Sten Mk VI
Royal Small Arms Factory Enfield · Submachine Gun · Out Of Production · 1944
Also known as: Sten Mk 6, Sten Mark VI, Sten Mk VI Silenced, Sten Machine Carbine Mk VI
Overview
The Sten Mk VI is the integrally suppressed version of the British Sten Mk V submachine gun, developed late in the Second World War for clandestine and special operations use. It mated the wooden-stocked, pistol-gripped Mk V to the integral suppressor first used on the Sten Mk II(S), enclosing a short ported barrel within a sound-suppressing sleeve. The ported barrel bled off gas to keep the 9x19mm projectile subsonic at around 305 m/s, greatly reducing the muzzle report. It retained the simple blowback action firing from an open bolt and the side-mounted 32-round magazine.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4300 g (151.7 oz) |
| Overall Length | 902 mm (35.51") |
| Barrel Length | 90 mm (3.54") |
| Action Type | Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Open Bolt |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 32 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 305 m/s (1001 fps) |
| Effective Range | 100 m (109 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 150 m (164 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 575 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 6 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 9x19mm Parabellum · primary · 9mm NATO — also known as 9mm Luger, 9mm NATO, 9x19mm
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic, Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Cocking Handle Safety Notch
- Features: Integral Suppressor, Ported Barrel, Canvas Suppressor Cover, Wooden Stock, Wooden Pistol Grip, Subsonic Muzzle Velocity
Base model
Service history
Operators
- British Army · adopted 1944 · as Sten Machine Carbine Mk VI
- Special Operations Executive · adopted 1944
- British Commando and Special Forces units · adopted 1945
Conflicts
- World War II (1944-1945)
Production
Production years: 1944-1945
Produced in small numbers compared with the standard Sten marks, primarily for special forces and commando units
Origin
Country of origin: United Kingdom
Designer: Major Reginald V. Shepherd and Harold J. Turpin
Discontinued: 1945
Notes
The suppressor heated rapidly during sustained fire, so a canvas cover was laced over it to serve as a fore grip and protect the firer's hand. Heaviest of all Sten marks owing to the added suppressor assembly. Built at the request of the Special Operations Executive for covert operations.
Background
The Mk VI took the cleaned-up airborne Mk V and wrapped its barrel in the integral silencer borrowed from the Mk II(S). The suppressor ran so hot that crews laced a canvas sleeve around it just to keep their forward hand off the metal. Quiet, subsonic, and built for the cloak-and-dagger work of the Special Operations Executive, it was the stealthiest member of the otherwise crude Sten family.