Tracing the history of the Greek Sten gun | Our Collection

Jonathan Ferguson, Curator of Firearms here at the Royal Armouries, helps us piece together the unique history behind this rare Sten gun.
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[@xristar]

After the end of WW2 most of the demobilized British 8th Army's weapons were transferred to Greece to equip the Greek Army that was getting rebuilt. British weapons stayed in first line service for a few years but got replaced by US weapons and put in second line service or storage. In 1964 when the Greek Cypriot National Guard was founded several thousands of British made weapons were transferred by Greece to Cyprus. This generally explains the journey of this gun from UK factory to South African service in the 8th Army, to Greek and then Greek Cypriot service.

[@johngreen-sk4yk]

I have a deactivated mk 1 bren that was shipped over from Greece to uk in 1990,s by ryton arms, I heard a similar story about the origin of that.🙂👍

[@Surv1ve_Thrive]

Xristar. Thanks very interesting. Efharisto.

[@ShawarmaFarmer]

This is fascinating content. I once had the opportunity to study a firearm with an interesting story as well; a Birmingham Small Arms 310 Cadet Rifle that had been transferred through the various branches of colonial state military groups before Australian federation and then through different Australian military cadet groups before ending up sold to the civilian market to a farmer who used it to shoot rabbits during the depression era, ending up in America somehow and than coming back to Australia

[@Surv1ve_Thrive]

🇬🇧👍🇦🇺

[@535tony]

I am the proud owner of a Sten MKII. My Sten is a fazakerley too. Funny, I paid $600 USD for it back in 1990 and it is now worth $6,000 USD now because it is a legal machine gun here in the USA. The Stem is a joy to shoot. Nice video.

[@m3bobbyball]

Quite common to find Hellenic script on ex Greek guns. Mostly it’s the soldiers name and the village he is from rather than his military unit. This is probably due to the reasons mentioned, that the name can be common to many people.

[@doublep1980]

Turkish invasion of Cyprus (''Operation Attila'') did happened in 1974 not 1972. Christofis is actually a very common Greek-Cypriot surname.

[@Surv1ve_Thrive]

But there was a build up tensions before the invasion in 1974. So Cypriot national defence issued weapons from Greece.

[@Jack-hk4nn]

What's more incredible about this is that, this gun was likely produced before or around 1943 and 30 odd years later was still function with little maintenance, even if crude, it worked. STEN guns are still found in the middle east that have been produced in the second world war and are still functional with few replacements to the parts (which are generally loose tolerance/such as the spring)

[@teambridgebsc691]

All without with intercession of a psychic, well done. History, with a story, and likely a personal story we can only wonder at, but proof of concept, long lasting, cheap and reliable enough, for sure.

[@chrislaws4785]

THIS is why I love old things, it's the stories like these that you run into without ever meaning to that just blow your mind. When I find something old the FIRST thing that comes to my mind is, Where did this comes from, who made it, who was the last person to own it, where has this thing been and what stories could it tell.

[@Ogaitnas900]

Fascinating, this gun always looked very interesting to me in videogames and it's really cool to know how the economics and construction of the thing was behind that.

[@marcwittkowski5146]

This is such a fascinating twist. Love it.

[@tarhunta2111]

This was fascinating.

[@hankmarlboro7309]

lol the slightly funky green colour balance on this vid makes mr. f look like he's in the 1970s section of the 'lots of guns' program from the matrix

[@ruadhagainagaidheal9398]

Shepherd Turpin and ENgland ? Are you sure about that ? My late brother worked at Lines Brothers , who made the Mk3 sten , and he was absolutely certain that it was Shepherd Turpin and ENfield. Every source I’ve ever seen is equally certain that the acronym includes ROF Enfield . That said , I really , REALLY envy you having that wonderful job.

[@236faith]

I am Proud to be GREEK !!

[@ahmet42selim65]

Im sure you will be proud of being a citizen of the new turkish state

[@johnnyfannucci]

Me too

[@ahmet42selim65]

@@johnnyfannucci you son of Zeus the belly dancer

[@MrNektarios1973]

@@ahmet42selim65 The only true Turkish state is Mongolia, there you will return, those who escaped with their underpants under their knees

[@alecblunden8615]

As you should be.

