I took one to Gulf War 1 and my US colleagues were continually borrowing it to try it out at the range. They were remarkably complementary about it, considering it was on its last hurrah as a UK weapon. Of course, being the Star Wars generation the US guys & girls were immediately drawn to it.
It was 1994 before our TA Field Ambulance unit gave them up. Ian missed out one thing - after folding the stock and taking out the magazine, you put it into a black sack to keep it clean until endex!
I took one too. It was perfect for the role. Despite being converted to the rifle 5.56 we chose the SMG. (I broke a LSW while on the conversion course, just saying. So had more confidence in the tried and tested. I've never seen a SMG break.)
@@gusgone4527 I’ve had the pistol grip come off an SA80 in my hand. The SMG felt reassuringly solid - even if it did jab your kidneys whatever way it was carried 😂
Hi, when I first started soldiering In 1956, I trained on the Patchett SMG and was very grateful as the Sten at that time had a bad reputation for firing when dropped on the ground. The early SLR’s also came out at the same time but they were the automatics with the bipods. In the sixties when. I joined the Paras it was an easy swap to the Sterlings and the Brit SLR’s. With the bayonet lug attached we started to learn SMG Arms Drill and the changeover from the Enfield rifle to the FN was that much easier because of the earlier introduction in Africa. Many years later coming home I did a spot check on our Auckland armoury and was amazed to see a dozen old Stens and watched an armourer getting first aid as he cut himself on the charge handle cut out that got so sharp over the many years of usage! Those old SMG’s just kept on going and the SLR’s sure came in useful in Nam. Cheers mate. Harera
Always appreciate your videos. In an era of copy-paste youtube drivel it's nice to see someone so dedicated to quality research they're making videos with the help of actual museums. Just goes to show how much effort Ian puts into getting it all right and sticking to his vision of documenting interesting firearms without the fluff. Great stuff as always, Ian.
I was in the Canadian army in the 1980's. The SMG (Sterling) was standard issue until we adopted the C8 (M16 A2 Carbine) to replace it. It was super compact, reliable and easy to maintain. The range was not there but it was issued mostly to vehicle crew and drivers.
The SMG was more widely distributed. When I arrived in an infantry battalion, they were carried by platoon signallers, GPMG gunners, much of Recce Platoon etc. The C8 was originally intended for armoured crews only. I worked for a bit in the weapons company at the Infantry School when they were sorting out final handling drills and writing the pams etc for the new family of small arms in 1984. I had a specific discussion with one of the WOs there about the C8. He said, "it's only for tank crews. No doubt some infantry Maj will desperately try to get his hands on one in order to boost his cool factor... but... they're designed for the Armoured Corps". I was in Germany when we received the new rifles in 1988 - not a C8 to be found anywhere. In fact, I never saw a C8 in an infantryman's hands until Afghanistan cranked up.
@@lib556 It's not obvious until you take off the handguards but the barrels on the C8's are pretty thin. It's not an issue as a back up weapon for armored or recce and it does make it much lighter but those things can overheat severely in a sustained firefight. The savings in weight and size aren't justified for dismounts.
@@silverjohn6037 That was the thought at the time. Proper infantry get a proper rifle. Z*pperheads' primary weapon is their tank so... Similar concept as was the M1 Carbine. Not a battle rifle but much better to give someone than say a pistol. However, as history will show, the M1 Carbine became very popular, despite its limitations, with many in the infantry. It was Audie Murphy's preferred personal weapon. I'm no gunsmith expert - just a user, not a builder. However, there has been much discussion in US circles about the necessity (or lack thereof) for heavier and longer barrels. It would appear that the best balance between velocity and length-saving is between 15 and 16 inches. Many argue that the 'pencil' barrel is all that is needed. Again, I'm no expert.
Whenever I see a Sterling, can't help thinking of "The Spy Who Loved Me", when Bond frees the imprisoned sub crews, and despite the nearest armoury to the US Navy prisoners holding M16s exclusively, the British and Russian crews find only racks of Sterlings. Best of the Roger Moore Bond films, IMO. 👍
The Sterling is very controllable in full auto due to the heavy bolt, stock, and pistol grip placement. The barrel length and ergonomics also made it reasonably accurate at longer ranges in semi-auto. Not as compact as a lot of subguns, but eminently reliable and nigh indestructible.
