Error creating thumbnail: File missing Join our Discord!
If you have been locked out of your account you can request a password reset here.

Sten

From Internet Movie Firearms Database - Guns in Movies, TV and Video Games
Revision as of 09:38, 3 January 2017 by KINKI'boy (talk | contribs) (change mk4→mk6)
Jump to navigation Jump to search

The Sten is a British designed submachine gun manufactured in a number of variants (know as Marks or simply Mks) during the Second World War. The official designation was "Carbine, Machine, Sten" which is due to the British term for what we would now call submachine guns being "Machine Carbine" at the start of the war. It was notable for its very simple design and consequently low production costs which made it an ideal weapon for supplying resistance groups. In total approximately 4.5 million Stens were produced, over 2 million of which were the Mark II, which is the iconic Sten gun.

Using the same magazines as the MP40, the Sten is subject to similar errors; the common habit in fiction of using the magazine as a sidegrip would in real life result in damage to the feed lips of the magazine (the correct part of the gun to grip is either the barrel shroud, the magwell, or the sloped section below the gun ahead of the trigger guard), and the videogame habit of fully loading the magazine would result in spring failures; like the MP40, soldiers experienced in using the Sten would typically load magazines with 30 or 28 rounds rather than 32. The 50 round Lanchester Mk. I magazine is compatible with the Sten.

Specifications

  • Weight: 3.2 kg (7.1 lb) (Mk. II)
  • Length: 760 mm (29.9 in)
  • Barrel length: 196 mm (7.7 in)
  • Cartridge: 9x19mm
  • Action: Blowback-operated, Open bolt
  • Rate of fire: Version dependent; ~500 round/min
  • Muzzle velocity: 365 m/s (1,198 ft/s)
  • Effective range: 300 m
  • Feed system: 32-round detachable box magazine
  • Sights: fixed peep rear, post front

The Sten submachine gun has appeared in the following films and video games used by the following actors:

Sten Mk I*

Error creating thumbnail: File missing
Sten Mk I* - 9x19mm

Film

Title Actor Character Note Date
Paratrooper Leo Genn Maj. John Snow 1953
British paratroopers
Dr. No Henchmen w/ T-strutt stock 1962
633 Squadron Norwegian Resistance fighters 1964
Alphaville 1965
The War Game British police 1965
The Heroes of Telemark Richard Harris Knut Straud 1965
Kirk Douglas Dr. Rolf Pederson
Dark of the Sun A Simba 1968
Max Manus: Man of War Aksel Hennie Max Manus 2008
Christian Rubeck Kolbein Lauring

Television

Title Actor Character Note Date
Doctor Who Kaled Scientific Elite "Genesis of the Daleks", w/ strutt stock 1963 – 1989
Ian Marter Harry Sullivan
Dennis Chinnery Gharman
Tom Georgeson Kavell

Anime

Title Character Note Date
Akira Resistance fighter 1987

Sten Mk II

Error creating thumbnail: File missing
Sten Mk II - 9x19mm
Error creating thumbnail: File missing
Sten Mk II (Canadian) - 9x19mm
Error creating thumbnail: File missing
Sten Mk II with wooden stock - 9x19mm