[@Benny---]

Wonderful video! What kind of machine pistol (I assume that's what it is) is that in the background on the far left, second from the bottom? I've seen photos of them from Pakistan and Afghanistan before but I've never been able to find any info about them.

[@Tonifiocchi]

Nice👍

[@scouse1967]

Dear Royal Armouries. "Fazakerly" is actually inside the boundaries of the great city of Liverpool and NOT "Near" Liverpool as you commented here.

[@wallyjumblatt]

True, scouse, but in war time it was almost open countryside around the small arms factory at Fazakerley. My nan's war work was quality control for .30s rifles. I didn't know they made STENs there as well.

[@MrFishyLips]

I have sten parts, and one of the demilled front receiver sections i got belonged to a Greek sten gun. Im just sad it was destroyed :(

[@crazytwiggy7020]

Its called extrusion to draw steel through a die tool.

[@keithklassen5320]

You can also say "drawn" like he does.

[@philheath9854]

Have you tried using a Blue light to read the writing ?

[@colterino]

Good job. You feel to mention the calibers. Sort of important. Peace

[@kitwintour9600]

to bring the writing up smear some black boot polish on it it will be legible

[@Surv1ve_Thrive]

I was thining the same. Candle soot even.

[@taktak4893]

Great video - I would say it helped keep the Italians off Greek soil and screwed up hitlers plan to invade Russian earlier in the summer as we Greeks pinned them down for months. Then I would say transferred to Cyprus from mainland Greece to the troubles in Cyprus - spot on the name is Greek Cypriot 👍🇬🇷

[@shingosshojiopoulos6608]

He sten didn't exist in 1940-41

[@benwilson6145]

If you listen to the video it went to South Africa first

[@ahmet42selim65]

Cyprus is only one and turkish

[@blueband8114]

@@ahmet42selim65 Cyprus is Cypriot, not Turkish.

[@PapaSchultz74]

@@ahmet42selim65 Cyprus has never been turkish and never will. It has been under Ottoman rule but that's not the same thing.

[@jeps0]

jatimatic? Greetings from finland!

[@KinkyPinkFemboiAlex]

it was all greek to him!

[@matthewmoss1589]

What's the evidence for the 'EN' standing for 'England' Jonathan? Very interesting. Same for the Bren? TADEN? Etc?

[@ShawarmaFarmer]

Matthew Moss I think Bren stands for Brno in then Czechoslovakia and Enfield where the gun was designed

[@straponsandstuff93r99]

@@ShawarmaFarmer Enfield had nothing to do with the design, they produced it under license. The BREN was an altered licensed copy (rechambered to .303)of the ZBG 33, which was the Czechoslovakian military version of the ZB26.

[@davidsaunders1125]

@@ShawarmaFarmer Bren was a Czech design, made in Enfield, in Ordnance Road, Enfield Lock. Sadly long gone, but still has a museum on site and an Apprentice Association.

[@jefferymullins42]

Where is the evidence that it does not mean England ! Dick head

[@davidsaunders1125]

@@jefferymullins42 Having spent the first 30 years of my life, living 500 Yards from the factory and having friends who were doing 5 year apprenticeships there. I can honestly say that this nonsence about the EN stands for England did not exist at all! It is stupid the Lee ENFIELD was not really called the Lee England!

[@shinobidave]

'Just going to use this sten bayonet as a pointing device'

[@ozdavemcgee2079]

Royal Armouries and the best camera action is a go pro. Cant do a bit of negative action to show the markings..like really

[@thatguyoverthere9634]

Did you ever hear the tragedy of STEN MkII*? I thought not. It's not a story the Commonwealth would tell you. It's an Enfield legend.... Cool story with that gun, I'm almost more intrigued by this STEN model I've never seen before.

[@davidwatson2399]

Turkish invasion of Cyprus. 20th July 1974. Nicosia (Nik O SEE A)

[@delphipascal]

Do all the Royal Armouries firearms work?

[@biteycat]

He mentions that the guns they use to show the public are deactivated. I should think they all have been deactivated.

[@delphipascal]

@@biteycat That would be a shame if the ones in stores were too...

[@MrTrilbe]

Some do and some don't, and all for differing reasons, some have being professionally deactivated, some have been deactivated due to "poor" design, they house some captured or donated cottage industry firearms from various places. Some work, Royal Armouries is not just a museum it also houses the Crowns reference collection (Hence its name, it really is the Royal Armoury), so it contains firearms that various forces connected with the UK have either tested officially/unofficially or have been interested in or currently use.