Sterling was standard issue sub machine gun of the Canadian Forces during most of the Cold War. Was issued one during my time as an aircraft tech in Germany. Only carried them during Tac exercises, no ammunition. Much handier than a battle rifle when climbing around on fighter jets. Fun to shoot at the range for annual qualification though. ;)
Always good to see a little history on the Sterling, being an infantry signaler in the British army in the 80’s this was my personal weapon. Great little gun, mine would fire a 3 round burst when set on semi auto if you just squeezed the trigger right. I was told many times to get it fixed by the armourer, but never did as I liked the “feature” !!
As far as I’m aware there is only one photograph from W.W.II that shows a Patchett being carried, this is of what is claimed to be a Free French unit of the SAS in late ‘44 or early ‘45 somewhere around the Belgian border.
I carried a Sterling very briefly when I joined the Canadian Army in the mid-1980s. Fantastic little firearm. It's great to see the intermediate step in its evolution. I also got a chance to visit the Brussels museum several times during a posting there 2000-2002. It's a great experience, I highly recommend it.
My father's weapon of choice was a Sterling when he served in REME in the 50's and 60's. He found it particularly helpful that could fit it under vehicle seats and was reasonably light.
Imagine if top racing legend Stirling Moss had written a book about the MAT-49. Bookshops would stock Matt Moss' Sterling book and Stirling Moss' MAT book. I'll get my coat.
My dad was issued a Sterling while serving as an officer in the Canadian Airborne in the late 70s. He would bring it home before going on exercise for cleaning, etc. I seem to recall it having that odd "truck-bed" finish that Ian mentions, like a heavy crinkled paint, although I could be remembering this incorrectly. Can anyone else confirm this? I loved the look of the thing. My father didn't seem to think his was very good (I think it was getting pretty worn out) but he did say something like it "beat jumping out of a plane with an FN", referring to the cumbersome FN C1 FAL that the riflemen carried on jumps, along with skis or snowshoes in the winter!
In the excellent Australian TV series Mr Inbetween, the protagonist is gifted a Sterling by one of his fellow criminals. Oddly enough, though he recognizes it as a Sterling, he is told that it's a Patchett, which is better. It's definitely a Sterling, with the curved magazines.
The Sterling ‘Small Metal Gun’ was my personal weapon, by the end, the sears of unit SMGs were worn and double taps were a feature. The Indian 9mm was not up to standard and then the army ran out of 9mm ammo but our transfer to SA80 was delayed because of the ripple effect of the magazine latch issue. The EM2 was meant to cover sub-machine gun and rifle but when that fell through the L2 Smudge gun was adopted. But that was before my time.
Love the Sterling & nice to see the prototype in detail. Grew up in the Cold War & it was always reassuring to see very professional chaps cradling one of these. It & the Lanchester are my favourite "old school" SMG's.
I'm sure the Bovington Tank Museum has one. I saw it back in the 80s during my RAC training. We on the other hand had the Sterling SMG. And I still have a bayonet.
Random comment here…I have been watching the tv show Spade on AMC. Takes place in southern France and is a sequel to the classic movie the Maltese Falcon. Long story short, many interesting firearms show up in each episode. MAS-36, MAT 49, M1C garand sniper, Walther p38 just to name a few. Seems like the show hired a firearms enthusiast and it might peak your interest.
Thanks again, Ian, for a great video on one of my personal favourites (historically speaking). Never fired a Patchett - but the Sterling was a beautifully balanced little weapon. Ergonomic perfection for the infantryman.
Pachett did not work in Brno, he worked in Prague at the Janeček/Jawa motorcycle factory, which came under Zbrojovka Brno only in 1945, they adapted and manufactured Schwazlose machine guns and a special type of grenade vz 21, which unlocked itself by rotating when thrown. He either threw prototypes of anti-Ank rifles over the wall of the British Embassy in 1939, or drove them to France in 1940 by car covered in bed.
@@jediknight1294 He didn't work LOL, Janeček/JAWA had nothing to do with Brno until 1945, he worked in Prague in the 1930s, he also took a number of photos and videos there, the best private shots of the arrival of the occupiers and Hitler at Prague Castle are also from him.
