Long Branch Chinese script Sten

[privatefjordy]

As mentioned on the Inglis Chinese script Bren thread, here is the marking on the Chinese script Sten.

Top of magazine housing in Chinese,



Underside of magazine housing in English, with 1944 date,


And possible Chinese made Sten magazines, although I'm not too sure about the one with the circled M,

[cmpman1]

Interesting to see. I have had hundreds on hundreds of Mk2 stens pass over my workbench in the last half dozen years. The 10L series is just about the hardest to find here. I suspect that they were actually sent to China, whereas the 11L to 12L Chinese script stens did not go over.
I have only 1 10L sten, and it does not have the script. I have had many 11Ls with and without. Somewhere around 11L3300 the Chinese script went back onto the magwell, and remained there until the end of production.

Looks like your serial number has been changed slightly at some point. That should read 10L3737. Also the mag release is of the British pattern, not Canadian.

[privatefjordy]

cmpman1, that's nice to know that it could have been one that was actually supplied to China.

The photo I posted with the serial number wasn't very clear. The markings are fairly shallow and I tried to rub some talc into them to get some contrast on the photo. The serial number is 10L3737


Any thoughts about the magazines? Chinese Nationalist maybe?

[cmpman1]

Ah, OK, I see your serial number now.

Those are the first time I have seen those markings on any mag, so my money is on Chinese manufacture, unless they are some kind of property mark applied later. Look along the front edge about 1/4 from the top of the mag. All Cdn made mags that I have ever seen have the C/l\ in that area.

I have seen photos of 10L guns that were modified in China to 7.62X25 Tok ammo. Again, I am not sure whether all the 10L guns went to China, but I can tell you that they did not stay here. The 11L and 12L CH marked housings, on the other hand, represent about 30% of the serial range I see here. Another 30% are British made, and the last 40% is non-Chinese script LongBranch guns.

[Kev]

Some info on the mags

The ones look like a camera shutter were made by the 60th Arsenal - Nanjing ->Kaoshiung, Taiwan, it's called 205th now.(same Nationalist arsenal that made the 30-06 Bren)
The one with the cross and 4 circles was made by the 44th Arsenal - Tsintao ->Taipei, Taiwan

Thanks to Bin Shih

Kevin

[privatefjordy]

Kevin,

Thanks for the information confirming the mags as Chinese Nationalist.

Any thoughts about the one with the circled M ?

[Kev]

Its unknown to Bin I'm afraid George.

[britplumber]

I know this thread is as ancient as the Roman Empire but during my research into the 7.62mm Tok conversion of chinese STENs, I found the country of origin of the M in a circle mag, its Belgian. There was Bg marking above the M but you can see this has been ground off.