at the history of climate disaster events and found that they were occurring within a few days of proximity from solar eruptions, then it became clear to them that climate changes actually occurred in the sun and not in the earth due to greenhouse gasses. Doesn’t this mean that the theory of global warming has become incorrect, not even by 1%? And the truth came under light despite the noses of the hindering opposers, to perish who perished opposing the clear argument, and to make him live he who lived by a clear argument. Verily, it became clear to all truth seekers and the followers that the truth is with the Imam Mahdi Nasser Mohammad Al-Yemeni, who always, since twenty years ago, announces the disbelief in the theory of global warming; for twenty years, verily I say: O people of humans, keep your duty to Allah, the One and Subduer, surely you have entered into a war of skirmishes because of the approach of the planet Saqar from a distant place, so it affected the sun, the glowing lantern, because the planet Saqar is not luminous, in fact, thermal glowing (plant). So the first that would be affected by the arrival of Saqar planet of fire, so the sun is the first to be affected, to the fact it’s originally a glowing, thermal lantern, then it increases its temperature and many of its solar eruptions in unusual (frequency). What concerns us is the acknowledgement by the research group of climatologists, and their research of this week concluded that the truth cleared to them that climate disasters which occur on planet earth are truly due to climate changes itself which occur in the sun. So this means that they acknowledge the error of their theory that it is due to greenhouse gasses, to the fact it is not logical that the planet earth affected the sun, because greenhouse gasses from earth are man-made. The question that comes up is: Why this important news not announced on Arab and non-Arab channels? Is that arrogance towards Allah’s khalifa, the Imam Mahdi Nasser Mohammad Al-Yemeni? Then we uphold the argument against all the decision-makers among the Arabs and non-Arabs and their people altogether, and I say: Only those with understanding-minds would remember before the painful chastisement in the midst of the upcoming summer, which begins from the date of 06 - 21 - 2024 AD. And I say, in this year of yours, 1445 AH, and I announce to all who are arrogant against Allah and His khalifa; the bad news of painful chastisement, so rejoice by the rise of heat to (151) degrees Celsius; it is a decisive word, and it is not a joke, verily, Allah’s curse is upon the liars whom the truth of the explanatory-statement for the grand Quran by the pen of Allah’s khalifa, the Imam Mahdi Nasser Mohammad Al-Yemeni, was made clear to them then pride took them to sin, and Hell is sufficient for them, so who will protect them from a chastisement of one hundred and fifty-one degrees of heat Celsius by a command from Allah the One, the Subduer? And Allah does not wrong them, but they wrong themselves. Isn’t the morning near? Isn't the summer of the sun combined with the summer of Saqar close? So where is the escape? O community of those who have transgressed in the land then increased mischief therein? Indeed, your Lord is Watchful.” Imam Mahdi Nasser Mohammad Al-Yemeni 11 - Dhul Qeda - 1445 AH | May - 19 - 2024 AD Mahdialumma com

[@gsamov]

@@Kevin-mx1vi Which is why the MP5, which is a rather complex sub machine gun is so beloved?

[@zhoufang996]

Peacetime smgs are a different proposition to wartime OH GOD WE LEFT ALL OUR GUNS IN FRANCE!!! submachine guns.

[@capt.bart.roberts4975]

War time small arms procurement officer, "Still too bloody complicated, simplify it! "

[@cleanerben9636]

"Well sir, how about we just make some metal sticks and have the troops throw them?" "Yes! do that! 1 000 000 please!"

[@user-se7es6uc8v]

My parents were young adults during the war, the Nazis had stormed through the Netherlands, Belgium and France very quickly and were now just across the water. Everyone thought it would be about two to four weeks before they crossed and invaded, so everything was done in a hurry!

[@JunkyardBashSteve]

how about a barrel and a ball-peen hammer

[@j.dunlop8295]

Cost 2£ 6s in 1941, about $9-10 American! 45 cal was made also, serious collectors item, in good shape! 3.4 to 4.6 million manufacturered worldwide!

[@lovetohate028]

Wanting 100,000 guns after the first prototype had just fired 100 rounds speaks to severe desperation

[@jalpat2272]

You know if Dunkirk didn't happen British expeditionary force would face same fate like their wwi counterpart. pS, they literally forced to dumped army worth of equipment, including their small arms like Thompson.

[@tomhenry897]

Bought Thompsons after Dunkrik

[@jalpat2272]

@@tomhenry897 I though they have it since early days of invasion of France, and at least 10000 in British Army since 1939.

