BigCity Posted August 31, 2012 Report Share Posted August 31, 2012 I am in the process of purchasing a STEN. Questions:How can I tell if it is a tube gun or not. On the magwell is S&S and a serial number of R followed by 5 digits also stamped on the magwell is another serial number but stamped upside down from the R series. Where was it made? John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigCity Posted September 7, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 7, 2012 52 looks and no replys. I must have asked a really hard question... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoscoeTurner Posted September 7, 2012 Report Share Posted September 7, 2012 No, just not many Sten owners on this board. Who is listed as the manufacturer on the ATF form? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalbert Posted September 8, 2012 Report Share Posted September 8, 2012 I am in the process of purchasing a STEN. Questions:How can I tell if it is a tube gun or not. On the magwell is S&S and a serial number of R followed by 5 digits also stamped on the magwell is another serial number but stamped upside down from the R series. Where was it made? John John, Can you post some photos? That will help in the identification. I'm not familiar with a tube gun of that manufacture, but I could be wrong. My Sten is a DLO tube gun. David Albertdalbert@sturmgewehr.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoscoeTurner Posted September 8, 2012 Report Share Posted September 8, 2012 Is this a full auto Sten or semi? The quickest way to tell if it is a tube gun or not is the price. Tube guns are generally about half the price of C&Rs. The numbers stamped on the mag well would not or should not have anything to do with the true serial number if it is a tube gun. Those numbers would be from the original maker or contractor. I have several mag wells with serial numbers on them and several without. If a tube gun the makers name and serial number must be on the tube itself, it cannot be on a removable part. S&S is going to be the subcontractor of the part. Looking at my list it could be - Spear & Sons also coded as S106. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NavyEngineer Posted September 9, 2012 Report Share Posted September 9, 2012 My tube gun is marked with the name and city of the Manufacturer (Taylor Manufacturing, Decatur, GA) on the top of the tube just in front of the rear sight. As Roscoe said above, most C&R STENs cost several thousand dollars more than a tube gun. You should be able to find a tube gun for well under $4,000. Most STENs have parts (except the receiver) that were made in many different shops. Peter Laidler's excellent STEN Machine Carbine explains how shops all over England built the parts, which were then assembled at a few locations. My tube gun has parts from numerous makers, as everything but the receiver came from a WWII British STEN parts kit. I hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigCity Posted September 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 10, 2012 Thanks for the replies everyone. Roscoe, I am still waiting to fill out my app with the feds, so I have not seen the ATF form yet as the gunshop does not have it at this time. I did not know the magwell was removable. The gun is at the shop still but when I originally looked at it, the markings on the magwell seemed to be the only ones I saw. It is full auto. I am paying 3995.00 for it. I am trying to get a copy of Laidler's book but it was out of stock with the website I am dealing with. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalbert Posted September 11, 2012 Report Share Posted September 11, 2012 BigCity, You can purchase the Laidler book from the publsher here: http://www.collectorgrade.com/bookshelf6.html You should also look for the Sten book by Frank Iannamico, which is now out of print. David Albertdalbert@sturmgewehr.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigCity Posted September 12, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2012 Thanks for the link dalbert. I will contact them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigCity Posted November 20, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 20, 2012 (edited) Okay, I finally got to see the paperwork from the dealer and will file mine with the feds tomorrow. This was a pre-68 amnesty piece according to Dana Pickles. Besides the S&S marking on the magwell, the same marking is on the trigger guard. There are no other marking anywhere on the gun. Edited November 20, 2012 by BigCity Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wwiifirearms Posted November 22, 2012 Report Share Posted November 22, 2012 Did you find out who is listed as the manufacturer on the forms? An amnesty registered would increase the odds of it being an original C&R gun, but I suppose it could still be a tube gun. It would also be interesting to know if the only serial number is the one on the mag well. Since the tube is usually the registered part, I'm not sure how the the rules would work if the tube has no serial number.