Original British WWII Sten MkII Display Submachine Gun marked E & Co. with “T” Butt Stock, Sling, and Magazine Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. Think of The Bridge on the River Qwai. William Holden holding his MkII Sten and looking very grim. And how many other war movies do we remember where we remember the Mk2 Sten but not the actors? Probably quite a few.

Not only was the Sten ubiquitous in movies and among Allied troops, but the German Army, of all people, eventually made numerous copies of it. Earlier, Otto Skorzeny, the famous head of Germany’s equivalent of Britain’s Commandos, tried hard to get permission to use the silenced version of the Sten for his troops, but his request was rejected on grounds of national—read that as National Socialist—arrogance.

This non-firing BATF approved Sten Mk II is made up of original parts on a solid receiver with a dummy barrel, and duplicates the feel and appearance of the original Sten Mk II Machine Carbine. The trigger moves, though the bolt handle does not move, per BATF regulations. It is finished in the stove black used on most British small arms of the Second World War. The condition is very good, and it is faintly marked STEN MKII on the top of the magazine well, while the bottom is marked E & Co, indicating that the magazine well, or possibly the entire gun, was made by Elkington & Co in Birmingham, a subcontractor during the war. There is also faint serial number 23272 stamped on the bottom, as well as some scratched in markings we cannot read.

The Mk II was the most widely distributed of the various Sten models, and was featured in numerous motion pictures, including the marquee poster for the great The Bridge On The River Kwai. This sample has the popular T butt stock, much more durable than the earlier “loop” butt stock, which was prone to bending and breaking.

This piece includes an original issue khaki sling and an original magazine, where permitted. Elsewhere a deactivated magazine will be sent.

The Mk II Sten is an icon of the Second World War and should be part of any WW2 collection or display.