Product Description: A classic WWII Sten Mk2 Display Machine Gun, assembled from original wartime components and mounted on a display receiver in full BATF-compliant non-firing configuration. The Mk II variant, the most widely produced of the Sten series, was issued in vast numbers and saw service throughout the Second World War across all major theaters, becoming synonymous with British and Commonwealth infantry forces as well as resistance movements across occupied Europe. This example retains a live barrel with strong, well-defined rifling, enhancing its authenticity as a display piece.
The gun is preserved in excellent overall condition, exhibiting an attractive and even patina across the metal surfaces with only light wear consistent with age. Accompanied by a correct magazine, this WWII Sten Mk2 Display Machine Gun presents exceptionally well and offers collectors a highly evocative and historically significant representation of one of the most iconic and utilitarian small arms of the Second World War.
Unloaded, practice, or dummy grenades, artillery shell casings, and similar ordnance items that have been rendered inert through BATF‑approved cuts or drilling—ensuring they cannot function as components of destructive devices—are not classified as NFA weapons. This example fully meets those compliance requirements and is offered strictly within the United States and available to states that are leggal. NOT AVAILABLE FOR EXPORT.
Historical Description: The Sten Mk II was the standard British submachine gun of the Second World War and one of the most widely produced automatic weapons of the conflict. Developed in 1941 in response to severe small-arms shortages following the evacuation at Dunkirk, the Sten was designed for extreme simplicity, low cost, and rapid mass production. Chambered in 9×19mm Parabellum, the Mk II featured a tubular receiver, side-mounted magazine, and open-bolt operation, allowing it to be manufactured by numerous factories with minimal machining. Its utilitarian appearance reflected its purpose: to arm British and Commonwealth forces as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Throughout the war, the Sten Mk II saw service in every major theater, including North Africa, Italy, Northwest Europe, and the Far East. It was also famously supplied to resistance movements across occupied Europe, where its compact size and ease of concealment made it especially valuable. While often criticized for crude construction, the Sten proved effective in close-quarters combat and played a crucial role in restoring British infantry firepower during the war’s most critical years. Today, the Sten Mk II stands as a symbol of wartime ingenuity and industrial improvisation under pressure.