@@DOMINIK99013 my point was Ian didn't state anything other than he works in the city of Brno. If he was naming the arms manufacturer he'd have used their name not simply the city as he's done in the past. Also fun fact, Brno had a couple of companies working on small engine Mopeds I the 30s that later became influential in the Jawa labeled PS built products like the Manet and the Babette
@@jediknight1294 The fact that he lived in Prague is mentioned in both the Czech article on the wiki and articles elsewhere. The fact that Ian says something doesn't mean anything, he himself admitted in one of his QA videos that a mistake could be found in all his videos, this is doubly true in the Czech ones.
The Sterling was called the "L1A2" in NZ. My first use of a submachine gun in 1973 was one of these. Used at 25, 50, and 100 metres, both single and auto, from both the shoulder and the hip, it was an easy gun to use and control. Best results were firing from the shoulder in 3 to 5 round bursts. Stayed on target at all ranges. Very easy to field strip and clean. Light and easily carried or slung. Navy used them for boarding parties. After I left Navy, they reluctantly traded them for HK MP5s.😊😊😊
I have a Century arms Sterling semi auto type ll manufactured by Masterpiece Arms and does not have crinkle paint on it have a few patchett mags with sterling mags also - Absolutely a fun gun to shoot, even with the 16 inch shrouded barrel.
That was so interesting. I am not a gun owner but I take an interest in guns and their history and development. It seems to me that the Patchett guns are excellent, in their simplicity and thoughtful design.
A note out of context: At start of Video a man was noted, who was a motorcycle inerested person. Due to , Administration Reform ' in german state Baden-Württemberg, the Gemeinde ( Village) Fachsenfeld became a district of the town Aalen. ( May be the town has its name because in time of Roman Empire a cavallryunit ,Ala' was there.) . Inside the village there is a small , Schloß ', in this case ,Palace'. The last noble owner , a Freiherr von König - Fachsenfeld died in 1994, being not married and no children. This last nobleman of his family was a rather excentric , rural nobleman '.. In his younger Years he wanted to become a famous motorcycle race driver, but after an accident He switched to a theorethic. How to drive faster with a vehicle which has a weak engine? So in the cellar of his small palace he did aerodynamical experiments and wrote a book. In 1933 to 1945 He didn't support Hitler and refused to work for aircraft companies. After WW ll, he was involed in supporting Refugees from areas , Germany lost, and he supported local school and Kindergarten, when Money and Support was necessary. When He died , all His employees got Money for annother year. This man was really a noble man.
Ref the Patchett in Arnhem, I realize this is not proof of anything, but in the Osprey book about the Parachute Regt, there's a colour plate showing a soldier (glider pilot?) with a Patchett with a description about it being a trial gun. Usually the Osprey books are very good on details and often the colour plates are based on actual photographs...
This gun featured in ozzie TV show "Mr inbetween", where it's referred to specifically as a Patchett. Cue howls of rage from people saying it was in fact a Sterling... Well now you know. A proper machine gun, that is. I love the sound it makes!
Donald Sinden can be seen carrying one in 1955's Simba, co-starring Virginia McKenna (who played real-life SOE operative Violette Szabo in Carve Her Name With Pride) and Dirk Bogarde (who played real life SOE operative Major Patrick Leigh Fermor in Ill Met by Moonlight).
I worked with an old feller who was in the Paras at Arnham / Operation Market Garden. He told me the sten was such a cheap weapon you could hit the stock on the ground to cock it. Those were the items that were used to clear houses as they would just be thrown in to a house via a windown with a grenade, as the Sten bounced around the grenade would finish off anyone still alive in the room. He was captured, spent a while as a POW finally escaped and made it back to American? lines before being sent back to UK to collect pay. & demob.
As Ian stated, it was the end of the war in Europe. The UK was pretty broke and had a Labour government in power who were more interested in available funds going to social projects like the NHS, than replacing an SMG which was something the UK had loads of the previous incarnation already, (which were bought and paid for and were "good enough"), with the 'latest, greatest, thing' that would need money to buy.
Thank you for providing us with the earlier prototype of the E-11 blaster rifle Ian. I'm sure that the British soldiers used it far better than stormtroopers especially in woods that crawl with carnivorous teddy bears. (Stormtroopers were far more effective in Rogue One and Andor and you Ian are the perfect representative of the Blastech Industries earth branch).