Film

Title Actor Character Note Date
The Battle of the Rails (La bataille du rail) French Resistance fighters 1946
Little Partisan (Malý partyzán) Josef Šlosar Jenda Hanuš 1950
Czechoslovak soldiers and partisans
Attention! Bandits! (Achtung! Banditi!) Giuliano Montaldo Lorenzo 1951
Franco Bologna "Cat"
Italian partisans, fascist policemen
Paratrooper Alan Ladd Steve MacKendrick 1953
Leo Genn Major John Snow
Harry Andrews Regimental Sergeant Major
British paratroopers
The Most Wanted Man (L'Ennemi public No 1) Fallone's henchmen and plainclothes police 1953
Grisbi (Touchez pas au grisbi) Jean Gabin Max 1954
Grisbi (Touchez pas au grisbi) Paul Frankeur Pierrot 1954
Grisbi (Touchez pas au grisbi) Michel Jourdan Marco 1954
Grisbi (Touchez pas au grisbi) René Dary Riton 1954
X the Unknown British soldiers 1956
The Bridge on the River Kwai Jack Hawkins Major Warden Canadian model 1957
William Holden Commander Shears
Geoffrey Horne Lt. Joyce
Kanal Polish insurgents 1957
Ashes and Diamonds Adam Pawlikowski Andrzej 1958
The Black Battalion (Cerný prapor) Zdenek Kryzánek Ketham 1958
French foreign legionaries, VPN soldiers
Carve Her Name With Pride Virginia McKenna Violette Szabo Fitted with Mk V front sight 1958
Blue Arrow (Golubaya strela) Seen among saboteurs' guns; T-shaped buttstock 1958
Never So Few Frank Sinatra Capt. Tom Reynolds 1959
Richard Johnson Capt. Danny De Mortimer
Philip Ahn Nautaung
Burmese soldiers
Riff Raff Girls (Du rififi chez les femmes) The bank security guards Canadian model 1959
Yesterday's Enemy Japanese soldiers 1959
Consider All Risks (Classe tous risques) Philippe March Jean Martin 1960
Lino Ventura Abel Davos
Breathless Police officer 1960
The Guns of Navarone Anthony Quinn Andrea Stavros Prop weapon using natural gas to create muzzle flash. Appears to be built on a Mk II with the barrel sawn off nearly to the shroud. 1961
James Darren Spyros Pappadimos
Bob Simmons German Officer
Konga British soldiers 1961
Taxi for Tobruk (Un taxi pour Tobrouk) Lino Ventura Theo Dumas 1961
Charles Aznavour Samuel Goldmann
Germán Cobos Jean Ramirez
A Man Named Rocca (Un nommé La Rocca) Guards 1961
The Longest Day Richard Todd British Airborne Major John Howard 1962
Maigret Sees Red (Maigret voit rouge) French police 1963
Behold a Pale Horse Gregory Peck Manuel Artiguez 1964
The Unvanquished (L'Insoumis) French soldier Canadian model 1964
Code Name: Tiger (Le Tigre aime la chair fraîche) Benitez´s henchman 1964
Fantômas Louis de Funès Fantômas 1964
Henri Attal The bodyguard of Fantômas
French Gendarmers
Panic in Bangkok (Banco à Bangkok pour OSS 117) Kerwin Mathews Hubert Bonisseur alias OSS 117 1964
Hitman, laboratories guard
The Assassination (Atentát) Radoslav Brzobohatý 1st Lt. Král Canadian model 1964
Rudolf Jelínek Sgt. Strnad
Ladislav Mrkvicka Sgt. Vyskocil
Jirí Kodet Sgt. Tousek
The Gendarme of St. Tropez Louis de Funès Ludovic Cruchot 1964
The Sinister Monk Hanging on the wall; Canadian model 1965
008: Operation Exterminate Alberto Lupo Frank Smith, agent 606 Continuity mistake 1965
Thugs
Up to His Ears (Les tribulations d'un Chinois en Chine) Chinese triads 1965
Battle of the Bulge American soldier 1965
OSS 117: Mission for a Killer (Furia à Bahia pour OSS 117) Nazis, Indians 1965
Fantômas se déchaîne Jean Marais Fandor 1965
Ivory Coast Adventure Jean Marais Jean-Luc Hervé 1965
Robert Dalban Pepe
Various criminals
