 |  | | | |  | |  |  | Which Way To Go? |  | |  |  | |
 Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2013 12:00 am |
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| Slavia |
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Let's say hypothetically that a guy wanted to make a STEN pellet gun. (The STEN gun is a British WWII submachine gun - the one with the long magazine sticking out the side.) There were five major variants, with dozens of little changes made to each variant. It doesn't have to be a faithful replica - just mimic the lines enough so it's obviously STEN inspired. A real STEN gun:
After looking at dozens of photos, I think I would like a pistol grip (for ergonomics) and the Canadian-style MKII buttstock (stronger and easier to make). What do you guys think - pistol grip, or not? Black, or camo? If camo, woodland or desert theme?
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| Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2013 7:15 am |
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| lampy |
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Looks like a fun project. I like it in black.
Are you going to include a magazine? I'm assuming it will start out as a B-3. |
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| Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2013 7:31 am |
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| lampy |
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I'm not trying to hi jack your thread but you got me thinking  The Sten reminds me of the M3 I packed around the desert and never got to play with.
I have a few cheap CO2 pistols  might be a good winter project.... Thanks for the inspiration. |
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Too many projects to list. |
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| Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2013 12:12 pm |
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| Slavia |
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| Quote: |
Looks like a fun project. I like it in black.
Are you going to include a magazine? I'm assuming it will start out as a B-3. |
My normal aesthetic counselors (daughter and art-major niece) also voted for black. The plan is to use a plastic-approved paint (like Krylon Fusion) as a primer, then bed liner for durability, then semi-gloss poly.
I have never done a gun in camouflage. That could either mean leave it alone 'cuz I'll mess it up, or go ahead because this is a good first-time opportunity. Not one of the many photos I looked at were camouflage, but why let a little thing like reality stop me, right? It was used in the European theater in WWIII, so a woodland scheme wouldn't be out of place. The IDF used it before they got Uzi's, so a desert scheme would fit. Choices, choices, choices.
It is indeed a B-3, and will definitely have a magazine - it's obligatory. That 32-round magazine sticking out the side is probably the most salient visual feature of the gun. It's also what attracted me to the STEN, since it doesn't interfere with the cocking lever underneath. Besides, the STEN is cheap, crude, and ugly, which are features that the B-3 already has built in.
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| Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2013 5:49 pm |
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| Alstone |
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I have fired Sten’s way back in the late fifties when I worked for an armaments company, and from what I remember of it was cheap and nasty but it worked well, and with the special silencer made for it the report was just a whisper. As for the grip the model with the pistol grip was easier to fire from the hip, as it was easier to control the lift when firing off a full magazine.
One of the traits it had was that if you left it cocked and it accidentally got dropped on the butt, it would dance around the floor until the mag was empty, I did see it happen once when a driver opened the door of his Quad truck, and the gun fell out, the area cleared in 2 seconds flat and no luckily one was injured.
BTW I have never seen a camo Sten they get so hot with heavy use the paint would burn off anyway. I look forward to this one Slavia especially as I just sold my B3.
Have fun. |
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| Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2013 6:14 pm |
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| robert w |
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| very interesting very indeed |
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| Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2013 8:03 pm |
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| Slavia |
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| Great information, Al. Sounds like black is the way to go. |
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| Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2013 11:07 pm |
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| AirGunEric |
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| Slavia wrote: |
| ...the STEN is cheap, crude, and ugly, which are features that the B-3 already has built in. |
I was going to say that, but whatever floats your boat (or barrel in this case)...
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| Posted: Mon Nov 11, 2013 10:44 am |
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| Slavia |
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| Quote: |
| I was going to say that |
My first B3 project turned out to be a fun shooter, and I'm confident that I can apply what I learned here. Since the base gun and target are both pieces of junk, the pressure is off to make a silk purse from a sow's ear. More like making a polyester purse.
| Quote: |
| I'm not trying to hi jack your thread but you got me thinking |
It ain't hijacking unless we divert to sex, drugs, politics, religion, UFO's, or JFK conspiracy theories. Many of the SMG's from that era (M3, STEN, Sterling, etc.) have the "grease gun" appearance, which means a big tube. PVC pipe is cheap, easy to work, paintable, and glues well with cyanoacrilate esters (i.e., super glue). A "cheap CO2 pistol" would probably also require less fiddling than the B3. If the pistol is a repeater (even BB's) I would think spraying metal on rapid fire would be way more fun with a SMG replica than with the original pistol. Go for it.
I changed my mind; sex is off the hijack list - it is totally related. The middle photo is where I'm heading, although the butt design in the top photo has merits:
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| Posted: Mon Nov 11, 2013 11:08 am |
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| Alstone |
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The Sten even got a supporting role in a British war film.
Al
PS: I forgot to mention the although the silencer was very quite you could hear the mechanics a mile away.  |
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| Posted: Mon Nov 11, 2013 11:26 am |
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| Slavia |
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Violette Szabo, the subject of the film, was amazing. George Cross, Croix de Guerre, and Médaille de la Résistance. She would have been something with or without the STEN gun:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violette_Szabo |
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