CODE – 02-131-943

NAME – Sten Mk IVa

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN – Great Britain

DATE OF MANUFACTURE – 1943

CALIBER – 9x19mm

OVERALL LENGTH – 44.5 cm (17.5 in) Stock folded, 70 cm (27.5 in) Stock extended

BARREL LENGTH – 9.8 cm (3.85 in)

RIFLING (TYPE & TWIST) – 6 Groove, Right hand twist, 1 turn in 25.4 cm (10 in)

BULLET DIAMETER – 9.02 mm 0.355 in

BULLET WEIGHT – 7.45 g (115 gr)

MUZZLE VELOCITY – 366 m/s (1200 fps) (Mk2Z)

MUZZLE ENERGY – 499 j (368 ft/lbs)

WEIGHT (EMPTY) – 4.02 kg (8 lbs 13.75 oz)

WEIGHT (LOADED) – 4.68 kg (10 lbs 5.25 oz)

SIGHTS – Front – Inverted “V” blade, Rear – Fixed aperture, set to 91 m (100 yds)

EFFECTIVE RANGE – 183 m (200 yds)

OPERATION – Blowback, fires from open bolt

TYPE OF FIRE – Selective, Semi and Full automatic

RATE OF FIRE – 40 rpm (Semi), 128 rpm (Full)

CYCLIC ROF – 575 rpm

FEED DEVICE – 32 round box magazine, double column, single feed

FEED DEVICE WEIGHT (EMPTY) – 0.30 kg (10.6 oz)

FEED DEVICE WEIGHT (LOADED) – 0.67 kg (1 lb 7.5 oz)

BASIC LOAD – 7 magazines (224 rounds)

LOAD WT – 4.69 kg (10 lbs 4.5 oz)

MANUFACTURER – Royal Small Arms Factory, Enfield, London, England.

STATUS – Obsolete

SERVICE – None, prototype only

  By the time the Mk IV had been developed enough for production, the Sten Mk V was already coming off the production lines. The design was originally intended to meet a need by British Airborne forces for a more compact weapon then even the Sten Mk II. The Mk IV has a very short barrel, which required a flash suppressor to minimize the otherwise violent flash at the muzzle of the weapon. A unique aspect of the Mk IV design is the locking bolt handle. By pulling the bolt handle back only slightly, it could be rotated to lock the bolt in the forward position. The safety is the same upward hooked slot design found on all of the Stens. The folding stock pivots at the base of the pistol grip after a spring-loaded catch is pulled forward to release the mechanism. A very few of the Mk IV design were manufactured, basically from a Sten Mk II receiver and general parts.

 

One of the few illustrations of the Sten Mk IV, which was made in prototype numbers only. For the most part a very shortened Sten Mk II, the Mk IV weapons were fitted with a folding buttstock. Made of flat metal strips, the buttstock folds out from the bottom of the pistol grip to the rear of the weapon and extends further for use. In the folded position, the front of the buttstock can be used as a front grip. PHOTO CREDIT: US ARMY
One of the few illustrations of the Sten Mk IV, which was made in prototype numbers only. For the most part a very shortened Sten Mk II, the Mk IV weapons were fitted with a folding buttstock. Made of flat metal strips, the buttstock folds out from the bottom of the pistol grip to the rear of the weapon and extends further for use. In the folded position, the front of the buttstock can be used as a front grip. PHOTO CREDIT: US ARMY