[@AshleyPomeroy]

I remember Ian's video on the Bren Mk1 pointed out that the BEF lost about two-thirds of them at Dunkirk - they must have been in desperate need of anything that could spit bullets, even if it was just 9mm.

[@alecdeter1999]

​@@tomhenry897Just because they bought them doesnt mean anything they still needed guns asap and a few pieces of pipe seemed to work well enough and they could cobble them together quickly

[@PatGill-tu6oq]

I met Turpin several times in the 1960-1970's he was a member of the Chingford and District model engineering club, he made model live steam locomotives in his home workshop, in Enfield.

[@thisherehandleIdospout]

Well... that certainly tracks. 🤯

[@slickwillie5681]

That muzzle device doubles as a shovel. You can even step on the mag well for extra leverage .

[@MonkeyJedi99]

Looks like a particularly evil bayonet to me.

[@DB-yj3qc]

A last resort stabbing device is way more likely than a soldier using it to dig.

[@Aliyah_666]

​@@DB-yj3qcI'm actually surprised more muzzle devices aren't more stabby. Maybe not full on spear point but just some good sharp prongs or whatever.

[@ThatSlowTypingGuy]

Good Cop: Hey would you like a friendly arms contract? Singer: Um not really? Bad cop: Too bad!

[@MonkeyJedi99]

Ensign Singer, make it sew!

[@AtlasJotun]

@@MonkeyJedi99 Dad Jokes _IN SPAAACE!_

[@perihelion7798]

In Vietnam in 1969, I had a Singer 1911A1. If I had known about the rarity of these weapons back then, I would have swiped it from the Army. It ran beautifully, even though it had a weaker recoil spring. I used a Thompson as a 'truck' gun. It was missing the shoulder stock, but it was a joy to shoot. I was the unit armorer for an Air Cav troop. Got to examine many strange weapons captured from the Viet Cong, who used whatever they could find ammo for. Interesting times in another world...

[@no1DdC]

What kind of strange Vietcong weapons did you see?

[@perihelion7798]

@@no1DdC An MP38 and an MP40 - the MP40 was in very good condition. 1903 Springfield, and an Enfield [ don't know what model ], a French MAT-49 in pretty sad shape. Got to shoot the MP40 after scrounging some 9mm ammo, and it was a lot of fun. French MAS 49 - sort of like an M14. Some others which I forget.

[@no1DdC]

@@perihelion7798 Very interesting. I suspect the German guns ended up in Vietnam as assistance from the Eastern Bloc - they not only provided their own weapons in ridiculous quantities, but also captured guns from WW2, of which they had an overabundance of. That's why a pristine cache of STG-44 rifles was found in Syria a few years ago, for example.

[@perihelion7798]

@@no1DdC The VC used a motley selection of arms, like most rebel and insurgency groups. By 1975 they were armed mostly with AK 47s and the SKS.

[@johnfisk811]

A manual explains that the single shot function was to reduce ammunition use when used to suppress enemy fire (ie rather than when a specific target was aimed at) but also to hide the presence of automatic fire capacity which would be called upon when the enemy leaves cover to advance whereupon the carbine is used in automatic fire. B*ggered if I can find the reference to the manual which I read but this was dated 1944.

[@JohnHughesChampigny]

Also came in handy with the silenced versions.

[@tomhenry897]

Training films have the same thing

[@hanelyp1]

Makes sense. Deceiving the enemy on how strong your position is is well established tactics.

[@alastairward2774]

​@@hanelyp1ungentlemanly!

[@JohnHughesChampigny]

Singer executives in the US: we'd rather not get involved in your nastiness. Britain: do you think we give a fuck what you want?

[@alastairbarkley6572]

Singer (well, Singer UK) would have been bought out not 'seized'. Money wasn't a particular problem for the British Government at this stage. Singer would have been well compensated.

[@davydatwood3158]

Yeah, more Britain: fair enough lads, here's some money for all those machines and tools, now bugger off home, there's a good chap.

[@wraithwyvern528]

They're British, not South African

[@markfergerson2145]

Singer UK: “Our parent company in the Colonies has their hands tied by the government refusing to get involved, and will not authorise us to produce arms. What can we do to get around this?” Britain: “No problem, we shall just buy you out and give you a nice fat contract to make buckets of guns.” Singer UK: “Ah, most satisfactory.”

[@andyleighton6969]

@@alastairbarkley6572 The War Powers Act 1939 gave the Government the right to seize just about anything in furtherance of war aims. I very much doubt they bothered with compensation. They will just have given it back when they were finished with it after the war.

