Manual / Guide · 1942
Nine-page official instruction leaflet issued with the Mk II in February 1942: general description, stripping and assembling, action of the mechanism, care and cleaning, stoppages and immediate action, handling and sighting, and filling the magazine.
NOT TO BE PUBLISHED The informiatios gltes is thle docemest ie mot te be communicated, either directly or beilirectly, te the Press or te any person fet helding am offitial pesttivs ia Hie Majesty's Barvice. Carbine Machine Sten 9 mm. Mk. I General Instructions Handling Stripping Cleaning Assembling FEB,, 1942 CONTENTS SEC. !, General description... ane Zz. J. Stripping and assembling =... Action of mechanism ... wae . Care and cleaning = wee Stoppages and L.A. ... _ Handling and sighting... ... Points to note ... ae une Description and filling of magazine CARBINE, MACHINE, STEN, 9 mm. Mark II a i. GENERAL DESCRIPTION This weapon can fire all types of 9mm. round nose ammunition {1.C.1., Winchester, Sako, Beretta, German, etc.). It is of the blow back type, that is, it has no locking device, whereby in firing a cartridge, part of the explosive force drives the breech block rearward. The firing pin is integral with the breech block and is in the form of a small projection in the cartnidge recess. Provision is made for automatic and single shot firing. by means of a change lever. The butt and barrel are readily detached from the casing, thereby (acilitating carrying. Hy raising the catch located on the front side of the magazine housing, the latter can be rotated to a downward position to facilitate stowage. A box type magazine having a capacity of 32 rounds is used, being inserted into the left side of the carbine and retained by a spring-loaded catch, Safety is ensured by cocking the breech block and rotating the cocking handle anti-clockwise until it is engaged in the short slot in the top of the casing. 2. STRIFFING AND ASSEMBLING |. Ensure that the carbine is unloaded and the breech block is in ita forward position. 2. To remove the buit—Depresa the circular-shaped end of the return spring housing from engagement with the front plate of the butt, at the same time slide the butt downward from engagement, 3. To remove the breech bloch. (a) With thumb and forefinger, forward the return ing cap about } inch and partially rotate it anti- clockwise, whereupon the two small lugs on the cap wil) diseogage from their respective grooves in the casing. Remove the return spring housing, cap and return spring. Z (6) Pull the breech block rearward and remove the cocking handle when apposite the safety slot. Insert the cocking handle in front of the breech block and pull the breech block rearward until clear of the casing. (To strip the extractor. —Remove the extractor pin with a pin punch; the extractor-and spring can then be removed.) 4. To remove the barrel,—Disengage the barrel nut catch, which is located in front of the magazine housing, rotate the magazine housing anti-clockwise (downward), unscrew the cylindrically shaped barrel nut, and remove with barrel. 5. To sirip the trigger méchanigm.—Place the carbine with its underside lacing upward. (a) Remove the screw on either side of the trigger mechan- ism cover. Pull off cover. (6) Unhook the trigger coil spring from the tripping lever pawl and the trigger. Remove the tripping lever paw! which is in the form of a short coil spring. {c) Push out the sear axis pin and remove the sear. (4) Remove the split pin in the change lever, and, while hokling the tripping lever clear, push out the change lever. (ec) From the night side, remove the trigger axis pin which is in the fonm of a bent wire. Pull out the tripping Jever, with trigger toward the front. Dis- connect the tripping lever from the trigger by reinoving the tripping lever pin. 6, To remove the barrel nul catch—Remove split pin. Pull out the magazine housing plunger and remove the magazine housing spring and the barrel nut catch. Ga. Jo reniove mtugazine cach retainer screw [rum the rear side of the magazine bousing, Prise off the retainer and remove the magazine catch with spring. 