The Majordomo (Le majordome) Fitted to a mannequin; with wooden buttstock 1965
Fantômas se déchaîne Jean Marais Fandor 1965
Cast a Giant Shadow Senta Berger Magda 1966
Yul Brynner Asher
Stathis Giallelis Ram Oren
Frank Sinatra Vince
The Upper Hands ((Du rififi à Paname)) The assassin in car 1966
Judith Peter Finch Aaron Stein 1966
Shraga Friedman Nathan
British paratroopers, Haganah members
Funeral in Berlin Fitted with Mk V front sight 1966
Is Paris Burning? French Resistance fighters 1966
The Last Adventure The Henchman Canadian model 1967
How I Won the War Michael Crawford Lt. Earnest Goodbody 1967
The Cobra Henchmen 1967
You Only Live Twice Spectre Guards w/ Mk V front sight 1967
I, Justice (Já, spravedlnost) Men disguised as U.S. soldiers 1968
The Violent Four (Banditi a Milano) Gian Maria Volonté Pietro 'Piero' Cavallero Canadian model 1968
Pasha (Le Pacha) Dancers in cabaret 1968
Play Dirty British soldiers Canadian model 1969
Mr. Freedom Freedom agent 1969
Machine Gun McCain John Cassavetes Hank McCain 1969
The Eighth (Osmiyat) Resistance fighters 1969
How I Unleashed World War II Lech Ordon Sgt. Hopkins 1970
English soldiers and Polish partisans
The Cop (Un condé) French police 1970
Confessions of a Police Captain Thug Canadian model 1971
The Pariah (La Scoumoune) Burglar 1972
Resistance fighters
Gang War in Naples Pietravalle's henchman 1972
State of Siege (État de Siège) Police and guerrillas 1972
Man in the Trunk (La Valise) Michel Constantin Capt. Augier Canadian model 1973
No Way Out Mafia hitmen 1973
The Dominici Affair (L'Affaire Dominici) In Maillet's house 1973
We Want the Colonels (Vogliamo i colonnelli) Paratroopers 1973
Sokolovo Jozef Gabčík 1974
The Terrorists Commandos 1974
Only the Wind Knows the Answer (Die Antwort kennt nur der Wind) Thug Canadian Model 1974
Almost Human Tomás Milián Giulio Sacchi Canadian model 1974
Gino Santercole Vittorio
Ray Lovelock Carmine
The Nada Gang Fabio Testi Buenaventura Diaz Canadian model 1974
Mariangela Melato Veronique Cash
The Old Gun (Le vieux fusil) French Maquis 1975
Cop Story (Flic Story) Renato Salvatori Mario le Rital Canadian model 1975
Sholay Amitabh Bachchan Jai Canadian model 1975
Sholay Gabbar's brigands Canadian model 1975
Paper Tiger British soldiers 1975
Deathcheaters Henchmen 1976
Sky Riders Terrorists 1976
The Big Racket Rudy's henchmen Standard and Canadian models 1976
Violent Naples (Napoli violenta) Casagrande's henchmen 1976
The Eagle Has Landed Michael Caine Oberst Kurt Steiner Canadian model 1976
Siegfried Rauch Sergeant Major Brandt
Sven-Bertil Taube Hauptmann Von Neustadt
German Paratroopers
Colt 38 Special Squad (Quelli della calibro 38) Criminals 1976
Soldier of Orange Jeroen Krabbé Guus LeJeune Canadian model 1977
Rutger Hauer Erik Lanshof
Resistance fighters
Sorcerer Guerrilla 1977
Operation Thunderbolt African soldiers 1977
The Gang (Le Gang) Alain Delon Robert 1977
Roland Bertin Raymond
Adalberto Maria Merli Manu
Xavier Depraz Jo
Weapons of Death (Napoli spara!) Santoro's henchmen 1977
The Inglorious Bastards French Resistance fighters 1978
Escape to Athena David Niven Professor Blake Canadian model 1979
Telly Savalas Zeno
Claudia Cardinale Eleana
Paul Stassino Carlo
Greek Resistance fighters
Hanover Street Resistance fighters 1979
The Passage Resistance fighters 1979
The Hijacking of Savoy (Pokhishchenie Savoi) 1979