[@adamhale2526]

I sew for a living and i listen to your videos while i am working because i love hearing about the history of different firearms and ive always thought the same people who make sewing machines must be the same people that make machine guns. Both have a ton of moving parts that move lighting fast and consistently work together.

[@zendell37]

It's fascinating, isn't it? Same with Typewriters. People know Remington. But Remington Rand got in the mix to produce some firearms as well.

[@dwaneanderson8039]

I've sometimes heard people describe a good machine gun as running like a sewing machine.

[@DB-yj3qc]

Well Singer made 1911s that were considered so well made that the company contract was ended for them to make aircraft part. This was after making maybe as many as 500 1911s.

[@AtlasJotun]

Singer also made 1911 pistols in WWII, some of them are worth more than $500,000 USD today.

[@jimmyginseng]

It’s 8am, there is no better time to learn about guns. Thanks forgotten weapons

[@hoilst265]

IIRC, we Aussies were paying $320US or so per Thompson kit in 1940. That's about *$7000* today!

[@nomad_boreal]

I think the cost of the Thompson alone is why it got replaced by the M3 Grease Gun late in the war.

[@walsingham-xxiii]

In 2006 the British taxpayer finished off paying back the wartime loans to the US.

[@SteveCogno]

@@walsingham-xxiii I wonder when the Germans will be done paying back the Allies LOL

[@FriedAudio]

@@walsingham-xxiii ...and I didn't get any of it. 😮‍💨

[@ashleystyles6888]

​@@walsingham-xxiii I wonder when zelenski and Israel will repay us? NB they won't

[@sceligator]

It's great to see you're in the Royal Armouries Museum in the UK which houses thousands of iconic weapons throughout history!

[@nospoon4799]

Why?

[@dbracer]

@@nospoon4799 because it's where Jonathon Ferguson, Keeper of Firearms and Artillery for the Royal Armouries Museum in the UK, which houses thousands of iconic weapons throughout history, works. You probably need to check out his videos for the Gamespot channel to get the reference.

[@proCaylak]

@@nospoon4799 because they enjoy the content of... Jonathan Ferguson, Keeper of Firearms and Artillery at the Royal Armouries museum in the UK.

[@JohnHughesChampigny]

Always pisses me off that they don't say Leeds. I suspect that's why Charlie Stross had it be destroyed by an invasion of elves.

[@cedhome7945]

One of the best collections in the world but ironically almost every thing in it Is a long prison sentence for the British people to own

[@TheComradeBritish]

Singer:"Are the guns at least good?" British:"I mean, they work."

[@alterbridge7091]

I’ve always loved the Sten gun.

[@johnsmith-jq1uc]

TOOB

[@Jreb1865]

Same...My favorite as well...

[@gae_wead_dad_6914]

Too bad their users hated it. Unreliable, unwieldy. Easy to jam the magazine because there's no secure grip The only good thing about it was that it's dirt cheap and made in the millions

[@alterbridge7091]

@@Jreb1865 whenever I stalk a cat down the hallway after exiting the bathroom, I’m holding an imaginary air Sten.

[@zhoufang996]

​@@gae_wead_dad_6914the grass is always greener on the other side. In the end the Germans used captured ones and also made their own copy so it can't be that bad. It was also used postwar.

[@arturovasquez5612]

If the Thompson is the Chicago typewriter, then the STEN is the British sewing machine

[@douglasgreen437]

😂

[@edwinsmith-jones6205]

Love the fact that a toy manufacturer, Line Brothers, took bare-bones design and made it even simpler, quicker, and cheaper to mass produce.

[@gleggett3817]

at the time toys were made of metal parts including metal stampings. if you can mass produce a child's scooter or even a spinning top then you're good for arms manufacturing.

[@ssanneru]

@@gleggett3817 And metal stampings on this scale were not really a thing in traditional weapons manufacture, so arguably the toy company was better set up for this modern kind of arms manufacturing than most arms manufacturers were.

[@edwinsmith-jones6205]

At the outbreak of W.W.II, thanks to their die-cast & clockwork toy trains, Meccano Ltd were one of the few factories in England that could produce complete bomb fuses. Being a toy collector with a keen interest in history, I find these sort of connections fascinating.

[@gunman11]

6:20 to 6: 40, learning about a 84 year old sub machine gun , thanks Ian. You are appreciated.

[@aquateenjunkie21]

This might be the most beautifully simplistic weapon that I've ever seen

[@pa4tim]

The flash hider is a nice device to collect rainwater in your barrel

[@HeX64]

Free barrel cooling. 😆

[@nonnius2861]

Got to make tea somehow

[@justinriley8651]

Yes, a funnel for pouring water into your tea cup no doubt!

