Naval History and Heritage Command

Title: Submachine Gun, 9mm, L2A3, Sterling, British, S/N UF57A5347
Accession #: NHHC 2002-11-2
Circa: Late 20th Century
Size: 
Medium: Metal, Plastic
Location: Headquarters Artifact Collection, Naval History and Heritage Command

The British Sterling is a blow-back operated submachine gun firing 9mm cartridges from an open bolt and fed from a 34-round curved box magazine. Designed in 1944 and evaluated in combat as the Patchett Machine Carbine Mk 1, the Sterling was intended to replace the Sten submachine gun then in use. Although the combat trials of the Sterling were successful, the end of World War II and the large number of available Stens kept the Sterling from being adopted by the British Army until 1953. The Sterling was a very successful and reliable weapon that lasted in service with British forces until 1988 when it was replaced by the SA80 family of weapons.

Like its predecessor the Sten, the Sterling is built primarily of stamped steel components. The receiver is a tubular design with an integral perforated barrel sleeve giving it a unique appearance. The magazine feeds from the left side of the receiver with an ejection port on the opposite side. A slot for the charging handle is on the top right rear side of the receiver housing. An angled pistol grip with black plastic grip panels is below the ejection port and magazine housing. A large metal cap with a sling swivel screws on to the rear of the receiver tube. A folding stamped steel triangular buttstock with a black plastic butt folds forward under the barrel when not in use. The Sterling has fixed front and rear sights mounted at each end of the receiver housing. The L1A2 detachable, stamped steel 34-round box magazine is curved, with a spring-loaded follower at one end and removable baseplate at the opposite end.