Why is this Sten MK.II full of holes? With firearms expert Jonathan Ferguson
Vložit
- čas přidán 7. 11. 2023
- We quite literally peak behind the curtain in this week's episode to examine why making a semi-automatic firearm (like the Sten) is so much more difficult than one that's purely automatic (like the MP 40).
Join Jonathan as he takes this real-life World of Guns cross-sectional look at one of Britain's best known firearms from the Second World War.
Did we mention, this episode is brought to you by World of Guns? If you enjoyed Jonathan delving into the inner workings of the Sten, why not try it for yourself?
Steam: store.steampowered.com/app/26...
App Store:
itunes.apple.com/us/app/world...
Play Games:
play.google.com/store/apps/de...
Subscribe to our channel for more videos about arms and armour
Help us bring history to life by supporting us here: royalarmouries.org/support-us...
Sign up to our museum membership scheme here: royalarmouries.org/support-us...
⚔Website: royalarmouries.org/home
⚔Blog: royalarmouries.org/stories/
⚔Facebook: / royalarmouriesmuseum
⚔Twitter: / royal_armouries
⚔ Instagram: / royalarmouriesmuseum
We are the Royal Armouries, the United Kingdom's national collection of arms and armour. Discover what goes on behind the scenes and watch our collection come to life. See combat demonstrations, experience jousting and meet our experts.
Have a question about arms and armour? Feel free to leave us a comment and we'll do our best to answer it.
I want to fund a buddy comedy where Ian and Jonathan have to have an 80's movie style roadtrip to recover an amazing gun from history.
Where's the kickstarter link?
I'm in.
Oh yes please
Crack on chaps, should definitely pander to your audience on this one.
Get Simon Pegg and Nick Frost with his tinted shades on board... My god imagine 🤯
Ooh and get the legend that is MRE Steve in while you're at it!!! Oh god please someone make this happen.
Definitely!
Not gonna lie , they got us on the first half
😉
I was seconds away from posting a "congratulations Ian" comment.
@@marasmusineI was momentarily overjoyed
They had me laughing. Love the content from these guys
My jaw DROPPED so hard, I bit myself in the lap.
The Royal Armouries better have a strict walk-through of their collection to make sure none of their French military pieces mysteriously walked off...
😂
My thoughts exactly 👍😂😂😂😂
You're assuming the Royal Armouries have French guns.
No, french guns just like to retreat out of museums and into a home somewhere in Arizona
Don’t worry, they’re just migrating south for winter
Hopefully this little cameo by Ian means we might get some full Royal Armouries + Forgotten weapons videos on either channel :D
Stay tuned, might be more Ian to come 😉
it has happened before,on forgotten weapons anyway
Medical gloves are horrible to wear!
Now I just picture Ian breaking into museums to review their rare stock. Great video, Jonathan!
We *cannot* figure out how he keeps getting in?!
@@RoyalArmourieshe’s probably slipping in a crate of DSA surplus disguised as a French rifle.
@@RoyalArmouries You checked your stock of 7.65 French Long since?
@@RoyalArmouries I hear Ian moves in mysterious ways!
Ian found a scent of french firearms and managed to sneak in.
Amazing intro. You had me for a second.
Big thanks to our honorary Keeper of Firearms Ian @ForgottenWeapons for helping us out with this one
I could listen to Ian and Jonathan reading me a phone book all day and not get sick of it. Forgotten Armouries.
Lmfao I saw Ian's post not even a minute ago and rushed here to find this just now 🤣🤣🤣
It definitely got me.
You guy's have such a winner with Jonathan. I already know exactly how a Sten works, and I'd guess most of your viewers do too. But his charisma makes the entire video worth watching anyway.
Thanks Ian, very kind words ♥
That's very kind of you to say Ian, thank you.
@@jonathanferguson1211 No, thank you Jonathan. It's a pleasure to see your work
I worked with an ex-marine who got close to a court martial for negligent discharge on the range for firing one of these on auto rather than single shot. After a beasting his sergeant had a go and the same thing happened. What it turned out to be was the UK had obtained a load of cheap Indian ammunition that was underpowered and there wasn't enough blowback for the bolt to catch in the sear, hence the full-auto on single fire.
This also happened to me. It was the late 1970s. Often having double taps or three round bursts. Nothing like the UK government buying the best for the British military!!!
@@stephen7571 Same thing happened in Afghanistan, many of the misfires experienced by UK troops were the result of buying inferior Pakistani ammunition. It was not unknown for the rounds to be missing so much propellant they couldn't be fired at all.