I cant lot look at this fun and not think "its the E-11!", since the infamus storm trooper blaster is basically one of this with a ton of random stuff on top
The 100 trial guns went to the 2nd, Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment, in the summer of 1944, for testing. This glider battalion then went on to fight at Arnhem in September, 1944, and it is speculated, but not proven, that some Patchetts went with them.
His work history appears to be working for arms manufacturers that also made motorcycles: "In his early career he was a motorcycle racer for motorcycle manufacturers such as Brough Superior, McEvoy and the Belgian arms company FN. At Pendine, Wales he won the Welsh TT in 1925 and the Welsh TT sidecar in 1927 on Brough machines. In 1930 he was recruited by the Czech arms manufacturer František Janeček, founder of the JAWA motorcycle company, to work as an engineer and a racer. Due to the economic recession Janeček wanted to build a cheaper motorcycle than their 500cc model. Patchett's contacts with the Villiers company enabled a new Jawa 175 Villiers to be designed around the Villiers 175cc two-stroke engine which proved very popular."
I believe Pendine is also where someone famous was killed running a record attempt with a chain driven car, something like the Golden Arrow or similar, I have been on the sands it has an amazing history. TE Lawrence, also a Welsh man was fond of the Brough's. My great uncle was a Royal Marine Commando DR Despatch Rider used standard bikes in ww2 from D-Day but loved the Brough Superior for his own use. Fascinating to read your comment.
I have shot a sterling at a gun club I belonged to. Found it accurate enough and easy to use at our 20 yard range. The army officer in charge of the weapons wouldn't let us fire them full auto which was a huge disappointment to us.
I saw a Sterling in service in Iraq 20 years ago. Some government official's "security detail" guy had one. He had packed the heat shield with mud, possibly to ensure it "stayed cool when firing" or something. I was...skeptical of this modification's potential efficacy.
The big difference between the British SMG and the Canadian SMG C1, was the bolt on the C1 was solid with a fixed firing pin and a one piece recoil spring. Oh and we did have a bayonet lug as well, that fit an FNC1 bayonet. And yes we had chrome bayonets for parades.
I took one to Gulf War 1 and my US colleagues were continually borrowing it to try it out at the range. They were remarkably complementary about it, considering it was on its last hurrah as a UK weapon. Of course, being the Star Wars generation the US guys & girls were immediately drawn to it.
Yep, I joined the QOH in 1988 as a driver/mechanic. They were getting a bit long in the tooth by then!
royal navy had them for basic training in 89
It was 1994 before our TA Field Ambulance unit gave them up. Ian missed out one thing - after folding the stock and taking out the magazine, you put it into a black sack to keep it clean until endex!
I took one too. It was perfect for the role. Despite being converted to the rifle 5.56 we chose the SMG. (I broke a LSW while on the conversion course, just saying. So had more confidence in the tried and tested. I've never seen a SMG break.)
@@gusgone4527 I’ve had the pistol grip come off an SA80 in my hand. The SMG felt reassuringly solid - even if it did jab your kidneys whatever way it was carried 😂
Hi, when I first started soldiering In 1956, I trained on the Patchett SMG and was very grateful as the Sten at that time had a bad reputation for firing when dropped on the ground. The early SLR’s also came out at the same time but they were the automatics with the bipods. In the sixties when. I joined the Paras it was an easy swap to the Sterlings and the Brit SLR’s. With the bayonet lug attached we started to learn SMG Arms Drill and the changeover from the Enfield rifle to the FN was that much easier because of the earlier introduction in Africa. Many years later coming home I did a spot check on our Auckland armoury and was amazed to see a dozen old Stens and watched an armourer getting first aid as he cut himself on the charge handle cut out that got so sharp over the many years of usage! Those old SMG’s just kept on going and the SLR’s sure came in useful in Nam. Cheers mate. Harera
The irony here being that if the Imperial Stormtroopers had stocks, they would have been significantly more accurate.
With those gloves on, maybe they just couldn't unfold them
They do have the stocks. They just hardly ever unfold them. There’s some media I’ve seen where a squad calls for fix stocks
@@thestørmcrier2024really?! Do you have a source, would love to see that.
tbf Vader wanted them alive (at least the twins), so they sorta "purposefully missed".
I got my Sterling from an Ewok on Endor in trade for a candy bar. He said he took it from a dead storm trooper. I have no reason not to believe him.
