The Sterling submachine gun is a British sub machine gun which was in service with the British Army from 1953 until 1988 when it was phased out with the introduction of the L85A1. It is still manufactured and used by India as the 'Sub Machine Gun 1A1' alongside the silenced 2A1 variant. The Sterling submachine gun is/was copied in Chile as the FAMAE PAF but has a retractable wire stock and lacks the barrel shroud. Another variant of the Sterling SMG is the CETME C2 of Spanish origin recognized by its improved handgrip and ability to chamber 9mm Largo rounds. In the 1980s, a semiautomatic version was sold to the American general public - the Sterling Mark 6 which was a closed bolt semiautomatic version with a minimum legal length 16" barrel, commonly called the Sterling Mk 6 9mm Carbine. These were used in movies and television shows (sometimes with the barrel cut down and legally converted to full auto fire). A pistol version of the Mark 6 was sold - the Sterling Mark 7, which had no folding stock and a 4" barrel. The full auto version of the Mark 7 had a forward pistol grip and a folding stock.
