Sten parts replacement

[Battering ram NIB]

Took my sten apart tonight and inspected everything

My main spring was 11/2 shorter- replaced with new
My sheet metal sear was worn- replaced with milled
Trigger spring was stretched a bit- replaced it w new
Teeth worn on part that clicks into barrel nut- replaced it

I’m new to the sten. How often do these parts need replacing ?

Shocking how worn the sear was. I figure poorly hardened

Trigger is improved with new spring. Still feels junky but smoother now

 

[rentprop1]

stenparts used to sell a replacement spring pak kit, about $20....I bought one when I built our first post sample, I put all the original springs in it because thats what I had in the kit at the time....... 8-10 K rounds later and still running with the original springs, the replacement pak will be a back up

 

[Battering ram NIB]

the sten trigger spring wasn't horrible, but was not all even and nice. The gun is minty and id be surprised if it had more than a 1000 rounds through it. Who knows in 1986-1990 what was available for the sten. maybe they only had used springs and picked out the best they had

my sten is a shorty stemple version. its about 1 1/2"-2" shorter, so its going to pound the main spring much more...I ordered 4 more springs last night.

do you run a sheet metal sear or the milled one? interesting they made a sheet metal version. My sear was heavily worn (still worked). Maybe 1/8" gone

 

[Villafuego]

The only part I've ever had to replace was the small funky spring that connected the trigger spring to the sear spring.......the tip snapped off.....

 

[Weso]

Took my sten apart tonight and inspected everything

My main spring was 11/2 shorter- replaced with new
My sheet metal sear was worn- replaced with milled
Trigger spring was stretched a bit- replaced it w new
Teeth worn on part that clicks into barrel nut- replaced it

I’m new to the sten. How often do these parts need replacing ?

Shocking how worn the sear was. I figure poorly hardened

Trigger is improved with new spring. Still feels junky but smoother now

Who made your Sten? My Wilson and friends DLO's and Cieners are all inch and a quarter or so shorter than my Weapons specialties. My original recoil spring was also shorter like yours. Mine was obviously cut that way to reflect the shorter receiver. From what I have run across, the makers "in the day" made them shorter because it was easier with the kits they had to work with. The Weapons Specialties was a raw tube that John A finished to the factory spec length and the craftsmanship should be in a museum.

 

[Battering ram NIB]

It’s a Stemple . I counted the coils on the main spring and its not cut down. I have not seen a shorter sten other than a Stemple. (Ruben has a similar one for sale)It runs approx 100 rpm faster. After my changes I had to change my seat and sear spring back. It ran bursts on full auto with the trigger pulled. The old sear shows heavy wear but may have been filed down to function better. I’ll run it until it does runaways

It’s a nice shooter.

 

[Weso]

Pic of the Wilson and the longer Weapons Specialties

 

[boomer535]

Be careful when you replace the mainspring or try new ammo. A stiffer mainspring and/or weak ammo can cause a runaway. When I try new ammo or new mainspring I always start with a magazine with 4 rounds and make sure I can shoot two two round bursts. I had a 32 round runaway once and am more careful now. Also when you have a loaded mag in the gun always have the bolt in the safety notch until you are ready to shoot. There have been cases where dropping the gun can cause a runaway too.

 

[boomer535]

Pic of the Wilson and the longer Weapons Specialties

Those are nice looking Stens! My Interport Sten had BBQ paint on it. Works great though.

 

[AKDoc]

So which length is the original "correct length" tube. The C&R stens I have seen lookslike the DLO and Wilson tube lengths? Is the Weapons Specialities tube intentionally longer?

 

[boomer535]

My Interport Sten looks like the Wilson. My Sten runs about 550 RPM which I think is about normal for a Sten.