7. To assemble barrel nud catch,— While holding the magazine housing in position, insert the barrel nut catch in its respective hole and position the coil between the catch and the Jug on the magazine housing. Insert the magazine housing plunger in the lug and the spring so that the end of the J plunger eoters ita respective hole in the casing. Using « screwdriver ag a lever, raise the rear end of the catch and fit the split pin. 8. To assemble magazine catch_—Insert the magazine catch in its respective slot in the underside of the magazine housing. With the catch spring in position and using a screwdriver as a lever to compress the spring, push the catch into position. Lightly tap the magazine catch retainer until its screw hole is im position with a similar hole in the magazine housing. - Insert the screw with washer, ‘9. To assemble trigger mechanism—Position the carbine with its underside facing upward. (#) Enter the sear (with the sear bent pointing rearward) between the left and right side plates and insert sar axis pin. (4) Assemble the tripping lever to the trigger (when corre.tly assembled, the trigger spring hook is directionally opposite ta the short atm of the tripping lever). (c} Enter the trigger and tripping lever (trigger first} between the side plates and, with the short arm of the tripping lever pointing towards the interior of the casing, raise the trigger to position in the trigger gnarl, insert the trigger pin and ensure that its short end is entered in its respective hole in the right side plate. Rotate the sear forward so that the tripping lever rests on the side of the sear. Rotate the sear to its former position, with the sear bent pointing rearward. (dq) While holding the tripping lever clear, insert the change lever through the largest hole and replace the split pin. (e) Replace the tripping lever pawl (this is in the form of a short coil spring) on the tripping lever pawl pin which is riveted to the sear, When correctly assembled, the Jong arm of the tripping lever pawl should bear against the tripping lever. (f) Attach one end of the trigger spring to the trigger spring hook and the other end to shor? ann of the tripping lever pawl. (@) Assemble the trigger mechanism cover and replace the two screws and washers. Place the carbine with its underside lacing downward. 4 1. To assemble breech bloch.—Insert the breech block in the casing with ita cocking handle hole jo line with the cocking handle slot in the casing. Pull the trigger and push the breech block forward until the cocking handle hole is opposite the safety slot in the casing. Insert the cocking handle into the breech block as far as it will go. Pull the trigger and push the breech block home to its forward position, Hl. fo assemble return spring and Aousing.—Insect the return spring. Replace the return spring housing and cap on the end of the return spring. Press forward so that the lugs on Lhe cap enter their respective grooves in the end of the casing, rotate the cap clockwise and allow it to take up its position rearward, 12. To assemble barrel.—Raise the barrel nut catch and partially rotate the magazine housing until the catch is clear of the hole, Replace the barrel; before screwing the barrel nut fully home, return ‘the catch to its former position so that lhe teeth uf the catch engage the serrations on the end of the barrel nut. Tighten the barrel nut by band only, Undue tightening is unnecessary, the barrel nut catch being sufficient to retain the barrel nut in position. Id. To assemble butt—With the butt stud positioned in line with its respective slot, press the end of the retum spring housing with the top of the front plate of the butt, and slide the butt upward to position. 