@@ptonpc I could be sarcastic and ask if the soldiers were using theSA80 my 1. ? That would misfire with the rolls Royce of ammunition!
@@stephen7571Not if Afghanistan, that would have been the A2. Most of the issues with the A1 re: stoppages were down to the magazines. IIRC the dodgy ammunition in Afg. was .50 calibre.
Was it perhaps a Sterling rather than a Sten? I ask because the infamous Indian ammo debacle occurred in the 70s I believe. Not to say it didn't happen before though!
Well the briefcase mp5 WAS the best intro I've ever seen on CZcams but this one is better 😂
Glad you liked it Sam!
Yeah, I was making a confused face for a bit there 😂 I guess Ian figured the right time to strike was when the Englishman went for a cuppa.
Brilliant team-up, I hope to see more 😁
Loved Ian's little jump at the camera change and his quick scarper.
Ian snuck into the armory again!!!
Ian has a knack for bits like these. Super funny every time
One of the things I really appreciate about the videos Mr. Ferguson makes for the Royal Armouries is how it opens up the Archive to the public, especially important when the items in question would be very difficult to provide wide access to. This digitization work is extremely important, and I'm thankful for the efforts by both the Armouries and people like Mr. McCollum that allow for better public education on these subjects with close support by experts in the field. Thank you.
Please don't ever stop doing these Jonathan, you're absolutely wonderful at it!
Also nice little cameo by Ian. I've had the pleasure of meeting him several times at work and he's a genuinely wonderful person as well.
Thanks for your kind words *checks notes* Lt Death Squid. There will be plenty more Jonathan on this channel don't worry. We've got that contract locked down 😉 But you're spot on, Ian was absolutely great to work with. Might not be his last appearance round here either.
"Night at The Museum" must be a very different experience in the Royal Armouries
Jonathan, you've got someone running loose in the Royal Armories! If you need to catch him, just bait a box trap with a bottle of Scotch and a rare French firearm!
Thanks guys! Been a while since I laughed that hard!
Or some 0.32 French Longue.
Didn't think Jonathan could get any cooler, and then I saw his Autobot belt buckle. That's what I call a fashion statement.
the epic due we never new we needed
the intro was awesome!
We've been very excited to post this one 😁
Haha, that made me chuckle. Though even though Ian is "Gun Jesus", we wouldn't want him to replace the "High Priest of the Cathedral of Firearms" (Jonathan) full time. 😆
Talking about cutaways, a friend of mine had a sectionalised Enfield MK1 BREN Gun. I used to covet that thing, it was beautiful.
Great video, thank you.
That certainly appeals to my 'Ghost' fandom.
@@jonathanferguson1211 I'm quite surprised at how a little skit seems to have sparked off a blaze of imagination in the comments. Thoroughly enjoying it though.
"Lights"
Made me smile.
And shows you do pay attention to your audience.
And I got the gun right!
Love the fact that it is implied Jonathan wears the curators gloves everywhere, even when drinking tea.
Can confirm he does
We said we wouldn't speak of that...@@JordanFlayer
😆@@jonathanferguson1211
Looks like you had an "Ian-festation" in the Royal Armouries basement. Good thing you brought his only weakness, an English breakfast tea! 😂 Looking forward to more videos featuring my two favourite firearms gurus!
"Ian-festation" is genius" :)
Two greats together again!
Even for just 25 seconds everytime when Jonathan and Ian join forces is a masterclass
the greatest crossover of all time
This is by far the best crossover I have ever seen
IAN has breached containment - HE IS IN THE ARMOURY
One thing World Of Guns doesn’t have is a engaging narrator called Jonathan Ferguson, the Keeper of Firearms & Artillery at the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds! That’s very har to top in my book!
I like how you did the comedic bit . It wasn't overdone , and you didn't have to mention it ,like so many others in the 2A and fireams communities feel like they have to for some reason. Quick, joke and done without overacting from the shows host. 🙌👏🙌👏
The thing that always impresses me about the Sten isn't the simplicity of operation - it shares that with most open bolt SMGs, and is arguably more complicated with its semi-auto sear - but the simplicity of manufacture - little machining, almost no threading, and simple stampings - is really something to behold
Yeah. People talk about the MP40 being a cheap gun because it used stampings and all that jazz, but as Germans were looking at MP40s to last the same time as weapons like MP28s, that is ten or twenty years with hundreds of cartridges through them every, they sure as heck were not cutting corners on them. Cost less money and fewer manhours than MP28s and the like, but still far more money and manhours than the British were putting into STENs that were only required to last longer than it took a replacement to be manufactured!