[@bulbden8337]

Looks like a bayonet to me😂

[@qwertzy121212]

@@bulbden8337 anything can be a bayonet if you jab hard enough

[@callumgordon1668]

A few years ago I visited Berliner Unterwelten with some friends. They have a collection of rusted Soviet and German weapons from the battle for. Among that rusted collection was a sten. Unlikely a German copy, the mag was horizontal. What’s that doing there? We asked ourselves. Lend-lease? The Soviets had an abundance of PPSH. Some ‘research’ ie Google later and it appears it was probably captured and issued some hapless young boy or old man. The Germans liked and used captured Stens. Roll on a few years and we’re shooting WWII era at a very nice range in Krakow. I chose a PPsH in my ‘bundle’ along other allied (mainly British) and German firearms. “Why choose that?” Asked my patriotically Polish instructor. “It’s iconic,” I said. “It’s a piece of sh!t!” He said. “Well you don’t have a Sten” I said. “Fair enough.” I got my best group of the session with the PPsH. I’m not a natural. I did shoot a Sterling as an Air Cadet, but a Sten is still on the bucket list. Same trip we were in Warsaw in the Polish Army Museum and Warsaw Uprising museum. Both worth a visit. They have a collection of Stens and workshop Polish copies and other home made SMGs.

[@alastairbarkley6572]

Interesting. D'you think that Sten was part of a drop of weapons to a resistance group? AFAIK, a very small amount of military aid was dropped at the time of the Warsaw uprising (IIRC, parts of Poland were within range of the Shorts Stirling heavy bomber). Actually, the dropping and the bombing were symbolic, rather than any use to the Poles and probably only to satisfy Stalin that the Western Allies were doing SOMETHING rather than just not opening that second front. Of course, the Germans were very efficient at organising the collection and recycling of enemy weapons of all types - particularly towards the end of the war. A ton of Sten guns were dropped on Western Europe during the whole war. Many would have fallen directly into German hands.

[@callumgordon1668]

@@alastairbarkley6572 the one in Berlin could have come from anywhere, I suppose. Regarding drops during the uprising specifically, I think the Home Army had been squirrelling for a long time. From memory, some of the workshop Stens were near identical to the British made ones. I suppose a real expert might know the difference.

[@trooperdgb9722]

Definitely both museums are worth a visit. I too enjoyed shooting some interesting guns in Poland. At an indoor (unfortunately) range in Warsaw..I booked the "WW2" package. Various pistols...the Instructor was a bit surprised when he handed me the 1911 and said "You will like this 45", and I said "Yes, I have one at home..." ( I shoot pistols competitively!) The SMG's were a Ppsh-41, PPS-43 and an MP-34 (that I very much wanted to STEAL! lol) Various Bolt Actions... and then a ZB-26.(Which was interesting having shot a BREN in Australia) .. a DP-27 (best fun of the 3) and an MG-42. (MUCH heavier than they look) The young instructor was at first surprised I think to have someone there totally familiar with guns... but he soon relaxed and started to have some fun too. The MG's were all (obviously) old and well used... and kept having stoppages... but he really wanted me to get a good long burst from each, so he kept working on them, and loading far more ammo than my package had included... It was a fun session.

[@timgray5231]

The germans did in fact make absolute copies of the sten, complete with horizontal mag well. No one knows exactly why however. After that we have the last ditch SMG manufacture with vertical mag, to match MP40 style.

[@wlewisiii]

This is one of the most essentially classic FW episode in ages. Thank you, Ian. I really appreciate this historical lesson.

[@clangerbasher]

We should be able to get STEN's on the NHS. It would make me feel better anyway.

[@oli1764]

No officer this isn't an unregistered submachine gun in my car , this is my emotional support sten gun

[@clangerbasher]

@@oli1764 You get it!!!

[@frankb4517]

If there was ever a firearm that epitomized “function before form” the STENs were it.

[@ianc8999]

My old house was on the Royal Small Arms factory at Enfield. There is a small museum on site with original Sten and Bren machineguns, and Lee-Enfield rifles, and most of the streets are named after people who worked as designers etc at RSA.

[@micuu1]

British Army: we desperately need guns! Gerry is coming for us! Turpin: P I P E

[@ramiabiakar2391]

t00b

[@fabiogalletti8616]

nobody care about those poor smucks that were carrying around a two-legged vickers after the third leg was sacrified to the cause.

