The Sten Gun

A legendary weapon of choice for the Resistance in Occupied Europe, the Sten is an iconic submachine gun of World War II that proved massively influential in the development of inexpensive, easy-to-produce close-combat weapons.

The Sten submachine gun - officially the Carbine, Machine, Sten - was developed to fulfill the pressing British need for large quantities of cheaply produced weapons after Dunkirk, when German invasion was a real possibility. This title presents story of the mass-produced submachine gun.The Sten submachine gun – officially the 'Carbine, Machine, Sten' – was developed to fulfill the pressing British need for large quantities of cheaply produced weapons after Dunkirk, when German invasion was a very real possibility. Over four million were built during World War II, and the Sten was widely used by airborne troops, tankers, and others who needed a compact weapon with substantial firepower. It proved especially popular with Resistance fighters as it was easy to conceal, deadly at close range, and could fire captured German ammunition – with a design so simple that Resistance fighters were able to produce them in bicycle shops. Featuring vivid first-hand accounts, specially commissioned full-colour artwork and close-up photographs, this is the fascinating story of the mass-produced submachine gun that provided Allied soldiers and Resistance fighters with devastating close-range firepower.