wwiifirearms Posted April 1, 2011 Report Share Posted April 1, 2011 Are some marked on the trigger housing rather than the tube? Wwiifirearms Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmagee1917 Posted April 1, 2011 Report Share Posted April 1, 2011 I don't know , but because the tube is the reciever , IT would have to be marked by law. If you mean both tube and trigger housing , again I don't know , but that would be legal. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wwiifirearms Posted April 1, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 1, 2011 (edited) I always thought it was the tube that had to be the registered part, but now I am confused. I saw one DLO with the maker on the trigger housing, which is welded to the tube, and a partial number on the trigger housing, with the full number on the mag well, which is removable. Then I saw another DLO mark IV built on a MK II which is currently on subguns. The pictures on this one clearly shows the serial number on the mag well and no other visible markings. I called the seller and he said the mag well was welded to the tube, so it was part of the receiver. I think Both are on form 4s which list the serial number that is on the mag wells. I know the first one is because I saw the form 4. Neither appears to have been marked directly on the tube, just on parts welded to the tube. I was ready to buy the first one, but was scared off because I wasn't sure if it was properly marked and I wasn't sure if the mag well, or trigger housing, could be considered the registered part. I am confident these were both true registered guns and they were just marked that way when they were built, but I figured if I was questioning it the next buyer might also. Worse yet I could someday face legal issues, even if just a technicality. What do other think? Am I being overly cautious or are these guns a headache waiting to happen? -wwiifirearms -wwiifirearms Edited April 1, 2011 by wwiifirearms Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmagee1917 Posted April 1, 2011 Report Share Posted April 1, 2011 Well , the trigger housing is welded , it would be considered unremoveable , so BATF might have allowed it. I just don't know. If the price is right , just have him have the info engraved on the tube before he transfers it to you. As long as it's over the right size and depth , it would then be legal when you got it. No law about having more than one stamping , just illegal to deface the originals. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nirvana Posted April 1, 2011 Report Share Posted April 1, 2011 I've seen a few DLO stens marked on the lower. The lower is welded to the gun, so I see no issue here. Hell, I've even seen a sten that was marked with a serial number on the tube, but with the maker and caliber info on the barrel. Most MkII stens that I've seen, no matter the maker, copied the serial number off of the mag housing. Thus, many MkII's are marked on both the removable mag housing, as well as on the tube. It is cosmetically more pleasing in my mind when they are done like this. I am sure that the stens you saw were done this way. The Maxim MG is awkward when it comes to serial numbers. Despite the fact that most of these guns are numbered on the left plate, the ATF has ruled that the right plate is the gun. Thus, if the gun is taken apart and rebuilt, the ATF wants the old serial number restamped onto the right plate before it is rebuilt as another varient....lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wwiifirearms Posted April 1, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 1, 2011 (edited) So would it be an issue that only part of the serial number is on the lower/trigger housing? My concern is that with the mag well removed( it is not welded on and easily removed) I don't think the rest of the gun has the whole serial number anywhere on it. I may need to look a little deeper. I sure would feel better if the current owner had just stamped the full number on the tube and reparkerized it. I would never have had any concerns and I doubt anyone down the road would either. -wwiifirearms Edited April 1, 2011 by wwiifirearms Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nirvana Posted April 2, 2011 Report Share Posted April 2, 2011 The real issue, in my mind, is this: how does the serial number on the paperwork compare to the "partial" one on the tube? If the paper says 1234, and the tube says 1234, then it doesn't matter what anything else says. Now if the paperwork says 1234, the mag says 1234, and the tube says 2345, then there is a problem... There are lots of stens on the market, mkii being the most common, followed by mkv and then mkiii. If you aren't comfortable with how this one is marked, there are lots more for sale. I'm not advertising for this dealer, but as an example there are four on this site: http://www.westcountyguns.com/ Prices seem a touch high, maybe 200 or so, but it's just an example that the market is full of stens. Are you trying to buy one in state, person to person, through a dealer in state, out of state? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wwiifirearms Posted April 2, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 2, 2011 Paper work is something like 10L1234 (this is not the actual number which I will not post, just the format ) The removable mag well is also 10L1234. The lower/trigger housing that is welded to the tube just has " NO. 1234 ", and the manufacturer name, city, state. The owner confirmed with the ATF that the registered serial number is "10L1234". The owner is a really nice guy, and the gun is really nice, so I feel bad backing out. However, when you basically are buying a $200 gun and $4000 paperwork, I want the paperwork to be perfect. -wwiifirearms Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nirvana Posted April 2, 2011 Report Share Posted April 2, 2011 On this particular gun, I would have to side with your judgment. A couple of pointers also for buying a sten, to avoid getting burned: -Check for stock rattle. This is caused by wear to the rear of the receiver, and can be difficult and costly to fix. -Make sure that the gun is straight. Some stens had the trunion welded in off-kilter, and as a result the gun shoots in a different direction than would be expected. You can adjust the sights to compensate, but its better to avoid the issue in the first place. -Check for worn trigger group holes. This will lead to a sloppy trigger pull, making it spongy rather than crisp. While they can be welded shut and redrilled, its still extra work. -make sure the ejector looks good. This is a welded in part, and would be a bastard to replace. -on a mkii, make sure that the hole in the side of the receiver for the mag housing latch is in good shape. The round pin that holds the mag housing in place can oval out this hole, creating a lot of undesirable movement in the mag housing, creating possible feeding issues. While there will be slight play in the housing normally, a lot would be bad... Good luck with your purchase. C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wwiifirearms Posted April 2, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 2, 2011 Thanks, I appreciate the advice. Some people say a wise man learns from his mistakes, but I've always said any fool can learn for his own mistakes. A wise man learns from mistakes other people make. Always good to talk to people that have been around this stuff enough to see a few other people make mistakes -wwiifirearms Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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