The Sten is a British designed submachine gun manufactured in a number of variants (know as Mark s or simply Mk s) 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, 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 Parabellum
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-rd 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
Television
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
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
Paratrooper
Leo Genn
Major John Snow
1953
Paratrooper
Harry Andrews
Regimental Sergeant Major
1953
Paratrooper
British paratroopers
1953
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
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
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
The Longest Day
Richard Todd
British Airborne Major John Howard
1962
Behold a Pale Horse
Gregory Peck
Manuel Artiguez
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
008: Operation Exterminate
Alberto Lupo
Frank Smith, agent 606
Continuity mistake
1965
Thugs
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
The Last Adventure
The Henchman
Canadian model
1967
Fantômas se déchaîne
Jean Marais
Fandor
1965
Cast a Giant Shadow
Senta Berger
Magda
1966
Cast a Giant Shadow
Yul Brynner
Asher
1966
Cast a Giant Shadow
Stathis Giallelis
Ram Oren
1966
Cast a Giant Shadow
Frank Sinatra
Vince
1966
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
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
How I Unleashed World War II
Lech Ordon
Sgt. Hopkins
1970
English soldiers and Polish partisans
No Way Out
Mafia hitmen
1973
Sokolovo
Jozef Gabčík
1974
The Terrorists
Commandos
1974
Almost Human
Tomás Milián
Giulio Sacchi
Canadian model
1974
Almost Human
Gino Santercole
Vittorio
Canadian model
1974
Almost Human
Ray Lovelock
Carmine
Canadian model
1974
Sholay
1975
The Old Gun (Le vieux fusil)
French Maquis
1975
Cop Story (Flic Story)
Renato Salvatori
Mario le Rital
Canadian model
1975
Deathcheaters
Henchmen
1976
The Big Racket
Rudy's henchmen
Standard and Canadian models
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
Soldier of Orange
Jeroen Krabbé
Guus LeJeune
Canadian model
1977
Rutger Hauer
Erik Lanshof
Resistance fighters
Sorcerer
Guerrilla
1977
The Gang (Le Gang)
Alain Delon
Robert
1977
The Gang (Le Gang)
Roland Bertin
Raymond
1977
The Gang (Le Gang)
Adalberto Maria Merli
Manu
1977
The Gang (Le Gang)
Xavier Depraz
Jo
1977
The Inglorious Bastards
French Resistance fighters
1978
Escape to Athena
Greek Resistance fighters
Canadian model
1979
Telly Savalas
Zeno
Claudia Cardinale
Eleana
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
Gandhi
Gurkha
1982
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
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
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
Blood Brothers
Chen Chang
Mark
2007
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
Flame and Citron
Mads Mikkelsen
Jørgen 'Citron' Haagen Schmith
2008
Flame and Citron
Danish resistance fighters
2008
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
Max Manus: Man of War
Nicolai Cleve Broch
Gregers Gram
2008
Max Manus: Man of War
Pål Sverre Valheim Hagen
Roy Nilsen
2008
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
Television
Anime
Video Games
Sten Mk IIS
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Sten Mk IIS - 9x19mm
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Sten Mk IIS (Canadian) - 9x19mm
Film
Video Games
Sten Mk III
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Sten Mk III - 9x19mm
Film
Television
Video Games
Title
Appears as
Mods
Note
Date
Silent Storm
Regular and fictional silenced variants
2003
Sten Mk IV
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Sten Mk IVA - 9x19mm
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Sten Mk IVB - 9x19mm
Video Games
Title
Appears as
Mods
Note
Date
Silent Storm
Mk IVA model
2003
Sten Mk V
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Sten Mk V - 9x19mm
Film
Television
Video Games
Austen Mk I/II
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Austen Mk I - 9x19mm Parabellum
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Austen Mk II - 9x19mm Parabellum
Film
MP 3008
Error creating thumbnail: File missing MP 3008 - 9x19mm Parabellum
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
Unknown Variants
Film
Television
Video Games
Title
Appears as
Mods
Note
Date
The Movies
2005
Metro 2033
"Bastard" Carbine
Fictional scratch-built compact assault rifle
2010
See Also