Re: Stens (Was [WW] At Long Last!!! It Finally Came!!!)

["Ray C." <r_a_c_@hotmail.com>]

> > So far, I only have to laugh at the Sten Gun
> > Description ("Reliable"?  Sure,
> > you could rely on it to jam!  And go off if you
> > dropped it!  That's about
> > it!!!), but that's about it so far!!!
>
>Hey now, it wasn't that bad. It was designed as a low
>cost easily produced fire arm and that's what people
>got. If properly taken care of the weapon was shown to
>be as reliable as others of the same breed. No better
>and no worse.
>
>I'll give you the fact sten's were (in)famous for
>going off if dropped. Hair triggers (sears?) have
>their disadvantages after all.

Yes, but what a...  Dramatic disadvantage, eh?

*Thoughts of Dancing PCs flow through the mind, with a German Sniper, 
failing the Will save, falling out of his tree, laughing*

>Magazine quality seems to have caused many of the
>headaches with sten use. Once sten users were properly
>educated in checking their magazines for damage the
>numbers of malfunctions greatly decreased. Think of it
>along the same lines of the M-16. Has to be treated
>well else it'll bite you.

Makes sense...

>For further information:
>http://www2.prestel.co.uk/history/sten/
>
>
>Under the "nice try" category:
> >>>
>The following remarks were printed in the 1943
>'Handbook on the British Army' which was issued to
>American troops in order to accustom them with the
>uniforms, weapons and equipment of the British:
>
>"Sten Machine Carbine.-
>This gun is being issued at a rapid rate to air-borne
>forces, tank crews, reconnaissance units, etc. It can
>be produced rapidly and at small cost. This fact,
>together with its light weight, small size, high rate
>of fire, and great accuracy, has resulted in its use
>for tasks for which the pistol and the 'Tommy gun'
>have proved inadequate."
> >>>

AH CRUD!!!  I just finished writing up a nice little rant about Stens and 
all the versions and all that...  And here you are, with your one little 
comment indicating a Webpage...  That says everything I was going to!!!

All that work...  Going to waste...  *Sniff*...

Anyhow, one thing that I've heard references to is that the Sten could use 
the same clips as the MP40 (And possibly the MP38)...  But, reading the 
webpage, I have to wonder if the folks I was getting said info from really 
meant the German MP3008 (The German Knock-Off Sten).  Oh well...  Maybe it's 
for the best that I don't make a complete arse out of myself, eh?  :-)

Ray.

PS:  Two stories I *DO* know about, one day, I'll post.  Well, OK, it's a 
story, and a technique that was used with Stens...  Whatever.

PPS:  On the bright side, it didn't blow up like the Ross Rifle did!  And, 
yes, that too was due to Soldiers not "Paying Attention and Babying Their 
Gear".  That, and poor design that let it get jammed with dirt easily.  (The 
Ross Rifle:  A Good Sporting Rifle, Poor Military Rifle).

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