-wwiifirearms Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigCity Posted November 24, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 24, 2012 (edited) That is all the markings on the gun that I see. The tax paid transfer form only says "Sten Britain" under the name and address of the manufacturer. Model Mark II and the serial number. Under the additional description or data block, it is blank. Edited November 24, 2012 by BigCity Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smkummer Posted November 26, 2012 Report Share Posted November 26, 2012 It appears you have an original WW2 Sten and the only markings will be on the mag. well. It was the 68 GCA that required NEWLY manufactured guns to have serial number, name and address on the reciever. Nice find for a good price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wwiifirearms Posted November 28, 2012 Report Share Posted November 28, 2012 Super cool. Great value. I paid almost that much for a 1980's tube sten.Congrats!-wwiifirearms Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigCity Posted December 3, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 3, 2012 Very cool! Sometimes you can just get lucky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigCity Posted July 1, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 1, 2013 David, Pictures were just sent to your email address of my just possessed STEN. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalbert Posted July 4, 2013 Report Share Posted July 4, 2013 BigCity, I was away on business when you sent the photos. I take it you would like me to add them to this post? I'll see what I can do... David Albertdalbert@sturmgewehr.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigCity Posted July 6, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 6, 2013 Yes please. I seem to have a problem doing this myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalbert Posted July 6, 2013 Report Share Posted July 6, 2013 Here are photos of BigCity's new Sten Mk. II. http://www.sturmgewehr.com/dalbert/Misc/BigCitySten-1.JPG http://www.sturmgewehr.com/dalbert/Misc/BigCitySten-2.JPG http://www.sturmgewehr.com/dalbert/Misc/BigCitySten-3.JPG http://www.sturmgewehr.com/dalbert/Misc/BigCitySten-4.JPG http://www.sturmgewehr.com/dalbert/Misc/BigCitySten-5.JPG http://www.sturmgewehr.com/dalbert/Misc/BigCitySten-6.JPG http://www.sturmgewehr.com/dalbert/Misc/BigCitySten-7.JPG http://www.sturmgewehr.com/dalbert/Misc/BigCitySten-8.JPG David Albertdalbert@sturmgewehr.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigCity Posted July 7, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 7, 2013 (edited) Thanks for posting the photos David! According to Laidler's book, the letter "A" after the serial number (which is upside down in the picture above) meant that non-exchangeable parts were used. Edited July 9, 2013 by BigCity Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m3bobby Posted July 11, 2013 Report Share Posted July 11, 2013 The serial number puts it as a Enfield assembled gun but the welding doesn't look like the Enfield norm. The butt is a late Lines Brothers assembled part and the UU is from Unique and Unity Cycles who were owned by LB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigCity Posted July 12, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2013 m3bobby, I thought I read in Laidler's book that Enfield did not manufacture, but only assembled from other part makers. How should the welding look? Thanks for the I.D of the parts used! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NavyEngineer Posted July 12, 2013 Report Share Posted July 12, 2013 (edited) Big City, That's a nice looking STEN - enjoy it! I love to shoot mine - it is surprisingly accurate, controllable, and very reliable. The only malfunctions I have had were magazine related. Edited July 12, 2013 by NavyEngineer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigCity Posted July 12, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2013 Thanks Navy Engineer! I will take it to the range tomorrow. Our MG group is co-hosting a wounded warrior shoot then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m3bobby Posted July 14, 2013 Report Share Posted July 14, 2013 Hi Big City, Your correct they didn't manufacture, they only assembled, the assembly involved welding the side plates, the head and the tube together as well as fitting the parts to assemble the whole gun. The normal Enfield welding wouldn't weld along the top of the side plate to tube like other assemblers, they normally had a weld at each end of the little tabs. The weld does however look like the type used at the various BSA plants so its possible that in the past, an armourer has fitted an Enfield mag housing to a BSA gun. Or it could be just one of those odd production runs, when it comes to STENs, anything could and did happen. m3bobby, I thought I read in Laidler's book that Enfield did not manufacture, but only assembled from other part makers. How should the welding look? Thanks for the I.D of the parts used! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now