They all look to be in pretty good shape. I took one out and cleaned a little of the heavy grease off that they are all coated with so I could inspect it. It has the normal scrapes and scratches but it looks to have been shot very little. The entire gun is included except for the top half of the receiver from the back of the bolt cut out to the mag well, which was all cut away with a saw.

All in all I'm very pleased with them and someday they will make some nice post samples.

Michael

Hey, Ponyboy you ever see any semi-only Sten's?  I saw one a week or so ago at a gunshow, 16" bbl. skeleton stock.  Dealer said it was a Sterling, but it looked brand new, and I did'nt see any marks indicating Sterling mfg.  Not only that but said dealer has been known to lie before, if it would make a sale.  Anyway I'd like to have a semi, let me know if you've got a line on any.

Have you seen the new CATCO semi-auto receiver kits in the SGN?  I left my issue of SGN at work, so I don't have the details, but did see it near the back of the book.  I believe the receiver was for the Mk II kit.

OSA

I have a good friend that has a semi auto Sterling. It was not Sterling manufactuer, it was made by someone in Dallas, can't remember who it was. It was pretty neat with a short barrel and no stock.

I have seen very few semis for sale, but I have seen what OSA mentions, which is the kit from CATCO. I believe I saw it online, so you might want to do a search. If I remember correctly the semi kits were going for about $200 and the MkII kits go in about the same price range, so you will easily have $400 in the project before you get started.

I'd like to see how well these kits turn out. If you decide to try it out I would be interested in hearing your results.

Michael

Well, the kits solve one problem, I'll probably just SBR it on a form 1.  I need a new project like I need a hole in my head, but.........  I'll have to thumb through the SGN I have'nt noticed the receivers before.  I'll keep you posted though.

Damn they are a little steep at $275, course I'm a cheap ass too.

Told ya they weren't cheap. I saw a few MkII kits for sale and they were $230. So with that and the $275 receiver kit then the $200 form 1 tax you are easily at $700 before you can start working on it.

Unless you really want a Sten, the math shows me that it just isn't worth it.

Didn't Stens originally cost like $9-10?

Michael

ok, i will reluctantly admit that i've had one of these parts kits for a couple of months, and have considered building it into a semi-auto. but i very much do NOT want to break the rules and run afoul of the atf. now i have two specific concerns, ease of re-conversion back to full auto, and now "SBR".

it would probably be just as easy to convert it back to full as to build the sten as a semi-auto in the first place. after all, if i can weld or cut or drill a tube or disconnecter, i can reverse the process too.

so just how much trouble do i have to go to in order to convince atf that i dont want to make a submachine gun? would spot welding the selector in "semi" satisfy them?

secondly, it does have a short barrel, about 8 or 9 inches. does this create a short barreled rifle problem?

i think it would be fun to show up at the range with a sten, even if it is "only" semi-auto. but am i better off to just leave the parts set in a bag and forget them?

Since the STEN is a bolt open system you can't make it a legal semi-auto only.  Legal Semi-autos must be closed bolt.

ah, shucks. THREE problems.
seems like a shame, a fine bit of history like that.
thanks, forest.

Quoted: Since the STEN is a bolt open system you can't make it a legal semi-auto only.  Legal Semi-autos must be closed bolt.

Unless you make it into a closed bolt semi, which is what we are talking about here.

You could use one of the Catco kits and make a semi-auto pistol, or you could go ahead and register it as a SBR then you could attach a stock. Much like the situation of M11/9mm submachine guns and the corresponding pistols.

If it wasn't so expensive to get all the necessary parts I'm sure you would see a lot more semi Stens out there.

Michael

ok, i'll bite, how much trouble would it be to make a sten closed bolt? this doesn't look like an easy job to me.

if this has been discussed already elsewhere, i'll gladly go away and come back after i've done my homework.

Quoted: ok, i'll bite, how much trouble would it be to make a sten closed bolt? this doesn't look like an easy job to me. if this has been discussed already elsewhere, i'll gladly go away and come back after i've done my homework.

Yep, they are discussed about 8 or 9 post directly up from here. That is the receiver kits we were talking about.

It couldn't be that hard to put them together. There ain't nothing to a Sten. They just seem kind of expensive.

Michael

lurker, the kits we are talking about come with all the semi parts, not FA parts.
Forest, I believe there are some semi Macs out there that fire from open bolt, they are pricey, almost as much as a FA.
I think I may just get me an Oly 9mm upper and block that uses Sten mags for my SBR AR, sounds cheaper, and I won't have to do any welding.  That was one of the draw backs to the Sten kit it requires 4 welds, easy I'm sure but nevertheless.

Making a legal semi auto sten is not only a waste of time but a waste of money. To make this a legal weapon you must bore a hole through the bolt for a firing pin, make a hammer and sear system semi only, make a firing pin,have it hardened the process could go on for a good while. For the time it would take to do this would damn near be as long as to wait for a class 3. Then you could get a mac 11/9 full auto for around $1300. Plus stamp

bob, I repeat the kit comes with semi parts.

Sorry, long day. I have severe bronchitis right now. You must forgive me. For the price of the semi kit and the time I would just do what you decided or maybe go for the Russian SR-41 that Interordnance sells.$650 for the one in 7.62x25 or $799 for the one in 9x19.

Kinda looking for something that takes cheap hi-caps, like I said before I'm a cheap bastard.

thanks for the info, guys. looks like more trouble and expense than it's worth.