The RCR Association Photographic Database

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The famous Sterling submachine gun was born in around 1942 as "Patchett machine carbine" - a prototype submachine gun, developed by George W. Patchett and originally produced by Sterling Engineering Co in England. Several prototypes were built before the end of the war, and the Sterling-Patchett submachine gun participated in extensive trials, held in UK between 1945 and 1953, when it was finally announced as a winner of trials, and adopted as "9mm Sterling submachine gun L2A1" (factory designation was "Patchett Mk.1"). Sterling submachine guns were produced for British armed forces by Sterling company and Royal Ordnance Arsenal in Fazakerly, England; Long Branch Arsenal in Canada made a slightly modified Sterling under license for Canadian army as C1. In a slightly modified form, known in British service as L2A3 submachine gun or as "Sterling submachine gun, Mark 4" or Sterling Mk.4 in short, it served with British army until early 1990s, when it was finally replaced by troublesome L85A1 assault rifle. Nearly 400 000 of Sterling submachine guns were produced until late 1980s. In 1967, British army adopted the L34A1 / Sterling Mk.5 silenced submachine gun, which is apparently still in limited use with certain special operations elements in British army.
Sterling submachine guns also were widely sold for export, more than 70 countries had purchased various quantities of Sterling submachine guns. It must be noted that Sterling submachine guns were rather popular among British troops, because of relatively compact size, adequate firepower and acuracy and good reliability.

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L2A3 / Sterling Mk.4 submachine gun is blowback operated, selective fired weapons that fires from open bolt. The fire mode selector / manual safety lever is located on the left side of trigger unit, above the grip panel. Tubular receiver, which also serves as a barrel jacket at the front, contains a cylindrical bolt with fixed firing pin. Bolt body has several spiral grooves on its outside surface which collect the dust and fouling from inside the receiver, and thus greatly improve reliability of the gun under field conditions. Feeding is from the left side; magazines are inserted horizontally, and ejection is to the right. Magazines are of slightly curved shape for improved feeding reliability. Buttstock is made from stamped steel and folds down and below the receiver to save space. Standard sights include protected front blade and flip-up rear aperture sight, marked for 100 and 200 yards range, and also protected from sides by sturdy "ears".

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Special "high power, submachine-gun only" ammunition was procured by British army for Sterling submachine guns. This ammunition was absolutely safe in Sterling submachine guns, but can cause extensive wear to many 9mm pistols designed for commercial 9x19 ammunition.

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more info here...

http://world.guns.ru/smg/smg28-e.htm

Sharp-eyed viewers will note that long, long ago in a galaxy far, far away, this was the weapon of choice, minus the magazine, of the Imperial Storm Troopers in the first three Star Wars movies.  Amazing! aldi

I loved this weapon and was pretty damn ood with it.. hey , an old Cpl once told me , learn every weapon you can, as well as you can..one day it just might save your butt..or you and your biuddies...rong

I liked it as well, Ron. Once you got used to the forward motion of the BB, I found you could be very accurate with it. Within the prescribed range, of course.   

I also liked it. I sent one summer on the Battalion SMG team.
BTW Mike the SMG didn't have a BB but did have a bolt. ;)

Rick

Of course! I stand corrected... gladly!

This is precisely why these threads exist, brother, to keep our minds regimentally sharp as we fight off growing senile! snicker. Thanks.

Got any pictures of you or the team? 

Mike,

Do you have any pictures of the Canadian SMG including the optional 10-round mag?  aldi

Not at the moment!

That being said, let me see what I can do!