Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very attractive British WWII STEN Mk III inert display submachine gun assembled from original wartime components on a permanently non-firing dummy receiver. It retains its original Mk III magazine housing marked STEN M.C. Mk III, faint serial number E73118, original deactivated barrel and trigger mechanism, magazine, khaki web sling, and an early loop style buttstock. The combination of original Mk III components and the distinctive skeletal stock gives this display excellent British WWII character.

This example has been reconstructed with a BATF compliant dummy receiver, making this a 100% legal display Sub-Machine gun. This inert receiver was made from a hollow steel tube, which was never a machine gun component. It has had an original deactivated bolt welded in the forward position, and 25% of the length of the rear receiver has been made from solid steel bar stock. Meaning a 1/4 length section of the display receiver is solid steel, making this totally legal to own without a license of any kind.

The STEN Mk III was developed as an even simpler production version of the Mk II and entered manufacture in 1942. Lines Brothers Ltd., better known before the war for mass produced toys and sheet metal products, redesigned the STEN around manufacturing methods suited to its own factories. The Mk III used a fixed barrel and a one piece sheet steel receiver and barrel jacket extending almost to the muzzle, with a prominent welded seam along the body. Lines Brothers was the sole British manufacturer of the Mk III and produced approximately 876,000 before production ended in 1943. The Mk II remained the most numerous STEN overall, but the Mk III was produced in very substantial numbers and saw extensive British and Commonwealth wartime service.

This example retains its original Mk III magazine housing assembly. The side is marked:

STEN M.C. Mk III

The underside carries the very faint serial number:

E73118

Above this is the marking:

L B

This is consistent with Lines Brothers Ltd., the manufacturer responsible for Mk III production. The faintness of the serial number is fully disclosed, but the surviving factory and model markings remain readily identifiable.

The display is fitted with an original deactivated barrel and original trigger mechanism. The trigger still moves, and the selector also retains movement, although it is somewhat stiff. These observations concern only the remaining movement of inert components and do not indicate firearm functionality.

Of particular interest, the gun is fitted with an early loop style buttstock more commonly associated with the Mk II rather than the standard Mk III stock configuration. STEN buttstocks were interchangeable between several wartime patterns, so the stock physically fits the Mk III correctly. However, because this is not the configuration most typically associated with Mk III production, it may represent a later service or surplus era substitution rather than the gun's original factory stock. The loop stock nevertheless gives the display a particularly distinctive appearance.

An original STEN magazine and khaki web sling are also included. The sling shows normal age and service wear and completes the military presentation well. The magazine will be deactivated where required by the destination jurisdiction.

Overall condition is very good, with strong original wartime components, clear Mk III model markings, faint but identifiable serial number E73118, Lines Brothers marking, original deactivated barrel and trigger group, loop buttstock, magazine, and web sling. For the British WWII small arms or STEN collector, this is an especially appealing example of the simplified Lines Brothers Mk III pattern with excellent display presence.

One of the most prolific Allied Sub Machine guns of WW2 was the STEN GUN used by British and Commonwealth forces. It was predominantly issued in three models; Mk 2, Mk 3, Mk 5. The most common was the height of the War issue Mk lll. This was manufactured with a non-removable barrel, in full barrel jacket that extended to the muzzle of the weapon. Each gun was issued with a quick detachable "T" Butt stock which replaced the Mk ll silhouette stock. This was the weapon used on D-Day. Reliable, compact, and inexpensive to produce, the Sten Sub Machine Gun has become part of WW2 culture.

The STEN (or Sten gun) was a family of British submachine guns chambered in 9×19mm and used extensively by British and Commonwealth forces throughout World War II and the Korean War. They were notable for having a simple design and very low production cost making them effective insurgency weapons for resistance groups.

STEN is an acronym, from the names of the weapon's chief designers, Major Reginald V. Shepherd and Harold Turpin, and EN for Enfield. Over four million Stens in various versions were made in the 1940s.

Mark III

This simple design was the next most commonly produced after the Mark II. It was a simplification of the Mk I made both in Canada and the UK. Lines Bros Ltd was the largest manufacturer. The biggest difference from the Mark II was the unification of the receiver, ejection port, and barrel shroud that now extended farther up the barrel. The barrel was fixed and the body was welded shut along the centre of the top. Captured Sten Mk IIIs in German possession were designated MP 750(e).