Pirates of the XXth Century (Piraty XX veka) Indian Police Canadian model 1979
Pirates
Soviet crewman
From Hell to Victory George Hamilton Maurice Bernard 1979
George Peppard Brett Rosson
British soldiers
Cuba Cuban guerillas British and Canadian models 1979
Gandhi Gurkha 1982
Bukit Kepong Police Jungle Squad Canadian model 1982
Communist terrorists
Rookies Run Amok 2 (Le retour des bidasses en folie) French soldiers 1983
Copper Angel (Medny angel) Nikolai Yeryomenko, Jr. Sebastian Valdes Canadian Model 1984
Les Morfalous Jean-Paul Belmondo Sgt. Pierre Augagneur Canadian model 1984
French Legionaires
Top Secret! 1984
One Hundred Days in Palermo Mafia hitman With pistol grip 1984
Spies Like Us Mujahideen 1985
Plenty Maquisard 1985
Maximum Overdrive Pat Miller Joe Canadian model 1986
Cuckoo in a Dark Forest British soldiers 1986
The Sicilian Derrick Branche Terranova 1987
Sitting on a Branch, Enjoying Myself The Boys 1989
Return from the River Kwai Denholm Elliott Colonel Grayson With wooden stock 1989
Bullet in the Head Leong's henchman 1990
Bad Blood Lorenzo Lamas Travis Blackstone Canadian model 1994
Outbreak British mercenary Canadian model 1995
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me Henchmen 1999
Equilibrium Resistance fighters 2002
The Pianist Resistance fighters Canadian model 2002
Reign of Fire Refugees 2002
El Alamein - The Line of Fire British soldiers 2002
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Nautilus Crew Ornately decorated and chrome plated 2003
Black Book Resistance fighters Canadian model 2006
Pan's Labyrinth Spanish Maquis 2006
Assembly (Ji jie hao) Quan Ren Political Officer Canadian model 2007
Balls of Fury Henchmen 2007
Blood Brothers gangster 2007
Chen Chang Mark
Smokin' Aces Chris Pine Darwin Tremor Canadian model 2007
Female agents Julien Boisselier Pierre Desfontaines Canadian model 2008
Sophie Marceau Louise Desfontaines
Vincent Rottiers Eddy
French maquisards
Flame and Citron Thure Lindhardt Bent 'Flame' Faurschou-Hviid 2008
Mads Mikkelsen Jørgen 'Citron' Haagen Schmith
Danish resistance fighters
Miracle at St. Anna Pierfrancesco Favino Peppi 'The Great Butterfly' Grotta 2008
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor Brendan Fraser Rick O'Connell 2008
Max Manus: Man of War Aksel Hennie Max Manus w/ and w/o stock 2008
Nicolai Cleve Broch Gregers Gram
Pål Sverre Valheim Hagen Roy Nilsen
Red and White (Merah Putih) Dutch soldier 2009
The Army of Crime Xavier Hosten Cristea 2009
Elephant White in weapons cache, rare version with magazine well on bottom instead of left side of receiver 2010
Captain America: The First Avenger J. J. Feild James Montgomery Falsworth 2011
Bruno Ricci Jacques Dernier
The Flowers of War Chinese soldiers modified to resemble Haenel-Schmeisser MP28/II 2011
Beyond the Border 2011
Cold Steel (Bian di lang yan) Tony Leung Ka Fai Zhang Menzi mocked as Bergmann MP18 2011
Victor Chen A Gui
Japanese soliders
The Bullet Vanishes Boss Ding's mobs 2012
Cockneys vs. Zombies 2012
Gangster Squad Mickey Cohen thug 2013
City 44 Józef Pawlowski Stefan Zawadzki 2014
Anna Próchniak Kama
Maurycy Popiel "Góral"
Filip Gurlacz "Rogal"
Tomasz Schuchardt "Kobra"
Sebastian Fabijanski "Sagan"
Polish insurgents
Bravo V Communist terrorists 2015
Allied Marion Cotillard Marianne 2016
Allied Brad Pitt Max 2016
Anthropoid Cillian Murphy Jozef Gabčík 2016
Jamie Dornan Jan Kubiš
Sam Keeley Josef Bublík