Ray Shoesmith approves
I came looking for this reference.
I believe you mean “E-11” Blaster rifle
Glory to the Empire!
The very best. 👌🏻😎
For the Empire!
If you're going to try to correct somebody, at least get it right, that's the E-13R, a modified E-12, given to dark troopers, and special units.
@@austinslaughter319 then why were Stormtroopers carrying them, then, huh? 🧐
Always appreciate your videos. In an era of copy-paste youtube drivel it's nice to see someone so dedicated to quality research they're making videos with the help of actual museums. Just goes to show how much effort Ian puts into getting it all right and sticking to his vision of documenting interesting firearms without the fluff. Great stuff as always, Ian.
I was in the Canadian army in the 1980's. The SMG (Sterling) was standard issue until we adopted the C8 (M16 A2 Carbine) to replace it. It was super compact, reliable and easy to maintain. The range was not there but it was issued mostly to vehicle crew and drivers.
The SMG was more widely distributed. When I arrived in an infantry battalion, they were carried by platoon signallers, GPMG gunners, much of Recce Platoon etc. The C8 was originally intended for armoured crews only. I worked for a bit in the weapons company at the Infantry School when they were sorting out final handling drills and writing the pams etc for the new family of small arms in 1984. I had a specific discussion with one of the WOs there about the C8. He said, "it's only for tank crews. No doubt some infantry Maj will desperately try to get his hands on one in order to boost his cool factor... but... they're designed for the Armoured Corps". I was in Germany when we received the new rifles in 1988 - not a C8 to be found anywhere. In fact, I never saw a C8 in an infantryman's hands until Afghanistan cranked up.
@@lib556 It's not obvious until you take off the handguards but the barrels on the C8's are pretty thin. It's not an issue as a back up weapon for armored or recce and it does make it much lighter but those things can overheat severely in a sustained firefight. The savings in weight and size aren't justified for dismounts.
@@silverjohn6037 That was the thought at the time. Proper infantry get a proper rifle. Z*pperheads' primary weapon is their tank so... Similar concept as was the M1 Carbine. Not a battle rifle but much better to give someone than say a pistol. However, as history will show, the M1 Carbine became very popular, despite its limitations, with many in the infantry. It was Audie Murphy's preferred personal weapon.
I'm no gunsmith expert - just a user, not a builder. However, there has been much discussion in US circles about the necessity (or lack thereof) for heavier and longer barrels. It would appear that the best balance between velocity and length-saving is between 15 and 16 inches. Many argue that the 'pencil' barrel is all that is needed. Again, I'm no expert.
@@lib556 Lt Murphy was also fond of .50 cal Brownings but only when they were on burning tank destroyers for some reason;).
@@silverjohn6037 Use whatcha got... 😁
Whenever I hear the words "depress the button" I imagine someone saying "You're not a very good button, are you?"
Patchett originally worked for both FN and Jawa as a motorcycle racer and engineer. Guns were originally a sideline.
Jawa. E-11 blaster. Coincidence? I don´t think so.😁
@@Taistelukalkkuna beat me to it lol
Copied a lot of Villiers engine over to the Jawa one, bit lIke his sub machine guns.
Oh wow haven't seen any of those since i was stuck for a night on Endor
Whenever I see a Sterling, can't help thinking of "The Spy Who Loved Me", when Bond frees the imprisoned sub crews, and despite the nearest armoury to the US Navy prisoners holding M16s exclusively, the British and Russian crews find only racks of Sterlings.
Best of the Roger Moore Bond films, IMO. 👍
Of the dozens of SMGs I've fired. My favorite is the Sterling. Thanks for the history Ian.
Why?
@nomad_boreal thank you for the response
@@User1-o6f Controllability and ergonomics. Just a great compact SMG
@@chlebowg thank you@
The Sterling is very controllable in full auto due to the heavy bolt, stock, and pistol grip placement. The barrel length and ergonomics also made it reasonably accurate at longer ranges in semi-auto. Not as compact as a lot of subguns, but eminently reliable and nigh indestructible.
Sterling was standard issue sub machine gun of the Canadian Forces during most of the Cold War. Was issued one during my time as an aircraft tech in Germany. Only carried them during Tac exercises, no ammunition. Much handier than a battle rifle when climbing around on fighter jets. Fun to shoot at the range for annual qualification though. ;)
Always good to see a little history on the Sterling, being an infantry signaler in the British army in the 80’s this was my personal weapon. Great little gun, mine would fire a 3 round burst when set on semi auto if you just squeezed the trigger right.