@@genericpersonx333 I think the Sten Mk. III is the pinnacle of that where they even did away with the barrel nut for a totally threading-free gun
Indeed, and having dared to try milling threads myself, I do not blame them one bit. Even with jigs, it is miserable work that is so easy to mess up and there is precious little room for error.
@@chanman819
Sten is essentially a simplified version of the MP28/II Schmeisser. It was the only German SMG that had the semi-automatic option.
The designers would agree. Keep the bits that matter, simplify their manufacture and stick the minimum of bits to hang on to back on.@@okaro6595
I am grinning ear to ear this intro made my day what a collab!
I was confused to see Ian, since I saw you in the thumbnail. But that was a fun intro
I can’t think of an intro across all of youtube that has made me laugh as hard as that one in a long time
and I just got baited by Ian's youtube community post
glorious.
So the real question is, if Ian is visiting at the royal armouries, can we expect a proper collaboration video in the coming days?
Visiting? No, Ian broke in, sat down and turned the camera on. And promptly left with a whole buncha most likely french firearms in tow
That intro had me cackling, I was just watching Ian's Madsen video and as always had the most recent Royal Armouries video as my first suggested video, clicked, and for a moment had to reorient myself.
Fantastic as always Jonathan.
Cut-away guns are awesome. I have a VZ-52 pistol, factory cut-away model. Everyone I show it to absolutely loves it.
Well, from what I've heard this is the case where a cutaway is better than the gun it's based upon. 😉
That intro is just classic. Two classic firearm guys having fun poking at each other. Love it
Great. Would love to see a full nerdy discussion type collaboration Ferguson, McCollum, Bloke and Chap on or off range. Tea cups full of single malt or brandy. Probably lead to interesting ramblings from all 4 of these guys.
Jonathan Ferguson, Keeper of the Holey Sten.
Ian and Jonathan should do "an audience with" type show at Birmingham,London and Leeds. Two absolute legends in the world of Firearms Education.
Really well explained! Been using WoG for a while now but having you explain too really helps.
That's a relief :D
For a while in the 1990's you could buy Sten gun kits for $99 at almost any gun show in the US. A "bumper sticker" that would act as a template for making the tube/receiver was $2 and magazines were 3/$10. It astounded me how few parts were in the kit.
Love the team up!
Won't be the last 😉
Having Jonathan narrating WOG videos would be fabulous!
Jonathan bringing in a teacup is just so perfect
Always loved the Sten, it's not a premium firearm, but that's what I love about it. Too often I think we judge guns based on pure performance or how good it is as a gun compared to others, but don't consider the big picture; cost, manufacture and logistics. Sure a Beretta Model 38 is a much nicer gun, but the sten is brilliant in its simplicity and cost effectiveness, that is what wins wars.
While the Sten has many haters i actually kinda like it for its look, that stripped back virtually skeletonized look is pretty sexy imo.
@@paidwitness797 Yeah it's not bad looking, and the horizontal mag gives it a unique style as well. It's certainly not as ugly as the M3 grease gun.
The Sten may appear crude and simplistic, but it is functionally as good as any sub machine gun of it's era. If I had to pick any sub gun from WW2 the Sten would be tied for first with the 7.62cal Russian guns. They are the lightest and most reliable of their era and didn't suffer the same drawbacks as the German tube guns.
Agreed. It did the job it needed to do.
@@-Zevin- My grandpa had a Sten during his WW2 guerilla time in Poland. He had the "sten hold" ingrained into his muscle memory till the end of his life. He sent a few Nazis to Valhalla using this baby. I literally knew the "Sten hold" from his stories before I even knew what the Sten was.
Jonathan, please punk Ian's channel next? PLLLEEEAAASE?
This video's first minute made a truly horrendous day SO MUCH BETTER
Great pacing and enthusiasm. Thank you for a clear explanation.
I love these explanation-style videos. They're great for the folks like me who are a little curious about how everything works, but don't have the patience to go super deep on anything.
And the constant switching back and forth between British and American nomenclature makes me appreciate how much of a headache the coordination (and technology exchange) between our two countries must have been back in the days of WWII. Especially with how particular the military is with terminology.
Also, I'm rather impressed by how complex and clever the design is, and this is for a gun famous for it's simplicity!
Finally, it's a great promo for World of Guns. I'm VERY interested in a "game" that shows me how guns work, especially when Jonathan describes it as better than this awesome video.
Ah this lighting is SO much better 😍
I do believe we've cracked it - and the audio.
Two of my favorite arms presenters, and the sketch was priceless 🤣🤣🤣
4:38 As far as I know, Old English _scear_ would indeed be pronounced something like 'share'.