Television

Title Actor Character Note Date
The Twilight Zone Edward Binns Col. Bob Donlin "I Shot An Arrow into the Air" (S1E15) 1959-1964
Rocket ship crewmen
Stawka wieksza niz zycie Aleksander Sewruk Polish partisan 5/ "Ostatnia szansa" 1966-1968
French resistance fighters 11/ "Haslo"
Mission: Impossible Henchman "The Widow" (S02E01) 1967
The Unit Guards "Paradise Lost" 2006 - 2009
Sanctuary Erin Lacourciere Jeanette Anaise "Normandy" (S03E17), Canadian model 2007 - ????
Vincent Gale Nigel Griffin
Guns Gun show customer 2008
Inspector George Gently John Kavanagh Doyle "The Burning Man" (S01E01) 2008
Caprica 2010
The Promise Christian Cooke Len Matthews 2011
British paratroopers
Irgun fighters
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - Season 12 Ted Danson Russell "Malice in Wonderland" (S12E18) 2011
Days of Honour. Uprising (Czas honoru. Powstanie) Jan Wieczorkowski Wladek Konarski 2014
Antoni Pawlicki Janek
Karolina Gorczyca Wiktoria 'Ruda' Rudnicka
Jakub Wesolowski Michal Konarski
Polish insurgents
Foyle's War - Season 9 British soldiers "Trespass" (S9E2) 2015
Julian Lewis Jones James Stafford "Elise" (S9E3)

Anime

Title Character Note Date
Black Jack "Blue Jacket" Special Forces Canadian model 1993
Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade "Sect" members 1998
Strike Witches Brittannian soldiers 2008 - ????

Video Games

Title Appears as Mods Note Date
Medal of Honor: Underground 2000
Fallout Tactics "Sten Gun" 2001
Battlefield: 1942 "Road to Rome" expansion pack 2002
Medal of Honor: Allied Assault "Sten Mark II" w/ Mk V front sight 30 round magazine 2002
Medal of Honor: Frontline Unusable 2002
Forgotten Hope 2003
Hidden & Dangerous 2 2003
Call of Duty "Sten" 2003
Call of Duty: United Offensive 2004
Forgotten Hope 2 2005
Call of Duty 2 Canadian model 2005
Elite Warriors Vietnam 2005
Call of Duty 3 2006
Company of Heroes 2006
Darkest Hour: Europe '44-'45 2006
Call of Duty: Black Ops World War II flashback mission "Project Nova" 2010
7554 "Sten" 2011
Sniper Elite III 2014
Counter-Strike Online Sten Mk II Erroneously shown as a closed-bolt weapon 2014

Sten Mk IIS

Error creating thumbnail: File missing
Sten Mk IIS - 9x19mm
Error creating thumbnail: File missing
Sten Mk IIS (Canadian) - 9x19mm

Film

Title Actor Character Note Date
The Guns of Navarone Maria Papadimos 1961
Fifty Dead Men Walking w/ wooden stock, seen in news footage 2008

Video Games

Title Appears as Mods Note Date
Return to Castle Wolfenstein Canadian model w/ Mk II style heatshield 2001
Battlefield: 1942 "Secret Weapons of WWII" expansion pack 2002
Hidden & Dangerous 2 2003
Medal of Honor: Rising Sun 2003
Vietcong Canvas grip removed "Vietcong: Fist Alpha" expansion pack 2003
Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory Canadian model w/ Mk II style heatshield 2003
Call of Duty: United Offensive 2004
Forgotten Hope 2 2005
Vietcong 2 Found only in second mission 2005
Company of Heroes Canvas grip removed 2006
Operation Thunderstorm Sten Canadian model 2008
The Saboteur 2009
Enemy Front STEN MK IIS 2014

Sten Mk III

Error creating thumbnail: File missing
Sten Mk III - 9x19mm

Film

Title Actor Character Note Date
If.... Various 1968
Paper Tiger British soldiers 1975
The Year of Living Dangerously Indonesian soldiers 1982
Rookies Run Amok 2 (Le retour des bidasses en folie) French soldiers 1983
Farewell To The King Marius Weyers Sgt. Conklin w/ Canadian model stocks 1989
Wayne Pygram Bren Armstrong
Gerry Lopez Gwai
Headhunters

Television

Title Actor Character Note Date
The Company Chris O'Donnell CIA Officer Jack McAuliffe 2010

Video Games

Title Appears as Mods Note Date
Death to Spies Suppressed variant available 2007
Death to Spies: Moment of Truth 2009

Anime

Title Character Note Date
Space Dandy Dandy 2014

Sten Mk V

Error creating thumbnail: File missing
Sten Mk V - 9x19mm
Error creating thumbnail: File missing
Sten Mk V - 9x19mm without vertical grip.

