Sten Magazines

[Frank Iannamico]

A company called Keep Shooting in MD is selling "new manufacture" Sten and Grease gun magazines. Their blog just states that they are: Manufactured from premium raw materials in a production facility that holds several foreign military contracts,

 

Does anyone know who is making these?

 

The finish is similar to those new carbine magazines being made in Korea.

 

Regards!

Frank

[RoscoeTurner]

As cheap as Sten magazines are why on earth would anyone go to the trouble of making reproductions?

[Sarge]

And as readily available.

Sarge

[Frank Iannamico]

I know they are available, but these new made ones the feed lips don't spread apart like originals. They are far more reliable than the 30+ originals I have, which constantly need the feed lips adjusted.

[BigCity]

Even though I am living in Maryland, I cannot buy these new mags. Some that I already have can be unreliable.

[Frank Iannamico]

The primary problem with unreliable Sten magazines is the feed angle, which changes when the feed lips spread apart. A round in the magazine Ideally should be at an 7-8 degrees angle.

You can use the level app on a smart phone to check it. The feed lips on original mags spread very easily, expecially when the mag is loaded to the max. Part of the problem is the design,

double stack-single feed magazines require a strong spring to funnel the cartridges into single line at the top. The pressure spreads the feed lips.

 

I have not had the problem with the new mfg mags.

[SRSch]

With my C&R WWII Mk-II Sten, which has shown much WWII use, the magazine that I originally got with it 33 years ago performs flawlessly even after several thousands of rounds with full 32 loads. It is an original "Bg"marked mag. The second one that I obtained is a Canadian "C" with arrow marked within the "C". This one was problematic. Constant jams, and feed errors. So, I found the reasons. The feed lips were too high and they actually touched the bolt, as was the internal slider after the last shot which was too high. So I went to the original schematic for configuring the magazine and brought the angles in line with that.

 

Also I had to file down the feed lips and widen the slider that angles so that the slider would not make contact with the bolt. The most important thing I found is that the bolt must not touch the feed lips and the bolt. The feed lips if these adjustments are made will not widen after time, even with the spring pressure of a fully loaded magazine. I think distorted feed lip happens if the feed lips make contact with the bolt as it travels back and forth in cycling. The tip of the bullet must also meet the barrel cone about half way up to the chamber. Once I made those modifications the Canadian mag performs with full loads with no hangups.

 

Another thing to consider is the Sten Mk-II's rotating mag holder. On Sten Mk-II's if they are loose and move up and down the feed lips might hit the bolt and this will eventually widen them and cause hangups. The only thing that the bolt should contact in feeding is the back of the cartridge and nothing else. Slop in the Sten Mk-II mag housings could be a major reason for Mk-II magazine feed failures. If such is the case, then the pin shaft hole in the mag housing may have been worn and that is something that might require repair. Fixing that could be involved. One could make a larger pin (keeping the part of the shaft the same diameter as the original to fit into the hole in the chamber). Maybe weld the rotating magazine pin shaft hole and re-drill it to .25" which is the diameter of the pin shaft that goes through it to lock the mag housing in place.

 

Wear and widening of the Sten Mk-II's rotating magazine holder's pin shaft hole might be caused by holding the cartridge magazine during extensive firing rather than the right way; as in holding the barrel shroud instead.

 

My C&R Sten Mk-II was altered at one time with a screw to keep the magazine holder from rotating. The hole was welded shut and the apparently widened pin shaft hole was repaired with welding and re-drilling decades ago, probably during the REWAT which was a superbly done job which is barely noticeable against the gun's original WWII surface. Hence my C&R Mk-II Sten works flawlessly.

 

Steve.

 

BTW: Had to edit this post with my Windows OS as Ubuntu does not work well with this forum, and the line spacings did not come out right.

Edited July 1, 2014 by SRSch

[BigCity]

My WW2 original Sten does not have a rotating magazine holder. Welded to the firing position.

 

I was able to obtain 2 mags from Keepshooting. My mag loader will not go all the way down to the stop position to even load it. Of course, my mag loader is really tight on original mags too.

Edited July 17, 2014 by BigCity

[SRSch]

My WW2 original Sten does not have a rotating magazine holder. Welded to the firing position.

 

I was able to obtain 2 mags from Keepshooting. My mag loader will not go all the way down to the stop position to even load it. Of course, my mag loader is really tight on original mags too.

 

BigCity,

 

Can you provide a photo of the mag housing on your Sten and it's weld?

 

I think the reason your mags are not fitting properly is that the welded mag housing is positioned improperly. There should be some slop or play in it to allow the magazine to hit the closure snap properly. If the magazine housing is too far forward toward the front sight, then the front of the magazine, below the first bullet will hit the tube rather than slide past it, hence the magazine will not slide to closure.

 

If the magazine holder was simply spot welded in place one could file down the weld and hope that it is not too heavily welded so that the magazine holder will not rotate to proper position, with the required slop to set the magazine into proper position. After that it should rotate. You can correct the filed off weld with some Oxpho-Blue so that it is less visible.

 

Even with my C&R Sten with its rotating mag housing, the Canadian Sten magazine I have was too wide on the front where it fits into the magazine holder. so I tapped that down a bit to allow it to slide fully into place. Now it feeds properly. The rotating magazine holder on my Sten was set in place with a screw so that it did not rotate. That was undone years ago at the REWAT, thus giving my Sten the right magazine housing play to allow for most Sten magazines to fit and lock into place, but not that Canadian Sten magazine which I had to tap to fit.

 

Steve.

Edited July 19, 2014 by SRSch

[BigCity]

Steve,

My weapon functions fine, although once in a while, it won't eject properly. It is the mag loader (repro) I was referring to being so tight it won't fit on the mag down to the stop.

 

If you send me an email address, I will send you the photos.

 

John

[SRSch]

Steve,

My weapon functions fine, although once in a while, it won't eject properly. It is the mag loader (repro) I was referring to being so tight it won't fit on the mag down to the stop.

 

If you send me an email address, I will send you the photos.

 

John

 

John,

 

Ok, did not understand the problem. I think then that a flat file modification of the loader might work. Just file the casting or solid metal to fit your Sten mags might work.

 

I will send a PM to your address for the photos.

 

Steve.

[BigCity]

_{Thanks for the info Steve. I will try to file down the loader.}