4:51 Thanks for inserting the photo, it's mighty helpful for those of us who aren't intimately familiar with flintlocks.
Correct - I'd be interested to know when the pronunciation shifted. Given that we kept the "scear" spelling into the 20th century, it might be later than we think.
@@jonathanferguson1211 Middle English Dictionary (part of University of Michigan's Middle English compendium) shows the earliest writings containing something close to _share_ (meaning ploughshare) appeared in the early fourteenth century, and provides with examples of early spellings like 'ssares' which help to see the transition. But it doesn't explain how the Old English spelling stuck along for *such* a long time, given that it no longer spelled the common pronounciation of the original word at all.
My guess would be that some Early Modern antiquarian dug up an old spelling and promoted its use with more modern pronounciation. And he wouldn't have to dig very deep, given that we still have OE-like sc-spellings for 'sh' (like _scearpe_ for 'sharp') as late as c. 1200 or maybe even as late as 1275 (in 'Laȝamon's Brut').
I still spell it scear. But then I use the term hammer on a flintlock rather than the modern frizzen.
Damn, this is the second time this week I see Ian making a cameo somewhere. :P I love that.
The crossover we deserve 😤
Love the Gun Jesus cold open. Made Me spit out my tea.
Always good to see GUN JESUS IAN..
Now my favourite video of the year woof woof
love the cut away visualization. good stuff.
Lovely collaboration
Lol was I the only who was like whoa wait no oh OK
As good as the gag was, what really caught my eye?
Autobot belt buckle.
To have such a job....
What tea are you rocking? Yorkshire Gold, perhaps?
I was told there was a new Keeper and clicked on this video to check it out.
Now I’m choking on my drink from the intro XD
also, i have been using WoG for almost 5 years now, pretty fun and helps a lot to understand the inner workings of so many guns
Must be one of those Swiss Stens you never hear about 😉
Your demonstrations and explanations are fine for me Jonathan, keep up the great content.
I say! that's not cricket WHAT!! Having Ian do that introduction! how dare he replace our Jonathon!! *OUTRAGE!!* ( 🤣)
Knew a guy once who had a "demilled" Sten gun. The demill consisted of a hole drilled through the gun into the chamber and a filed down firing pin. He replaced the firing pin and shot it regularly. The shells would have a perfect little hole in them after firing from the hole in the chamber. Keep your arm out of the way of the hole because of the brass discs flying out of it.
I got so excited to see Ian in a RA vid
A wild gun jezus appears
Such a funny intro and awesome and interesting vudeo thank you so much
Best cross over ever!
Fascinating.
Nicely done sir!
Jonathan almost spilled his tea! 😮
Brilliant video
Love the start😂
Intro is on point, have me a good chuckle at work. 🍻
the etymology of the word sear brings to mind a certain phrase about swords and plowshares, if you just think of swords as an analogy for weapons in general.
The proper plough spelling is onomatopoeia mimicking the sound of a ploughshare moving through light soil and was thus pronounced pluff just as rough is pronounced ruff.
They had us in the first half.
The Sten MKV was the ultimate Sten, but THIS is my idea of a Sten and was still a goodun 👌🏻
Another amazing in depth video of the inner workings, I definitely would like to see more of these. Also the video title gave away the bluff at the start haha
I love the intro
I thought it interesting to mention given there was a mention of case projection as an alternative name for blowback that in Finnish blowback is called massasulku, which literally translates to "mass block" as it is in the simplest version of blowback the mass of the bolt (compared to locking lugs for example) that blocks the bolt or keeps it in place until the bullet has moved enough.
That IS interesting, thank you 😊
When I was a recruit, We have a wooden mock-up of M60, XM 16, HK33 trigger mechanism, gas system and bolt.
Great intro bit. Really got us good
Beautiful example of a cutaway, Jonathan. Thank you.
I love the Autobot belt buckle! As if I couldn't love your content any more :D
That was a great intro lol. Please do a few full collabs that would be awesome
We've done a few in the past on Ian's channel.
I like how Ian ran away like a 50's cartoon thief.
Liking and commenting, heading to watch on Weapons and War. Cheers lads!
Always a good watch on my way home from school
Could not stop laughing at the intro! 😂
Oh I was so concerned with everyone saying there would be someone new! Glad you aren’t going anywhere!
Plenty more Ferguson to come on this channel
Me too! Sorry if we worried you. On the plus side, Ian had lots of fun with it on his community page...
Love ur work 🥺
Haha very funny to see Ian at the beginning.