B3 STEN

[Slavia]

Or maybe a B3 frankensten.  Not meant to be a faithful replica - I just wanted to capture the"flavor" of the STEN SMG's.  I borrowed features from several of the five versions - for example, the looped buttstock is from a MKII, and the pistol grip is from a MKV.  PVC pipe and sheets of plastic from a junked store display provided the structure.  The STEN was crude and ugly - B3's have that built in from the factory, so why not?. 

[big_o_lar]

really awesome job so you decided not to go with the silenced looking version.

[SPM248]

Wow! Just....wow!

[Slavia]

A lot of factors went into my design decisions.  It doesn't have the full moderator because that's the length of the PVC scrap I had on hand.  I went with the loop buttstock because I couldn't figure out how to solidly mount the single rod affair.  (Besides, the Canadians made them that way, so it must be good.)  The MK V that came with the pistol grip also had one in front - but the cocking lever is in the way.  It's at least plausible as is; I read somewhere that the front grip would break off with the impact of parachute landings, so the paratroopers would just take it off at home.  Some decisions were dictated by the dissimilar shape of the B3 mechanism, and others by pure ergonomics - like the butt pad extension.

Some STENs had a laced-on canvas tube over the barrel shroud.  That looked cool to me, but the cocking lever is in the way.  My wife is working on a similar thing to use as a cheek rest.

The Israelis used STENs before they had UZIs.  I found this picture of an IDF girl - I'm trying to figure out how to fabricate the girl to go with my gun, but I don't think PVC is going to work.

The finish is satin acrylic over semi-gloss black, and it's a little too glossy for my tastes.  The plan is to wait for the first hot day and use bedliner.  (I have found that on a hot day the bedliner solidifies before it can run or sag.)

I'm used to metal and wood, so working with plastic was an education.  Any kind of power tool is bad - they just melt the stuff.  The store display that I cannibalized had lots of factory straight edges, which helped.  It also had jig-built right angle joints, which made great internal braces. 

[lefteyeshot]

Cool, very cool.

When I was in the Army a friend told me about his tour as a peace keeper in the Sinai desert. On R&R in Israel a woman walking down the beach in a bikini with an Uzi hanging from her shoulder made him feel
safer somehow.

 In the 82nd  our first M249 SAW's had skeleton type rear stock that would bend on landing.