[@mirandahotspring4019]

Some years ago I was doing some work at Hillside railways workshop in Dunedin New, Zealand. They had found some bodies of Sten guns, no bolts, just the body and stock. Someone did some research and found in the records they were made there in 1943-45. They even found original invoices showing they were costed at 1s 6d each, about 15 cents in today's money!

[@no1DdC]

That's not 15 cents in today's money - that's just a different way of counting the value of the currency back then. It's actually $7 (NZD) in today's money with inflation - or $4.25 (USD). Keep in mind that purchasing power inflation isn't all that applicable to military contracts.

[@mirandahotspring4019]

@@no1DdC I put 15c to let people who have no idea what 1s 6d means what the cost was in the 1940s, not what the inflation adjusted price would be today.

[@HustleMuscleGhias]

You could have just said 1 shilling 6 pence. The British and parts of its former colonial empire have the most convoluted system of coinage and currency that I've ever seen. At least somebody had common sense to finally decide on decimalization. And one last thing, I'll say that the system of measurements the metric system makes much more sense.

[@tomwinterfishing9065]

Do you know Kevin James?😝

[@WhiskeyTape]

At this rate there would be nothing left for Jonathan Ferguson The Keeper of Firearms and Artillery at the Royal Armories Museum in the UK, home to thousands of iconic weapons throughout history to review.

[@tomhenry897]

Not with their inventory

[@tomwinterfishing9065]

He’s got an entire warehouse of unopened draws to go at 😂

[@thisherehandleIdospout]

@@tomwinterfishing9065 God, I hope so 😳🥵🤤

[@francisbarbeau1862]

Good Job Ian! I had the pleasure of firing a Sten Gun (MK5) in 1982 while stationed with Her Majesty's Forces! I loved the opportunity! The Gun was not a disappointment!

[@user-ci2mn1oy3w]

I silver-brazed a hunk of steel to my upper receivers and dovetailed in a rear sight, so I could have drift-adjustments for windage. I just used a v notch rear sight, because it's fast and easy to understand. With the silencer mounted, I could keep 6-7 rd bursts on a mans torso at 25m. Not bad. Cyclic rate was 600 rpm. I never got to test them without the can's being mounted, but you could write your initials in a wall with just one arm, at 20 ft. Buttstock tucked between your ribs and upper arm 3" chunk of Uzi barrel kept normal 9mm ball ammo subsonic I testfired them down into a hunk of log, out in an old barn, a neighbor's house just 25m away, in Southern California. . So, yes, they were pretty damned quiet. 1985, Wilmington, CA.

[@user-kr7yh8vw9m]

The Sten gun has got to be one of the most iconic submachine guns of the Second World War, a gun often associated with British commandos, resistance fighters and partisans. Despite its flaws it became iconic especially for being the 2nd most produced smg of WW2 only behind the PPSH-41 and for its compact design. Thank you Ian for telling us such an incredible history of a famous firearm.

[@samuelgarrod8327]

From 1942 commandoes were issued with the Thompson

[@frosty3693]

My understanding was, the semi-auto feature and calling it a 'carbine' was that in use it was to be fired mosty in semi-auto, to save ammuniton if nothing else. And it was to be able to fire fully auto as the situation required. The same for the later Sterling.

[@tomhenry897]

Right Look at British training films The SMGs were to be used on semi automatic to save ammunition Don’t know how it was really used

[@no1DdC]

@@tomhenry897 One has to assume that the term "hit probability on a moving target" wasn't something discussed back then and that even with SMGs, the British were still training marksmanship, which is silly.

[@littlekong7685]

@@no1DdC The idea was that an unaimed shot was a wasted shot because most of the time the shooter was probably closing his eyes to do it. By forcing single shots and marksmanship standard it meant more shots were lethal shots, even with fewer rounds fired and slower overall rates of fire (And less suppression). There also the idea of suppression fire as indirect fire magnets, better to shoot once from a concealed position and kill, than to sit and suppress and wait for counter fire from the rest of the enemy formation because your accuracy was bad.

[@jdelark6428]

The Australian plumbing (The Owen SMG) was by contrast a makeshift masterpiece.

[@waynemanning3262]

I love how everyone comes down hard on the sten, but over the next twenty years half of the world’s submachine guns were basically just a variation of the sten. The greasegun, m76 etc were all basically just a tube, bolt, barrel and magazine.

[@kirkstinson7316]

There were other smg that used a tube receiver before the Sten. And a lot of them did it better before and after the war. I've shot a Mk II in full auto and at 35 yards I hit a gallon milk jug with 4 rounds total. And it only ran if the ammo was lubed. Might have been just that gun but doubt it from the stories out there from WWII users

[@petesheppard1709]

And then, there's the Kel-Tec Sub2000...I think of those classic tube guns every time I handle mine.

