peashooter85:The Sten Mark V,One of the most popular submachine guns of World War II, the Sten gun w
peashooter85:The Sten Mark V,One of the most popular submachine guns of World War II, the Sten gun was known for its simplicity, cheapness, and lack of bells and whistles. Mass production was the key characteristic of the Sten, as it required little machining, few work hours, and little resources to manufacture them by the thousands. In 1944, the British introduced the Mark V, which was a 180 degree change in philosophy from earlier Sten models. The Mark V was an attempt to transform the Sten from a cheap mass produced weapon to a high class submachine gun similar in quality to the German MP-40. The reason for doing this was to turn a light weapon normally issued to paratroopers into a weapon that would appeal to the common British infantryman, who generally hated the Sten gun for its cheapness and unreliability. Improvements included the use of higher quality materials, better finishing, more machining, and an overall better attention to detail. Outwardly the Sten Mark V was conspicuously different from other Stens, with its wooden stock, wooden pistol grip and foregrip, and an adjustable forward sight from an Enfield No. 4 rifle. The Mark V also included a bayonet mount.The addition of the wooden stock, pistol grip, and foregrip was a controversial and many British soldiers hated the Mark V just as they hated the older Mark II, and Mark III. Many saw the Mark V as no different from older models, only larger and heavier. Production of the Mark V ended in 1946, and they continued to be used by the British Army until 1965. -- source link