Designed by a motorcycle racer turned small-arms engineer, George Patchett, the submachine gun that eventually became known as the Sterling was developed during World War II. The barrel was reduced to a mere 4 inches and the return spring was shortened significantly. $130. Reports from trials were positive and in 1947 the design … Submachine gun max . [1], An example of the L34A1 suppressed variant. In 1953, after years of trials and testing, the Sterling was adopted by the British Army. Sterling cancelled production of the Patchett Mk.II in favor of this improved weapon and thus the British Army adopted the Mk.III as the L2A2, although it would remain in service less than a month. Sterling L2 at SecurityArms; Sub Machine Gun Carbine 9 mm 1A1, Sterling L2A3 machine carbine manufactured under license by Indian State Ordnance Factory Board. Note the design changes. $50. In 1967, Patchett designed a silenced version of the Mk.IV. Articles with unsourced statements from November 2014, Articles with Japanese-language external links, Articles incorporating text from Wikipedia, Blowback and Lever-delayed blowback (Battle Rifle variant), https://archive.is/20120709085900/img260.imageshack.us/img260/9894/famaepaf.jpg, http://www.kitsune.addr.com/Firearms/Subs/Sterling_L2A3.htm, http://www.wlawarehouse.com/store_front/sterling-patchett1/, http://www.canadiansoldiers.com/weapons/smgs/c1smg.htm, http://www.forgottenweapons.com/british-308-sterling-prototype, http://ofbindia.gov.in/products/data/weapons/wsc/8.htm, "Sub Machine Gun Carbine 9 mm 2A1 (Silent Version)", http://ofbindia.gov.in/products/data/weapons/wsc/9.htm, http://www.jdfmil.org/equipment/weapons/weapons_home.php, Photos of an early Patchett SMG, showing its strong resemblance to the Sterling, Sub Machine Gun Carbine 9 mm 2A1 (Silent Version), Image of a FAMAE PAF (Chilean Manufactured), Starstreak SAM (shoulder launched or 3-shot multiple launcher), https://military.wikia.org/wiki/Sterling_submachine_gun?oldid=4424657, Unassigned: Patchett Machine Carbine Mark 1 (trials commenced in 1944), Unassigned: Patchett Machine Carbine Mark 1 & Folding Bayonet (same as above but with folding bayonet, never accepted). Rent it now!) At the beginning of the 21st century, these two weapons were still being manufactured by Ordnance Factories Board and used by the Indian Armed Forces. It also could be used as a Close Quarters Battle weapon with the addition of an optional solid stock. Evolution of the Sterling SMG, from the MP28 to the L2A1. Blowback (firearms)-Wikipedia Well, it isn’t a STEN magazine for starters. The Sterling submachine gun was first conceived in the early 1940s by George William Patchett, a designer at the Sterling Armaments Company. Cyclic rate The weapon was intended as an emergency standby weapon in case of attack during the Cold War. A Sterling submachine gun in the Imperial War Museum, The Sterling submachine gun is constructed entirely of steel and plastic and has a shoulder stock which folds underneath the weapon. The similarities are apparent to the trained eye considering the blaster's general shape, length and mid-set pistol grip and trigger unit. Gun Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. While it has been reported that the weapon poses no problems for left-handed users to operate,[4] it is not recommended without the wearing of ballistic eye protection. This is so effective that the only sounds during firing are from the bolt reciprocating and the barely-audible explosive discharge. However, in 1947 a competitive trial between the Patchett, an Enfield design, a new BSA design and an experimental Australian design was held, with the Sten for comparison. The Mk.II was an improvement on the Patchett Mk.I, using a fixed striker attached to the bolt. March 12, 2017 Ian McCollum Prototype , Submachine Guns , Video 61 Armament Research Services (ARES) is a specialist technical intelligence consultancy, offering expertise and analysis to a range of government and non-government entities in the arms and munitions field. It featured an enlarged trigger guard that could open up on a swivel to facilitate for thick winter gloves, but was other than slight manufacturing changes, it was largely the same gun as the weapon it was based on. They were not all exactly the same; as the production run went on, various modifications were made to the design and thus later model Patchett Mk.Is incorporated certain design changes such as canted cocking slots and protruding muzzles, whereas the first Patchett Mk.Is had flat-nosed barrels and straight cocking slots. Although of conventional blowback design firing from an open bolt, there are some unusual features: for example, the bolt has helical grooves cut into the surface to remove dirt and fouling from the inside of the receiver to increase reliability. Country of origin The Sterling submachine gun is constructed entirely of steel and plastic and has a shoulder stock which folds underneath the weapon. It started to replace the Sten in 1953 as the Sub-Machine Gun L2A1. 600rpm During a time when most militaries began turning away from pistol-caliber, open-bolt submachine guns, the Sterling soldiered on from the Suez Crisis in 1956, to the Falklands War in 1982. The Sterling submachine gun is a British submachine gun which was in service with the British Army from 1944 until 1994, when it was phased out with the introduction of the L85A1 assault rifle. Side view showing ejection port and cocking handle. It used a lever-delayed blowback operation to handle the more powerful cartridge and was fed from 30 round Bren magazines as well as 20 round magazines from the L1A1 SLR. Sterling built them for the British armed forces and for overseas sales, whilst the Royal Ordnance Factories at Fazakerley near Liverpool constructed them exclusively for the British military. The Sterling submachine gun is constructed entirely of steel and plastic and has a shoulder stock, which folds underneath the weapon.Although of conventional blowback design firing from an open bolt, there are some unusual features: for example, the bolt has helical grooves cut into the surface to remove dirt and fouling from the inside of the receiver to increase reliability. 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. In January 1944, the Patchett was further modified to meet new Army specifications and tested at Pendine. Feedback from troop trials saw the Patchett Mk.I improved as the Patchett Mk.II at the end of 1944. British production of the submachine gun ceased in 1988, when Sterling Armaments officially closed. The Sterling Submachine Gun was designed late in the war (1944) and it never quite saw as much action as its predecessor, the Sten. The Mk.V was designed in 1964 on behalf of the British Army, who requested a suppressed version of the L2A3 for use on special operations. Beginning in 2009, Century Arms International (CAI) began marketing a similar semi-auto only carbine manufactured by Wiselite Arms. Much like the Mk.I, the Mk.II's design changed at various points in its production run. https://guns.fandom.com/wiki/Sterling_submachine_gun?oldid=82558. Patchett Mk.I, No.1. Submachine gun manufactured by the Sterling Armaments Company between 1941 and 1945. c4d . This is the primary reason why it lasted as long as it did in service. The regular Patchett Mk.I was deemed suitable enough for paratroopers and no orders were made for the Carbinette model.