[@waynemanning3262]

@@kirkstinson7316 very true! I’ve also watched cops on the range that couldn’t hit a milk jug with one shot out of 18 with their pistol at 35 yards. I have seen online guys do well enough at 50 yds, but they probably are aware of their Stens individual idiosyncrasies to make up for the piss poor sights and mag feed issues. For clearing rooms and close quarter street fighting the Sten did not bad for $8

[@hanelyp1]

@@waynemanning3262 Yup. Being able to hit a man sized target at 300 yards isn't bad. But in some very common battle situations, close quarters or against a massed formation, being able to spray bullets in the general direction is useful.

[@manmachinemake3708]

​@@kirkstinson7316, i have a slew of Sten Guns, mostly MK-II. each one has it's own unique personality. That said, none of mine require any special care to fire reliability or accurately. In fact, i typically feed it the ammo i find dropped on the ground after an event. I just put it all in an ammo can for next time and load the mags with what a handful at a time.

[@daffyd5867]

Im not a gun person, but from a military history perspective, these are great videos....thanks...

[@Pooknottin]

Many thanks. Looking forward to the next installments.

[@ninebangtrojan4669]

36 Days, it would've been quicker but you know tea breaks ☕🇬🇧

[@skyd8726]

There are anecdotal tales of the Germans wondering why the Brits suddenly ceased fighting during a battle... Tea took priority... apparently!

[@ninebangtrojan4669]

@@skyd8726 our tanks were fitted with kettles, can't save civilisation without a brew on hand.

[@themilkmannequin1772]

while you were there, did you see Jonathon ferguson, keeper of firearms and artillery at the Royal Armouries Museum in the UK, which houses a collection of thousands of iconic weapons from throughout history?

[@ForgottenWeapons]

Yes: kzbin.info/www/bejne/kJ6yXoF6gap2a6M

[@AndrewDasilvaPLT]

Thank you for your work.

[@tomwarner2468]

I always liked these guns every since I saw 8n movie 'the longest day ,the 6th of June! So much that I built one from pieces and a receiver machined out of a piece of 4130 tube! Mine was a sten 2!

[@charlesmckinley29]

Thank you Ian. Looking forward to the test of the series.

[@mootpointjones8488]

An excellent history of the STEN, thank you!

[@tn_bluestem]

Last time I was this early, His Magesty's armed services could give me a proper Tommy Gun

[@benwilson6145]

It was his Majesty!

[@TheHorseman0fApocalypse]

so now he's a mage?

[@clothar23]

Screw the Thompson.. I would gladly take a Grease Gun over this.

[@spazda_mx5]

Singer: We don't want to get involved! UK: Yoink!

[@bahouden5813]

Love the wood on the Sten Mk1! It gives it a nice look to the iconic tube gun that I love!

[@johnthomson6507]

Thanks Ian long overdue

[@ROBERTNABORNEY]

1) Everyone is always temped to hold the STEN by the magazine, but that is totally wrong as it puts pressure on the mag which distorts it, leading to feed problems. That's probanbly the reason for the forward grip. Later marks are supposedly to have the barrel sleeve cradled in the non-trigger hand. 2) Once read a story about a troop who broke his STEN's stock while dropping into the prone position in the manner approved for rifles, with first the knees and then the weapon's butt hitting the ground. He was terrified, damaging the King's Property was a serious offense - he might be facing a court martial. So , with some trepidation he turned the weapon in to the armorer. That worthy took it, glanced at the break and threw the parts into a crate with the remark, "That makes a dozen this week" and issued him a new gun.

[@lostinfens]

My dad fired a Sten in WWII, he said it was a great way to fill a room with lead.

[@stumpythedwarf8712]

Thank you Ian!

[@billpark8988]

I am always amazed how the curators don't sling you out the door when you start taking apart their historically important submachine guns. As ever , totally enjoyable. Good job.

[@arnox4554]

They HAVE to take them apart themselves for maintenance, man. Further, these are firearms, not delicate flowers. They are devices of hardened steel that are (usually) designed to survive the most extreme conditions and still hold together.

[@twoheart7813]

I bought an MKII kit a few years ago when you could still get them without mortgaging your house and fashioned a receiver/barrel out of wooden dowels, looked cool on the wall. I have a spare receiver/barrel fashioned in the same way just in case I run into another kit.

[@Moxiecore]

I really enjoyed the Thompson series, so I know that this is going to be great! Thanks Ian!