Film

Title Actor Character Note Date
Paratrooper British paratroopers w/ vertical grip removed 1953
Sorrel Flower (Fleur d'oseille) Albert Podavini Freddy "Philosopher" 1967
Where Eagles Dare Patrick Wymark Col. Turner w/ vertical grip removed 1968
Sky Riders Ernie Orsatti Joe 1976
A Bridge Too Far British Paratroopers 1977
The Year of Living Dangerously Indonesian soldiers 1982
Bukit Kepong Jins Shamsuddin Sgt. Jamil Mohd Shah w/ vertical grip removed 1982
Yusof Haslam PC Jaafar Hassan
Malay Regiment
Communist terrorists
Universal Soldier Terrorists w/ vertical grip removed 1992

Television

Title Actor Character Note Date
The Avengers Roland Curram Vincent East 1961 - 1969
Foyle's War - Season 7 Rob Heanley British Army Sergeant "The Russian House" (S7E1) 2010
Foyle's War - Season 8 British soldiers "The Eternity Ring" (S8E1) 2013

Video Games

Title Appears as Mods Note Date
Forgotten Hope 2003
The Stalin Subway "STEN Mk2" w/ vertical grip removed 2005

Sten Mk IV

Error creating thumbnail: File missing
Sten Mk VI - 9x19mm

Video Games

Title Appears as Mods Note Date
Day of Infamy 2016


Austen Mk I/II

Error creating thumbnail: File missing
Austen Mk I - 9x19mm
Error creating thumbnail: File missing
Austen Mk II - 9x19mm

Film

Title Actor Character Note Date
The Year Of Living Dangerously various various 1982


MP 3008

Error creating thumbnail: File missing
MP 3008 - 9x19mm

The MP 3008, also knows as the "Volksmaschinenpistole" (people's machine pistol), was a German submachine gun developed towards the end of WWII. In was essentially a copy of the Sten Mk II, but with a vertical magazine. Due to the poor state of German manufacturing towards the end of the war and the fact that the MP 3008 was manufactured in various smaller factories and machine shops, there was a lot of variation in terms of the materials and design of the weapons furniture. It could be found with a skeleton wire stock, a strut stock, a strut stock with a wood pistol grip, and finally a fully wooden stock.

Anime

Title Character Note / Episode Date
Najica Blitz Tactics Crewwomen "Mission: 005 - The Fragile Dream with a Crimson Colored Horizon" 2001


Błyskawica

Error creating thumbnail: File missing
Błyskawica - 9x19mm

The Błyskawica ("Lightning") was an open-bolt submachine gun derived from the Sten and used by the Polish resistance in World War II. Despite some claims, however, it is NOT a direct copy of the Sten; it has mechanical elements from both the Sten and the MP40.

Specifications

(1943-1944)

  • Type: Submachine Gun
  • Caliber: 9x19mm
  • Weight: 3,22 kg
  • Length: 556 mm / 730 mm
  • Barrel length: 197 mm
  • Feed System: 32-round detachable box magazine
  • Fire Modes: Full-Auto

Video Games

Game Title Appears as Notes Release Date
Sniper Elite V2 "Błyskawica" 2012
Enemy Front "Lighting" 2014


Unknown Variants

Television

Title Actor Character Note Date
Monty Python's Flying Circus 1969 - 1974

Video Games

Title Appears as Mods Note Date
Metro 2033 "Bastard" Carbine Fictional scratch-built compact assault rifle 2010

See Also