Sterling submachine gun

Sterling submachine gun
general information
Civil name:	Sterling MPi
Military designation:	SMG L2A1 (GB), C1 (Canada)
Country of operation:	UK , Canada , India (among others)
Developer / Manufacturer:	Sterling Armaments Company, Dagenham Royal Ordnance Factory, Fazakerley
Manufacturer country:	Great Britain
Production time:	1953 to 1988
Weapon Category:	Submachine gun
Furnishing
Overall length:	690 mm
Barrel length :	198 mm
Technical specifications
Caliber :	9 mm parabellum
Possible magazine fillings :	10, 15 or 34 cartridges
Ammunition supply :	Curve magazine
Cadence :	550 rounds / min
Number of trains :	6th
Twist :	right
Closure :	Mass closure
Charging principle:	Recoil loader
Lists on the subject

The Sterling submachine gun is a British infantry weapon. She was in service with the British Army and the armies of many Commonwealth countries .

History and technology

The development of the submachine gun began as early as the Second World War. Its designer was George William Patchett. However, it got its name after its manufacturing company, the Sterling Armaments Company . The first prototypes could not prevail against the Sten-MPi . It was not until 1953 that the Sterling was incorporated into the armed forces' equipment as the L2A1 .

As with the Sten, the magazine slot is typically British on the left. On the one hand, this should relieve the magazine springs somewhat, but above all offer advantages when firing while lying down or from under cover. In the beginning, bar magazines were used that were compatible with those of the Sten. For reasons of reliable ammunition supply, slightly curved curved magazines were later used. For the same reason, the feeder was replaced by two movably mounted rollers that are supported against the inside of the magazine, which generates far less friction than the feeders made of stamped sheet metal parts that were common at the time. The housing has been perforated for the tensioning lever so that the closing spring is also open. Sharp-edged grooves were therefore worked around the ground seal, which can absorb the ingress of dust and largely prevent malfunctions due to contamination.

A performance-enhanced pistol cartridge based on the 9 mm Parabellum was specially manufactured for the Sterling . However, it is only approved for submachine guns as it would place excessive demands on handguns.

commitment

The Sterling-MP proved to be extremely reliable and robust. It was used by the British Army for four decades and was only replaced by the SA80 assault rifle in the 1990s . However, some special versions are still in reserve today. A total of more than 400,000 copies were built, including under license in India and Canada. Great Britain exported the weapon to more than 70 countries, with it still in use mainly in Asia.

variants

country	model	Weight (kg)	Length (mm)	Barrel length (mm)
United Kingdom
L2A1 / Mk.2
L2A2 / Mk.3
L2A3 / Mk.4	most commonly built standard version	2.7	690	198
L34A1 / Mk.5	silenced version	3.8	660	198
Mk.6	Police model
Mk.7 A3	Paratrooper model, ultra short	2.2	355	89
Mk.7 A8	Paratrooper model, short version	2.3	470	198
Canada
C1 submachine gun	License model L2A1
India
SAF Carbine 1A	License model L2A1
SAF Carbine 2A1	Muffler model

Others

The Sterling L2A1 / Mk.2 formed the basis for the "E-11 Blaster Rifle" used by the Imperial Stormtroopers in the 1977 film " Star Wars " by George Lukas . Instead of the magazine, an "energy cell" was inserted and a few additional plastic boxes and cable connections were attached

Web links

Commons : Sterling Submachine Gun  - Collection of Images, Videos and Audio Files

• Sterling SMG, operating manual (English; PDF file; 7.70 MB)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ E-11 Blaster Rifle. Retrieved January 9, 2018 .