[@Quaker521]

Great start to what I'm sure will be a fantastic series which I am looking forward to watching. Thanks.

[@bobhill3941]

I loved this and look forward to the next installment. I really enjoyed eating my lunch to this. The most interesting part was the development history and the breakdown of the name. My grandad was HMAF REME rank of Craftsman from 1953-56 occupational forces Germany and he carried a STEN in his recovery vehicle.

[@nickverbree]

I love when Ian does development series. So cool to see how a weapon changed over time

[@minisforerbody]

I was at the Armouries on Sunday! I love it there 😍 it’s like my Jerusalem. My partner: not so much 😂. Bless her she dealt with me autistically spouting facts and dates at her for a couple of hours before she got “information overload” and went to the cafe to doom scroll for a couple of hours while I walked around barely stopping myself from thinking out loud. You don’t look normal when you’re just saying stuff about guns to yourself.

[@brucemagee3199]

Thanks for bringing that to us very informative

[@kalliste23]

During training of new recruits the semi-auto feature is a must.

[@samrussell9264]

The Sten magazine fitting into the Bren Ammo Pouch makes a lot of sense: for its time the '38 Pattern was a modern intigrated load-carrying system carefully designed to complement the modern Battledress, which was basically streamlined for maximum efficency.

[@blackore64]

But they actually had to extend the pouches to fit Sten gun magazine pouches, which can be seen with Mk III pouch

[@daveross7]

Great video mate.

[@arandompasserby7940]

I love the workshop quality of these old guns, and seeing welds that you know was done by a real human being.

[@charlesmckinley29]

36 days from back of envelope to working prototype!

[@doobybrother21]

I believe he used the napkin that came with the fish and chips

[@pointynotsharp8436]

Really looking forward to the rest of this series. I know very little about the evolution of the sten

[@M0oseTacular]

All of its beauty is in its simplicity.

[@TheHylianBatman]

I loved the series on the Lee-Enfield, so this is welcome as well!

[@johnfisk811]

The pouch size was the reason for the reduction of the Improved Lanchester plus commonality with German magazines. Lanchesters were used by the Royal Navy who had their own webbing pouch supply line for 50 round magazines but the army needed to stick to their own Bren magazine pouches as the standard. Even the later L2A3 remained at 32 rounds for the same reason as the later webbing pattern was to take the L4 30 round magazines so was of similar deep mess. One of many hangovers in the history like the single stack being due to the thickness of the P08 Luger grip causing similar thickness in the Luger snail magazine which was then used as the Bergman MP18 magazine which became a stick magazine in the MP28 which was brought back from Ethiopia and was the progenitor of the Lanchester.

[@jmjedi923]

it all comes full circle! like the luger drum mag, a circle!

[@Col_Mustard]

Ian eluded that part, but does that Bergman heritage implies that Sten and MP38/MP40 are interchangeable?

[@keithdurose7057]

If I remember correctly. The Sterling magazine held 34 rounds. For the L2A3. Minor point I know. Double stack with roller magazine followers. These magazines probably cost the same as a WW2 Sten!

[@johnfisk811]

@@Col_Mustard other than the magazines, no.

[@Col_Mustard]

@@johnfisk811 I somehow managed to forgot the most important word (i.e. magazine) in my sentence. Thanks for the answer!

[@Nerfhalo1]

Some of the best ideas just come to you when you have a drink in your hand and nothing in your head.

[@douglasgreen437]

& then into a shed in your back garden..😂

[@robinireland810]

Great content, as ever. I’m going to look at a weapons collection on a military base next week where they’ll hopefully have a full set of Stens. I’ll now have a better idea of what I’ll be looking at; so thanks for the lesson. Every day’s a school day!

[@garethbowman4970]

Thank you for your use of the term CV.

[@cynthiakoehne7004]

I just love how great a simple STEN still works today as an awesome assault small mg, I shot over 1,000 rounds through Hoan alley runs, and I cannot complain on the gun, it just worked all the way through!

[@roygardiner2229]

That was so very interesting. Thank you!🤟

[@eldoradocanyonro]

This is awesome! I know you've done some videos on the sterling, but I'd love to see a deep dive into their mk differences as well!

[@charlesperry1051]

I was lucky enough to get to fire a Sten one time. Very controllable in full auto.

