Sten Mk I–V
Official wording
Sten submachineguns, Mk. I, Mk. II, Mk. III, Mk. IV and Mk. V, cal. 9mm, original British Commonwealth Military issue only.
What this entry requires
- ATF REQUIRESOriginal as the ATF wording requires: “original British Commonwealth Military issue only”
- INFOATF states no date; production was about 1941–1945.
- INFOStill an NFA firearm; only registered examples transfer, with ATF approval (26 U.S.C. 5812, 5861).
Editorial facts · Our research
- Country
United KingdomBasis: the ATF wording - Manufacturer
- Royal Small Arms Factory & Commonwealth makersBasis: the ATF wording
- Type
- SMGBasis: the ATF wording
- Action
- Select-fire / autoBasis: the ATF wording
- Caliber
- 9mm ParabellumBasis: the ATF wording
- Made
- 1941–1945production; ATF states no dateBasis: outside reference ¹
- Service
- Military
Source
- Official wording
- ATF P 5300.11, April 2025 edition · Section IV · PDF p. 87 ↗ · ATF original ↗
- Entries
- 1 line
- Verbatim check
- Checked against the PDF text before every release
- Editorial facts
- Confidence: High · Last revised 18 October 2026 (Evidence pass) · How we rate confidence
- References
- 1. Wikipedia, “Sten” ↗, years: Wikipedia: infobox production date 1941–1945
- Fact tags
- ATF the ATF wording states it.
- REF ¹ an outside reference supports it; the number points to the list of references.
- ESTIMATE an approximate or indirect reading, for example the production range of the base model.
- NO CITATION we haven’t attached a reference for this fact; it’s our editorial reading, not ATF’s.
- Source checked
- 20 October 2026: ATF’s page still lists the April 2025 edition
- Corrections
- None
Historical context
Image: Wikimedia Commons, “Pistolet maszynowy STEN, Muzeum Orła Białego.jpg” by Grzegorz Pietrzak (user Vindicator), CC BY-SA 3.0. Retrieved October 2026.
Summary: Wikipedia, “Sten”. Text CC BY-SA 4.0.
FROM WIKIPEDIA
The STEN is a British submachine gun chambered in 9×19mm which was used extensively by British and Commonwealth forces throughout World War II and during the Korean War. The Sten paired a simple design with a low production cost, facilitating mass production to meet the demand for submachine guns. As well as equipping regular units, the Sten was distributed to resistance groups within occupied Europe. Its simple design made it an effective insurgency weapon for resistance groups.