[@delphipascal]

@@MrTrilbe thank you

[@PATTHECATMCD]

Pretty sure some of the black powder artillery still works.

[@schizoidboy]

This gives an idea of where guns can go and who might be using them. I never saw it but I believe there was a movie about a revolver or a pistol and how it kept changing hands. There was also a Hawaii Five O episode that did the same thing with a pocket pistol that got smuggled into the islands. As long as a gun can fire it is going to find someone who will use it.

[@BigLisaFan]

Quincy M.E. had an episode where a cheap pistol was used in a series of crimes and is eventually captured by police. Because it was reported stolen years ago it gets returned to the owner. The episode ends where a boy and his sister are playing a fantasy game and he finds it. He aims it at his sister and scene ends with him screwing up his face with the effort to shoot it and a large muzzle flash as he fires it. One has to guess the outcome.

[@johnnyfannucci]

The Cyprus conflict was 1974

[@mytoiletshitehouse]

Just like Greek Style yogurt

[@hungryhedgehog4201]

"Are 3 too much?" "What? Failures per minute? No. Pound Sterling to produce? Yes." That thing looks so uncomfortable to shoot it's like weaponized piping.

[@tommothedog]

If you have very faint scratches try taking a pencil rubbing

[@jayman7752]

Imagine the shit you’d get if you scratched your name into an SA80?

[@straponsandstuff93r99]

You'd scratch straight through the tin and it would fall apart

[@PieAndChips]

@@straponsandstuff93r99 Haha, brilliant

[@polsigerson1037]

Pronounced Nick-Oh-See-Ah

[@zonex001]

Greek sten !?

[@snook1249]

Get Gun Jesus in. Enuff said.

[@philandrawis6232]

I don't want to throw the spanner in the works ---- but liverpool - south Africa then the the eights army in Elamine Egypt fighting the ITalians first - they were south africans - new zealand 7 Australia ---- IN great Sahara desert ---now her this once they defeated the italians and long before Rommel came to there aide the troops were pulled out of Egypt to help in GREECE against the italians there who hitler came to there Aide and like dunkirk the british troops pulled out Greece too, with a great number of them ending up in Create, then pulled out again to EGYPT & Palestine ----- now think about this that weapon now moved from the sahara desert to Greece or Create - This was 1941 -1942 and remained in that region. then fisherman took it across to cypress when the war started there 2 decades later ------ this should really be how it ended there because England kind stood on the fence in the last conflict ------ this should be realy the story to tell about the weapon ------

[@nicwilson89]

Any idea if this person is still alive? 10:36 Ahh, nevermind

[@A1_42RF]

It is ilias not ilaias

[@klausbrinck2137]

"Syros" was very easy to read for me. an island in the centre of the Cyclades, near greek mainland and Athens, far away from Cyprus anyway, so Syros is an island not related to Cyprus... Of course Greeks got only the Sten guns that weren´t working...

[@markferguson3745]

Stands out as a particularly poor piece that I would have sought to replace with just about any other weapon found on the battlefield, - including a standard rifle of most common makes.Aptly shows just what a awkward and desperate situation England found itself in.

[@kitwintour9600]

this geezer did not tell you that the fist ones never had a safty catch when the one i was using fell out the lorry it hit the ground and fired all 32 rounds yes i got bollocked by th e platoon SGT 28 rounds at 9mm in sandy conditions and 32 any other times this weapon was replaced by the sterling SMG same rounds just a banana magazine and a change lever safe- single shot and auto

[@davidsaunders1125]

The EN doesnt stand for Enfield! What is your evidence? ADEN, not. ENFIELD! I suppose the Lee Enfield has no connection either! The two designers said it was Enfield, but later changed their minds , under pressure, I suspect! The factory didnt change its mind though. Have you considered, we never had. A Lee England! I still enjoyed the video though .

[@robdean704]

Where's gun Jesus?

[@absolutecrapfilmstudios6783]

At the Rock Island Auction Company

[@Remember2020]

Wow... this guy does not know what he's talking about!

[@myvids1415]

He has been the Curator of possibly the most extensive collection of firearms in the world for ten years. What are your qualifications?

[@peterrichardson8115]

Your correct Turkey invaded Cyprus in 1974 not 1972 as he stated.