woodsy

This is definitely a military contract pack. It is possibly just for lend-lease contracts. These packets are quite common here in NZ as that was how our .45 TSMG ammo was supplied in WW2. I have shot a lot of it off over the years!

It should be obvious. Denmark and Norway both had large quantities of suppressed Stens and Welrods dropped for the Resistance. Sweden is right next door, and both Sweden and Norway allow collectors to own them. Even I know that and I'm just a dumb Kiwi!

That is the best collection of suppressed weapons I have ever seen, and the most Welrods in one place outside of the Pattern Room collection! More pictures please!

The fact that the serial number has clearly been ground out before refinishing makes this gun worthy of further research. It has either a criminal past or is an ex-IRA gun. It needs to have the barrel professionally pulled and the fore-grip hanger removed for a serial number check. The refinishing does kind of spoil it though....

The first Kwajalein photo is posed for the photographer as both the Thompsons are uncocked. The wartime photographers took quite a few liberties. My Dad was on Guadalcanal and his unit was dragging Jap bodies out for a mass burial on the beach in a hole being dug by a bulldozer. A newsreel crew set up their camera nearby and started filming as Higgins boats came ashore and the troops charged up the beach in true John Wayne style. They then filmed the new troops throwing some of the Jap bodies onto pile. The Japs had been dead for several weeks! He said it was a good thing that no sound was recorded as there was raucous laughter and cat calls in the background!

They are both standard 1911's and the negative has been reversed.

The brown/red colouring on some parts is because the gun has been reblued by the hot caustic process that all gunsmiths use these days. The affected parts are cast steel and they can be made darker by some manipulation of the bath temperature but will still have the red tinge. The guns were originally Parkerized and you could get your gun redone by one of the shops that offer this option. This will then reproduce the matt blue/black finish that they had originally.

Back in 1982 I bought two ex-IRA 21A's from the UK, #609 for NZ$350 (about US$270) and #750 for NZ$1400 (about US$1090). #609 was functional but quite rough as it had been buried and I sold it on. #750 was near new mechanically but only about 80% finish as it had been handled quite a bit by the IRA. I am pleased to say that I still own it.

The 'bunker inspection' photo is clearly a posed shot for an official photographer, long after the action is over. I certainly wouldn't be inspecting a bunker with an uncocked M1928A1! Interesting mag pouches too.

As a New Zealand gunsmith for the past 43 years, and a specialist MG collector for the past 30 years, I can assure you that the author is not a part of the knowledgable NZ firearms community. He is an aspiring politician for the Green Party (need I say more?) and has 18 years experience as an 'engineer'. I suspect this experience is in an office rather than a workshop! Whilst the author clearly has inflated views on his own ability, clearly the publisher is not any better! I have owned 2x 21A's, 5x M1928A1's, and an M1A1 over the years. I still have my ex IRA 21A (#750) and a 'Tommy Gun' marked Savage M1928A1, plus some accessories.

The silenced Stens (Mk IIS) had a removeable suppressor tube, a ported barrel, a lightened bolt and a reduced power return spring. The rest of the gun was standard Mk II Sten. A standard barrel, shroud, bolt and spring would put the gun back to standard condition. Original Mk IIS Stens are rare but there are several aftermarket conversions that have been made over the years. If you want your gun as a shooter then go for a tube gun, but history and investment would be better served with an original.

Simply pull the handle outwards against the spring pressure and tilt it to the vertical. Normally this handle position is only used when the handle is hard down on the left side of the gun. Pulling the handle out and swivelling to 90 degrees when hard down on the left allows a locking tab to engage the body. The handle can then be used for 'walking fire' from the hip in conjunction with the sling over the shoulder to take the weight. The handle is also used in this position when the gun is on the tripod for AA fire.

The 'spoon' magazine loader, correctly known as the Mk 4, was introduced in the latter stages of WW2. The production may have continued after the war, depending on the number available. The guns had been in service for a couple of years before the Mk 1 loader appeared in 1943. The Mk 4 loader worked as well as the earlier types but was much more compact, and cheaper to make.

The person who fitted the barrel should have test fired it but I suspect it will give feeding problems as the lead-in angle will be too severe. Ideally the feeding should be checked with dummy rounds before attempting to fire it. There is no danger in the firing of it as the barrel and bolt relationship remains the same but it may have be returned to have the barrel set forward to get the feeding angle correct.

The Mk II guns originally came with the same cocking handle as the Mk I guns but they were very soon changed to the later 'safety' style. I will post a photo of this type later.