Sterling Mk7 Para Pistol
Sterling Armaments Company · Submachine Gun · Discontinued · 1986
Also known as: Sterling Mk 7 Para-Pistol, Sterling Mk7 A4, Sterling Mk7 A8, Para Pistol
Overview
The Sterling Mk7 Para Pistol is a compact British submachine gun developed by the Sterling Armaments Company as a shortened machine-pistol derivative of the standard Sterling L2A3. Introduced in 1986, it was intended to give paratroopers, vehicle crews, commando units, and plainclothes intelligence personnel a small automatic backup and personal-defence weapon that could be carried in a holster. Retaining the Sterling's simple blowback action firing from an open bolt in 9x19mm Parabellum, the Mk7 dispenses with the shoulder stock and long barrel of the parent gun, using a drastically shortened barrel and a fixed vertical foregrip in place of the folding stock. It feeds from the same side-mounted curved box magazines as the full-size Sterling, with short 10- and 15-round magazines available to keep the weapon compact enough for concealed carry. Two principal versions were offered: the short-barrelled Mk7 A4 and the longer-barrelled Mk7 A8. Production lasted barely eighteen months before the Sterling Armaments Company ceased operations in mid-1988, making the Para Pistol one of the rarest members of the Sterling family.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 2200 g (77.6 oz) |
| Weight (loaded) | 2450 g (86.4 oz) |
| Overall Length | 355 mm (13.98") |
| Barrel Length | 108 mm (4.25") |
| Height | 175 mm (6.89") |
| Width | 45 mm (1.77") |
| Action Type | Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Open Bolt |
| Trigger Type | Select Fire |
| Magazine Capacity | 34 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 350 m/s (1148 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 456 J (336 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 50 m (55 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 550 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 254 mm (10.00") |
| Number of Grooves | 6 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| 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 Curved Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety Selector, Grip Safety
- Features: Open Bolt Firing, Select Fire, Compact Receiver, Fixed Vertical Foregrip, Side Loading Magazine, Perforated Barrel Sleeve, Iron Sights, Holster Compatible
Variants
- Sterling Mk7 A4 - Short Barrel
- Sterling Mk7 A8 - Long Barrel
Base model
Service history
Operators
- British Armed Forces
Production
Production years: 1986-1988
Produced for only about 18 months before the Sterling Armaments Company ceased operations in mid-1988; total output was small, making it one of the rarest Sterling variants
Origin
Country of origin: United Kingdom
Designer: George William Patchett
Discontinued: 1988
Notes
The Mk7 designation covered both semi-automatic and select-fire configurations. In Sterling's model coding, the digit indicated barrel length: '4' versions used the short roughly 108mm (4.25 in) barrel while '8' versions used a longer barrel of around 198mm (7.8 in). The short Mk7 A4 could be stowed in a purpose-made holster when fitted with a short magazine. The Para Pistol shares the Sterling's left-side magazine feed and perforated barrel jacket, but its abbreviated dimensions and lack of a stock make it far harder to control in automatic fire than the full-length L2A3.
Background
Conceived as a holster-carried machine pistol for paratroopers, vehicle crews and undercover operators, the Mk7 Para Pistol arrived just as the Sterling story was ending; the company went bankrupt within two years of its launch, and British service was already transitioning to the SA80 family.