Sten Mk 2 Manufacturing Codes

[captaincaveman]

Hi,

 

I have a Sten mark 2 which has company names instead of codes.

 

For example S & S on the trigger cover, B & T on the mag housing and H on the butt/stock instead of manufacturer codes, or did these come later?

 

Is this common or at least understandable?

 

Any shedding of light on this would ease my confuddled mind!

[m3bobby]

S&S is Spear and Sons, B&T is thought to be Broadhurst and Thompson. These markings are not uncommon on earlier parts, later the code system was put into place.

[captaincaveman]

Thanks again!

[Annihilator]

But these are subcontractor codes only for those specific parts. and not the code of the manufacturer,/assembler you will find the manufacturer/assembler by the serial number Bxxxx for BSA, Fxxxx for Fazakerley and the RTL logo for ROF Theale

[captaincaveman]

Hi,

 

Maybe I did not make myself clear. It was the manufacturers of the individual parts I was querying.

 

I have a Fazakerley with an FA serial number. The trigger housing screw position has a pre April 1942 position, the cocking handle is a mk 5 style - although this is not uncommon.

 

However all the info I have to read and on the internet quote codes for the parts manufacturer eg my trigger guard cover is stamped S & S (Spear & Sons or Co?) rather than a code.

 

I wanted to clarify that in the early days of Sten mass production this happened before codes became uniform.

[Annihilator]

Do you have Peter Laidler's Sten book ?

[m3bobby]

Not every company got a code, some of them used an abbreviation of their business name throughout the war.

[captaincaveman]

Do you have Peter Laidler's Sten book ?

I do, I'm part way through to the Mk3 - skimmed the rest so far.