4. ACTION OF MEC*IANISM Preparation for firing Put the gun at “Safety,” that is, cocked and with the cocking handle in the safety slot. Insert a loaded magazine. Pull the cocking handle from “ Safety “ and allow the breech block to go forward until held by the sear. The gun is now ready for fring. For single shot firing, press the end of the change lever marked " It." Whilst for automatic firing the end marked “ A“ must be pressed. Forward action (gun set for single shot firing) On pressing the tigger, the sear is depressed from engage- ment with the bent on the rear onderside of the breech block. The breech block goes forward under the action of the com. pressed retura spring. The tripping lever, the end of which fi protrudes into the casing, is depressed by the bent, thereby allowing the sear to rise under the action of the extended trigger spring. Continuing forward, the two horns on the breech block face contact the base of a cartridge and push it from the magazine into the chamber. The extractor engages the cannelure on the cartridge base. The firing pin, which is solid with the breech block, strikes the cartridge cap to fire the charge, Rackward action Part af the explosive force drives the breech block rearward, the empty case being held by the extractor. The ejector, which protrudes into the runway between the two horns, contacts the base of the cimpty case to eject the case through the ejection opening on the right side of the gun, Continuing rearward amt compressing the return spring, the breech block ig held by the sear, ‘This terminates the cycle of operation for single shot firing. Gun set for automatic firing. By pressing the end of the change lever marked “A,” the tripping lever is pushed aside from the path of the bent on the underside of the breech block. Automatic firing will continue as long as pressure is maintained on the trigger or unlil the magazine is emptied. 4_ CaRE AND CLEANING Normal cleaning should be carried out. No oiling is re- quired ; the carbine is designed to Junction without the use ull ail. The bore of the barrel can be cleaned with a rifle pull- through, but must be removed first, as the pullthrough weight is too long to go through the cjection opening. For storage the breech block and barrel should be greased or oiled. 5, STOPPAGES ANP IA, Apart from the breakages of components, stoppages may occur due to (a) fault in feecl, (6) mal-ejection, (¢) mishre, {d) burst case. (2) Fault in feed. While a round is entering the chamber the succeeding round may become partly displaced from tha magazine, thereby becoming jammed hy the breech block, so that the latter cannot go forward to fire the charge. stoppages may also occur due to the mal-lunctioning of the magazine, * —_ (5) Mal-ejection. The empty case, on being extracted from the chamber, ia not ejected through the ejection opening, but remains in the casing, whereupon the breech block cannot go fully forward to fire the charge. (c) Misfire. Due to the accumnulation of carbon of dirt on the breech block face and cartridge recess: the Gring pin cannot reach ihe cartridge cap. (@) Burst case. Duc to blow back, i.e. round fred before Ho has entered chamber; may occur with a dirty chamber, or anything which impedes the Jree entry of the cartridge ta the chamber. May also result in separated case. The folhawing immediate action will be used for all Sshuppages :-— 1. Cock the gun and put at " safety.” 2. Remove the magazine. $. Remove any live round of empty case which may lic in the casing. 4. 10 there as a live round in the chamber, Gre the gun wrtshowt the magatine, cock the gun and pot at aa =a ely.” 3. Heplace the magazine. 6. Continue firing. Nots.—If stoppage is due to burst case, shake ont any fragments of the cartridge case through the ejection opening, ani examine the barrel to ensure that a bullet is nut lodge m the bore. To do this cock the carbine, place thumbnail behind the chamber and look down the bore of the barrel from the ovzzie, If the stoppage persists, change the magazine and examine the breech bkck face for dirt. if stoppages still occur, examine the mechanism for burred damaged or broken components. i. HANDLING AND SIGHTING When shooting, the weapon mas! not be held by gripping the magazine. The correct grip is the barrel nut. Heep fingers clear of the ejection opening. No appreciable heat js felt in the barre) nut until after 8 loaded