Sten kits...whats the skinny?

Zeebrahed · February 15, 2001, 04:28 PM

Ok. So we have all seen the Sten kits for sale in Shotgun News. Several different outfits carry them, but I am wondering what the real market is for these. Are there very many registered Stens in the US, or is there a semi-auto Sten conspiracy these kits are being used for?

As I understand it, if you have the knowledge and tooling, you can produce a lower receiver for just about anything (as long as it is for private use) and fit a parts kit for a working firearm. I have heard of this for AR's (60% completed receiver blanks and the such) but being as the Sten is so simple, could one legally assemble one of these kits on a homebuilt SEMI-auto receiver and still stay legit? Is it even mechanically possible with the Sten design?

Badger Arms · February 15, 2001, 11:42 PM

In short, no. Manufacturing a receiver for a machine-gun is illegal and has been since... 1986, I think. There are firms out there that make semi-auto Sten's but these are dubious copies of a stop-gap weapon. The Tec-9 (AB-10 in modern nomenclature) is worlds lighter, cheaper by leaps and bounds, and at least as reliable as the Sten. What most use their Sten Kits for is to store them along with an unfinished tube to use in case the sh$% hits the fan.

February 15, 2001, 04:28 PM	#1
Zeebrahed Senior Member Join Date: November 3, 1999 Location: Pembroke Pines, Florida Posts: 149	Ok. So we have all seen the Sten kits for sale in Shotgun News. Several different outfits carry them, but I am wondering what the real market is for these. Are there very many registered Stens in the US, or is there a semi-auto Sten conspiracy these kits are being used for? As I understand it, if you have the knowledge and tooling, you can produce a lower receiver for just about anything (as long as it is for private use) and fit a parts kit for a working firearm. I have heard of this for AR's (60% completed receiver blanks and the such) but being as the Sten is so simple, could one legally assemble one of these kits on a homebuilt SEMI-auto receiver and still stay legit? Is it even mechanically possible with the Sten design?

February 15, 2001, 11:42 PM	#2
Badger Arms Senior Member Join Date: July 2, 2000 Location: Harnett County, NC Posts: 1,700	In short, no. Manufacturing a receiver for a machine-gun is illegal and has been since... 1986, I think. There are firms out there that make semi-auto Sten's but these are dubious copies of a stop-gap weapon. The Tec-9 (AB-10 in modern nomenclature) is worlds lighter, cheaper by leaps and bounds, and at least as reliable as the Sten. What most use their Sten Kits for is to store them along with an unfinished tube to use in case the sh$% hits the fan.