Broken STEN cocking handle

[skoda]

I was out shooting my STEN the other day, when I reached down to pull the bolt back I noticed that the top of the handle was missing. From the look of it it is obviously a stress fracture from going back and forth umpteen billion times (exaggeration for dramatic effect). Has anyone ever had this failure?

[2ndArmored]

Can you attach a photo of this part(s) in a side view?

 

Is it an after-market part (i.e. non-Brit, post WWII)?

[skoda]

I tried to but now it's not letting me post photos. Grrrr.

 

I don't know what an aftermarket part looks like. the broken one looks like my other two except that it's broken.

[BillyDixon]

in last 75 years your sten has gone thru a lot of adventures and owners, im sure parts have been swapped out, the bolt handle could be a jungle made replacement,,what do you mean you have 2 other identical bolt handles ? did previous owned install this handle ? is this gun original C&R or a tube gun, just askin

[skoda]

I bought several parts kits over the years. I have two 'spares' and just swapped one in. I think that the broken one was a cast part from the looks of the metal in the break area. It's typical of a cast part. I had no idea that anyone cast such parts. I'm the first owner of it because I built it from a registered tube. Of course I'm not the first owner/user of the parts!

Edited April 2, 2022 by skoda

[Grasshopper]

FWIW,

Got done shooting a match, dumped the internals of the MkII on a newspaper to clean the parts, and the cocking handle came out in 2 pieces.  Likely not common but it happened here

Enjoy,

Grasshopper

[skoda]

I just tried to remove the bolt from my gun and it didn't want to come out. After some looking around the inside of the tube I noticed that the cocking slot was peened at the rear most point and material was pushed into (and out of) the tube. Not much, but enough to keep the bolt from sliding out. I mention this because not doubt the stress of hitting the receiver tube was instrumental in the cocking handle breaking. I need to get a stronger main spring.

[Blanksguy]

Skoda,

Is your Sten and original-gun or a new-tube-gun (?).

[skoda]

Wilson tube.

[Blanksguy]

Any possibility that the bolt-handle-slot was milled slightly shorter towards the rear than it was originally supposed to be cut (?).

[skoda]

It's possible. I'm not an expert on STEN dimensions. In the end it doesn't matter, I need to work with what I have and that means a stronger spring. But it's a good reason why my cocking knob broke. 

[BillyDixon]

 the bolt slot in a sten is .375,,the cocking handle is around .360,,plenty of clearance , if the bolt handle  is original turned from steel bar stock it would be more than strong enough to hammer its way onto a .062 reciever tube wall if the cocking slot han been milled to short,, from looking at your broken bolt handle i dont think its steel, put a magnet to it and check,, possibly  its some made up after market replacement for show and tell only,, just sayn

[skoda]

It's steel for sure. I have read about post WWII parts made in Belgium, Finland, etc that were not made to original prints. My parts are from several kits that I bought years ago so who knows the history of the handle. It's possible that the slot in the tube was made wrong but my expectation is that the spring is too weak. I'm going to get one from Lee Tool.