magazines (of 32 rounds cach} have been fired continuously in short bursts, When barrel and barrel nut are too hot to handle they can be cooled by removing and dipping in water, Double taps during the ? fining af single shots, ic. two or three cartridges may be fired (like automatic firing), indicates that the weapon is held Joasely against the shoulder or hip; a Gomer grip will remedy this tendency. The fixed backsight enables accurate shocting up to 4 range of 200 yards. ey 7, Poists To Nore No oiling of the breech block or trigger mechanism is required . the weapon is designed to operate without the ase of vil. The weapon must be fired dry. The magazine (32 rounds) is common to the Lanchester Carbine. &, Description AND FILLING OF MAGAIINES Magazine The niagazine is of the box type and consists essentially of lhe case, platform, bottom plate, and retaiuet buttown plate. The bottom plate retainer ig attached to the cm] of the spring, a raised part of the retainer protruding through a bole in the bottom plate. Stripping and assembling Depress the bottom plate retainer and slide off the bot toi plate, remove spring and platform; asseinble in the eeverse way. Filler There are two types of fillers available, Mks. 1 aml 11, Aik. 1 consists essentially of a brass lever mounted on a cage which is approximately 3} toches long amd conforms to the shape of the magazine. When fitted to the magazine, the spring caich on its side engages the magazine catch recess on the magazine. Alk. I] is similar in desigo to the Alk, 1, with (he execption that the spring catch is keeated| on the back of the case, anil engages the rectangular recess on the back of the anagazine. To load the magazine with Mk. I ae Df filler Fit the magazine filler to the oiapazine 30 that its catch enigages its respective recess or bole, lace the Jour fingers of the left hand on the lever so that the third finger goes through the bole in the lever and the first rests on the toe, ) Depress the tail, on which the fourth finger rests, and insert a round in the opening with the right hand. “Raise the lever by means of the thitd finger and depress again to insert another round; cepeat this procedure until 32 rounds have been inserted, To remove ammunition from magazine Holl the magazine in the left hand and push out the rounds with the thumb of the right hand. Note.—Faults in functioning will develop if the Magazine case is dented or the lips damaged, or if dirt enters the case. When asscmmbling magazine into carbine, ensure that the naazine catch engages correctly. should the magazine fail to feed the rounds during firing, mmove magazine from carbine, knock the end of the magazine agaiost the knee, re-insert magazine in carbine, CARBINE, MACHINE, STEN, Fane. Mk 1 Fook Be BE 9976 HOUSING. Ye, 9095 ‘PRING. SPRINGS, RETURN RETURN BE $9457 BUTT, Mk 4 BE 8575 LEVERS CHANGE BE 9085 PIN, TRIGGER BE.7961 BLOCK, BREECH Mk 48 COAAPLETE “WITH EXTRACTOR, PI & SPRING, BE F965 NUT BARREL Bt 9960 BARREL Mk. 4 (with rin) - wea BE 9967 BL O85 PIN. LEVER. TRING A PLUNGER, ROUSING BE 9083 PIN, PAWL.LEVERTRIMING B - MAGAZINE > He rf mS BE SPS? WASHERS (CREW. COVER, TREGGER, MECHAM! Ml 5 AES WAINERS SCREW, RETAINER CATCH, MAGAZINE * BE 9902 N CATCH. NUT, BARREL \ BE 7966 ht 7009 SCRIW COWELL TRIGGER MECeAM # ul one cate artumincre. mec’ = * PEN SPLIT. PLUNGIR, MAGAZINE AOUSING ee + FIN, SPLIT, LEVERS, CHANGE a ow FW AE 9082 PW IXTRACTOR aay ee —— bt 9951 COVIR. TRIGGTR, MECHANISM BE 9072 EXTRACTOR \ 7 came BE POE "= SPRINGS, EXTRACTOR SRE DOSS BE 7949 STRING, PLUNGER. MAGAZINE HOUSING SPRINGS Tee ER, BE. 9O79 LEVER, TRIFFING BE FO9S TRIGGER BE 70480 PAWL. LEVER, TRIPPING < Bt 9O81 PIN, AMIS, SEAR BE F964 HANDIL COCKAING Mb if BE 9092 \EAR 3 PLATES ROTOM SPRINGS ge \ \ —— . PLATFORM MKI hy COM PEELS - MACLAIINES MACHINE, CR SiO. Guw SZ Ro. Mk! be 7099 ? CASES. MAGATINE ak 9967 “QR RETAINERS FLATFORMS hak if (LOeoT) EWE oon'oe TH OOO'8E EPEAT EOT “MH BE FORS [FRING CATCH MAGAZINE 7 BE #903 FOREMLGHT a —__ » BE F768 hE FO7O RETAIM ERS CATCH CATCH MAGAZINE MAGAZINE ns, Late & PLUNGER ASSEAABLT,