There is no breech locking mechanism, the rearward movement of the bolt caused by the recoil impulse is arrested only by the mainspring and the bolt's inertia. This means the bolt remains to the rear when the weapon is cocked, and on pulling the trigger the bolt flies forward under spring pressure, stripping the round from the magazine, chambering it and firing the weapon all in the same movement. The Sten was a blowback-operated submachine gun firing from an open bolt with a fixed firing pin on the face of the bolt. The other Commonwealth nations made or adopted their own replacements. The Sten was replaced by the Sterling submachine gun from 1953 and was gradually withdrawn from British service in the 1960s. Such was the ease of manufacture that the Germans also produced a version of the Sten, the MP 3008, late in the war and the Sten was used extensively by Jewish partisans during the Israeli War of Independence. Sten guns of late 1942 and beyond were, in general, highly effective weapons, though complaints of accidental discharge continued throughout the war. Most changes to the production process were more subtle, designed to give greater ease of manufacture and increased reliability. For example, the Mark 4 cocking handle and corresponding hole drilled in the receiver were created to lock the bolt in the closed position to reduce the likelihood of accidental discharges inherent in the design. The Sten underwent various design improvements over the course of the war. The Mark I was a more finely finished weapon with a wooden foregrip and handle later versions were generally more spartan, although the final version, the Mark V, which was produced after the threat of invasion had died down, was produced to a higher standard. It was distinctive for its bare appearance (just a pipe with a metal loop for a stock), and its horizontal magazine. Some of the cheapest versions were made from only 47 different parts. Over the period of manufacture the Sten design was further simplified: the most basic model, the Mark III, could be produced from five man-hours work. Much of the production could be performed by small workshops, with the firearms assembled at the Enfield site. The Sten used simple stamped metal components and minor welding, which required a minimum of machining and manufacturing. The Lanchester and Sten magazines were even interchangeable (though the Lanchester's magazine was longer with a 50 round capacity, compared to the Sten's 32 round capacity). In terms of manufacture, the Lanchester was entirely different, being made of high-quality materials with pre-war fit and finish, in stark contrast to the Sten's austere execution. The Sten shared design features, such as its side-mounted magazine configuration, with the Royal Navy's Lanchester submachine gun, which was a copy of the German MP28. Shepherd had been recalled to service after having retired and spending some time at BSA. Harold John Turpin, Senior Draughtsman of the Design Department of the Royal Small Arms Factory (RSAF), Enfield. Shepherd, OBE, Inspector of Armaments in the Ministry of Supply Design Department at The Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, (later Assistant Chief Superintendent at the Armaments Design Department) and Mr. In order to rapidly equip a sufficient fighting force to counter the Axis threat, the Royal Small Arms Factory, Enfield, was commissioned to produce an alternative. The American entry into the war at the end of 1941 placed an even bigger demand on the facilities making Thompsons. Prior to 1941 (and even later) the British were purchasing all the Thompson submachine guns they could from the United States, but these did not begin to meet demand. The army was forced to replace weapons lost during the evacuation from Dunkirk while expanding at the same time. The Sten emerged while Britain was engaged in the Battle of Britain, facing invasion by Germany. 3.10 Foreign-built variants and post 1945 derivatives.Over 4 million Stens in various versions were made in the 1940s. Shepherd and Harold Turpin, and EN for Enfield. STEN is an acronym, from the names of the weapon's chief designers, Major Reginald V. They were notable for having a simple design and very low production cost making them effective insurgency weapons for resistance groups. The STEN (or Sten gun) was a family of British 9 mm submachine guns used extensively by British and Commonwealth forces throughout World War II and the Korean War. Various Underground Resistance Group Factories.ДЈ.7вЂ“4.6 million (all variants, depending on source) Long Branch Canada (plus numerous sub-contractors making individual parts). For other uses, see Sten (disambiguation).

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