Sterling submachine gun
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| Sterling | |
|---|---|
| Type | sub-machine gun |
| Place of origin | UK |
| Service history | |
| Used by | see text |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1944 |
| Number built | 400,000 + |
| Variants | see text |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 2.72 kg |
| Length | 690 mm (483 mm folded stock) |
| Barrel length | 198 mm |
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| Cartridge | 9x19 mm Parabellum |
| Caliber | 9 mm |
| Action | Blowback |
| Rate of fire | ~ 550 round/min |
| Feed system | 34 rounds |
 External images |
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|---|---|
| Full view[1] trigger mechanism[2] |
The Sterling submachine gun is a British submachine gun which was in service with the British Army from 1953 until 1988 when it was phased out with the introduction of the L85A1 IW (Individual Weapon).
Contents |
[edit] Overview
In 1944 the British General Staff issued a specification which any new submachine gun should conform to. It stated that the weapon should not weigh more than six pounds, should fire 9 mm calibre ammunition, fire at no more than 500 rounds per minute and be sufficiently accurate to allow five single shots to be fired into a one foot square target at 100 yards.
[edit] Design
The photos show the Patchett experimental silenced carbine and its pistol grip/trigger group.
To meet the new requirement, Mr G. W. Patchett, the chief designer at the Sterling Armament Company of Dagenham submitted a sample weapon of new design in early 1944. The army quickly recognised its potential and ordered 120 examples for trials. Towards the end of the Second World War, some of these trial samples were used in combat by airborne troops at Arnhem and elsewhere, where it was known as the Patchett submachine gun. Given that the Patchett/Sterling can use straight Sten magazines as well as the normal curved design, there were no interoperability problems.
After the war, with large numbers of Sten guns in the inventory there was little interest in replacing them with a superior design. However in 1947 a competitive trial between the Patchett, an Enfield design, a new BSA design and an experimental Australian design with the Sten for comparison was held. The trial was inconclusive but was followed by further development and more trials. Eventually the Patchett design won and the decision was made in 1951 for the British Army to adopt it. It started to replace the Sten in 1953 as the Sub-Machine Gun L2A1.
The weapon is constructed entirely of steel and plastic and has a folding butt which folds up underneath. Although of conventional blowback design, there are some unusual features: for example the bolt has sharp grooves around it which cut away dirt in the receiver and help to keep it clean. The magazine follower, which pushes the cartridges into the feed port is equipped with rollers to reduce friction and the firing pin is arranged so that it does not line up with the percussion cap on the cartridge until the cartridge has entered the chamber.
Sterlings have a reputation for excellent reliability under adverse conditions and (allowing for the fact that a blowback action is used) good accuracy.
[edit] Users
A total of over 400,000 were manufactured. Sterling built them for the British armed forces and for overseas sales, whilst the Royal Ordnance Factories plant at Fazakerley (near Liverpool) constructed them exclusively for the British military. A Canadian version was also manufactured under licence, called the Submachine Gun 9 mm C1 made by Canadian Arsenals Limited. It replaced the later versions of the Sten submachine gun from 1953 onwards. A similar weapon, the "Sub-Machine Gun Carbine 9 mm 1A1" was manufactured under license by the Indian Ordnance Factories at Kanpur and at the beginning of the 21st century, the weapon is still being used by the Indian Armed Forces.
Sri Lanka Army womans corps using Sterling SMGs as their parade weapon.
About 90 countries purchased various quantities of the gun, including Ghana, Libya, Malaysia, Nigeria, Tunisia and some Persian Gulf states.
[edit] Variants
- British Army
- L2A1 - (Patchett Machine Carbine Mark 2) adopted in 1953.
- L2A2 - (Sterling Mark 3) adopted in 1955.
- L2A3 - (Sterling Mark 4) adopted in 1956. Last regular version in service with the British Army.
- L34A1 - Suppressed version (Sterling-Patchett Mark 5). Held in reserve by the British Army.
- Sterling Mark 6 - a semi-automatic-only version for police forces and private sales, also known as the Police model.
- Sterling Mark 7 "Para" - shortened barrel, no stock.
[edit] In popular culture
The Sterling has appeared in various films and video games. In the Star Wars films the E-11 prop was made from the British Sterling submachine gun, with a small optical scope and radiator fins added to give a more futuristic look. Interestingly, the scope was attached facing the wrong direction. This was apparently done on purpose, as every example from the films is attached in this way.
[edit] External links
- Video of L2A3 Mk 4 (standard version) being fired
- Video of Mk 7 (Para) and L34A1 (suppressed) versions being fired
- Video of L34A1 (suppressed version) being fired
- Modern Firearms including several pictures of the various models.
- Nazarian`s Gun`s Recognition Guide.
- Sterling L2A3 sub-machine gun including an image.
[edit] References
- Ian Hogg, The Complete Machine-Gun, ISBN 0-7026-0052-0
[edit] See also
| Modern (post Korean War) UK infantry weapons |
|---|
| Side-arms (Self-loading Pistols) |
| Browning L9A1 | L105A1 | L107A1 | L102A1 (Compact) |
| Rifles, Carbines, & LSWs |
| L1A1 SLR | SA80 series (L85 IW, L86 LSW, L22A1) L108A1, L110A1 (Para) | L101A1 | M16/A1/A2 | L119A1 (Diemaco SFW) | L100A1 |
| Sniper Rifles |
| L42/A1 | L96/A1 | L115A1 | L82A1 | AW50F |
| Submachine guns |
| L2A1 to L2A3, L34A1 | L80A1, L90A1 L91A1, L92A1 |
| Shotguns |
| L32A1 | L74A1 (Remington 870 Wingmaster) |
| Machine-guns & other larger weapons |
| L4 | L7 "GPMG" | L1A1 Heavy Machine Gun | L17A1/A2 | LAW 80 | L14/A1 L2A1 (ILAW) | L9A1 51 mm Mortar | L16/A1 81mm Mortar | MILAN | Javelin |
| Weapons of the British Empire 1722-1965 | ||
|---|---|---|
Anti-Tank Weapons
Field guns & Misc. weapons
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