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Sten pistolgrip, new type to me...

turpin42

turpin42

Well-Known Member
Hi all
Is there anyone out there that can shed some light on this pistolgrip to the Sten.
It's very well made so i'm thinking postwar. Not a homemade job (have a few originals of those). The metalwork is steel. The ring that clips into the endcap is made of two plates spotwelded together. Instead of the normal round hole for the locking piece of the springcap, this has sections cut out. There is a retractable bolt for the corkscrew end of the sling (backwards sling - silencer?) on the top of the handle. There is a half ring for the sling also under the grip (whats left of the serial number is still there so must have been done as an afterthought). The serial number is stamped on the rear of the ring, on both of the wooden grips and under the grip. 167728 (B167728 on the grips). No broad arrow markings anywhere. If i were to make a guess.... Finland maybe? They used them postwar in great numbers.
I've never seen this type anywhere before but it seems to be more than just a hobby gunsmith's work.
Last thing, it seems to have been fitted to just one gun. There are punch marks to help tighten up the fit of the grip to the gun.
If anyone can help i would be very grateful :tinysmile_twink_t:

All the very best

T42
 

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T42,

I have an answer that just might be correct in that it could be an experimental version or even a variant of the Mark IV "Model A" version of the pistol grip. My book though, shows that the attachment point at the receiver has that point just to the rear of the pistol grip instead of the one shown in your pictures showing it up front. :tinysmile_hmm_t2:

This is only a guess.

V40
Mark
"MACVSOG Living Historian"
 
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Thanks

Thanks guys
It would be great to find out about it and which country made it.
I'm sure it's not british and not wartime but i could be wrong...
The thing that puzzles me most is why go to the bother of making the cuts around the locking hole?
Easier to take apart if it was frozen or full of sand?
Just guessing for now.

All the best
T42
 
OK, heres a reply from my mate,

"Never seen anything like it. But it looks like a home made job without ANY doubt. All the officoial ones were just steel frames. Not like any Mk4 type/style that I have ever seen. What's the thing at the top for - the bit sticking up?

All the best, Peter"

Have you tried this on a STEN? If Peter dosnt recognise it then its probably a one off workshop item?

ATB, Chris.
 
Thanks

Hi Chris
Thanks for the reply. Was that Peter Laidler you asked? i was thinking of sending him a mail about it.
As i said i don't think it's British so i'm agreed that it's not official from there but home made i'm not so sure. I've seen and handled a few home made Norwegian pistolgrips and they have nowhere near the quality of this one.
Doesn't look like it's Danish either.
If it was from India it would have probably been marked with broad arrow.
The one i'm left with is Finland since they had many sten's after the war...
As to fit, it fits MkIII's no problem, MkII's are hit and miss but fitted on a couple of them. Again, the retractable bit sticking up has a hole that fits the screw end of the standard sten sling.

May never find out but it's worth a try :tinysmile_cry_t2:

All the best
T42
 
Yep, It was PL I asked, I wondered if it could be adapted from another gun, It looks familiar, but from a Machine gun (Not a browning though). I think if it was a profesionaly made item there would be many more of them around, hence the thought that it may be from another gun, because the grips and frame look quite good quality but the bracket to attach to the STEN looks a little rougher.
 
I thought that too until i just removed one of the wooden grips.
Thin steel frame grip outline with steel blocks roughly welded across where the screws are. It doesn't look like series production work on the inside!
I did think it was a modified grip from a flare pistol or the likes until i looked inside.

All the best
T42
 
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