[@WanderlustZero]

It's criminal they haven't made a 'quirky underdog' style film about the development of the STEN. I can just imagine the trailer... *Montage of bookish young man at a university library in a shirt and tanktop adjusting his glasses as he goes over dozens of engineering books* 'to beat the nazis we have to think... differently. Efficiently. Cheaply' *Inspiring music plays as sweaty workmen weld together pipes* 'Damn you Shepherd, and damn your guns!' 'My darling, I'll come back to you and the kids after the war... I promise' --- 'And here it is sir... we call it The Sten' *music stops. General's monocle pops out* 'My dear boy, surely you can't expect to send our soldiers into battle with... that?' *fast cut to dozens of nazis getting mown down* Churchill (Gary Oldman) *nodding sagely* 'You know, this might just be crazy enough to work!'

[@sandgroper1970]

Amazing how the pressures and needs of the war makes development go very quickly.

[@user-gi6rd1ug1t]

When Sten "replacement parts sets" were brought into the US, I know of several people who assembled working firearms in their garages using electric hand drills, rotary tools files and oxy-acetylene. That is how simple a fire arm it is.

[@caesarmendez6782]

Thanks for the video. I would often see the STEN in use in imported British TV shows & Movies. (Some episodes of vintage Dr. Who for example)

[@0BAAC0]

Had a chance to fire a Sten last week, in fact. (Full auto and semi.) Wonderful little gun. Easy to control and no recoil. Wish I could own one...

[@alohathaxted]

I get the feeling that there’s a spring involved.

[@TMFShooting]

Very Interesting Ian , Thank you for Sharing 💥💥💥💥💥💥💥

[@Tammy-un3ql]

Thanks

[@Quintus_Fontane]

If there was ever a gun that embodied the word 'necessity', I think it'd have to be the Sten. Ridiculously crude, ugly, janky, and perhaps even vaguely embarrassing, and yet it was precisely what we needed the moment we needed it, and because of that, it could be argued that it was perfect.

[@ogilkes1]

Introduced the idea that guns do not have to be pretty or high quality (though thats nice), just need to work.

[@chief5861]

Good enough in the moment is better than perfect long after its needed after all.

[@arnox4554]

@@ogilkes1 Actually, no. This was not the first gun that was made almost purely for volume of production.

[@arnox4554]

I don't know about ugly. I've seen far uglier firearms.

[@Weazel1]

“Behold! The Sten mk1.” “I don’t know, seems kinda complicated. Any way we can simplify it?”

[@SouthernGround]

🎵Sten gun in hand Where the gun is law From Ovamboland To Nicaragua Strength and muscle and jungle work🎵 💪😉👍🏻

[@archer159]

Amazing presentation Ian - as ever - do you know all this or memorise it before hand?! You rattle through it faultlessly. I always love to see your new subject vids.

[@DavidLee-df888]

Always nice to see Stens. Although I thought that you had alreydone a series on the Sten gun.

[@wingatebarraclough3553]

Thought so, too. Kind of hard to think of the ubiquitous sten as a "forgotten" weapon, in comparison to, say, the Mondragon

[@jeffkeith637]

Not proofed? Wow, they really did not want any bottle-necks in production. Great video Ian, very interesting, thank you

[@TheWirksworthGunroom]

The Mk1 * trigger mechanism cover which looks like a deep drawn pressing is, in fact, stamped, folded and welded. It's not at all obvious until you study one because the gas welding is so neat on most of them. So often the STEN is described as being made of scrap metal but it is a very clever design made from virgin stock material and not random bits of salvaged bike frame and recycled gas pipe. Workmanship is first rate where it needs to be and not where it doesn't.

[@fjallaxd7355]

Great video.

[@rsfaeges5298]

Once again, it takes time & experience to make something simpler

[@chellybub]

So cool!

[@AdmV0rl0n]

Thanks for video and history. I can't but have a sweet spot for this gun. In our darkest hour. Needs must. And an answer was found.

[@johnf3885]

I recommend everyone pays a visit to the Royal Armouries, It's an amazing museum.

[@123Jokkmokk123]

Sometimes, simplicity is delicious!

[@herrgodfrey9563]

Ian is not kidding about the magazine. Also, tension on the selector.

[@boxbox0000]

I was just looking up about the sten gun a few days ago and was hoping if Ian had any old videos about the whole topic. Gun Jesus is real.

[@bamaboni]

Through the evolution of the Sten/Sterling it became more, then less, then more Star Wars Blaster like

[@tomcastonguay2847]

Thank you I am quite a fan. You pick guns that are cool to learn about. Because of you I told a bud of mine the gun he had was not German but in the end finish it was a mosen nagant that the Russians lost or sold as surplus the trigger was sweet they had it fixed . You know TomCat

[@Otokichi786]

I've read about British soldiers referring to the Mk. 1 Sten SMG as "our Tin Tommy gun."