I was told many times to get it fixed by the armourer, but never did as I liked the “feature” !!
This gun is featured in the Australian TV series ‘Mr. Inbetween’ (2018-2021).
(Recommended).
I was just thinking the same thing
th-cam.com/video/Z6y4NhKwXFY/w-d-xo.htmlsi=6G8swOO8nomVU2me
th-cam.com/video/WSTi-YgRO8U/w-d-xo.htmlsi=8Oweq5krzMUoGrfe
Best show EVER.
That was an awesome show. I was just thinking this was that gun
As far as I’m aware there is only one photograph from W.W.II that shows a Patchett being carried, this is of what is claimed to be a Free French unit of the SAS in late ‘44 or early ‘45 somewhere around the Belgian border.
Think I’ve seen that. Can confirm.
_Qui ose gange_
I've seen pictures of it being carried in training and/or for testing.
There's one beside the bloke on the ground too.
@@paulbantick8266 Never noticed the one on the ground before.
I carried a Sterling very briefly when I joined the Canadian Army in the mid-1980s. Fantastic little firearm. It's great to see the intermediate step in its evolution. I also got a chance to visit the Brussels museum several times during a posting there 2000-2002. It's a great experience, I highly recommend it.
So, how would this thing fare against, say... Teddy bears with sharp sticks? Asking for a friend
How many bears? 🤣
Quite well actually, at least until Bigfoot steals a tank, then things start going downhill.
@@fredbloggs5902 more important, how many beers
The rifle fairs quite well.....the troopers training and armor however......😮
It should have been Wookies
My father's weapon of choice was a Sterling when he served in REME in the 50's and 60's. He found it particularly helpful that could fit it under vehicle seats and was reasonably light.
Loved using the C1 SMG in my reserve days in CAF...using SOB count to walk rounds up a target is just FUN!
Saw the thumbnail, came to check the comments before watching the video, wasn't disappointed.
Matt Moss's Sterling book is great for the history on these. Also books by James Edmonton ( owner of Sterling) The Sterling Years.
Imagine if top racing legend Stirling Moss had written a book about the MAT-49. Bookshops would stock Matt Moss' Sterling book and Stirling Moss' MAT book. I'll get my coat.
Carried Stirlings for years in the Royal Ulster Constabulary, eventually replaced by the MP5 about 1990. Both were excellent.
Thanks for another well presented and interesting vid. Jim Bell (Australia)
My dad was issued a Sterling while serving as an officer in the Canadian Airborne in the late 70s. He would bring it home before going on exercise for cleaning, etc. I seem to recall it having that odd "truck-bed" finish that Ian mentions, like a heavy crinkled paint, although I could be remembering this incorrectly. Can anyone else confirm this? I loved the look of the thing. My father didn't seem to think his was very good (I think it was getting pretty worn out) but he did say something like it "beat jumping out of a plane with an FN", referring to the cumbersome FN C1 FAL that the riflemen carried on jumps, along with skis or snowshoes in the winter!
I wish I was traipsing around Europe visiting museums like Ian.
In the excellent Australian TV series Mr Inbetween, the protagonist is gifted a Sterling by one of his fellow criminals. Oddly enough, though he recognizes it as a Sterling, he is told that it's a Patchett, which is better. It's definitely a Sterling, with the curved magazines.
Mr. Inbetween was a great show.
I remembered that episode and always thought he was wrong.
I miss that show. Loved the little conversations they had inbetween the story and action. Almost like the random conversations in BFBC2.
I remember his face lighting up when he found out the 2 passengers in his taxi were plotting to kill him,
One of the best shows ever, so underrated
I love the obvious cuts when Ian can't get them back together again.... "there you go, fits just fine" 😂
The Sterling ‘Small Metal Gun’ was my personal weapon, by the end, the sears of unit SMGs were worn and double taps were a feature. The Indian 9mm was not up to standard and then the army ran out of 9mm ammo but our transfer to SA80 was delayed because of the ripple effect of the magazine latch issue.
The EM2 was meant to cover sub-machine gun and rifle but when that fell through the L2 Smudge gun was adopted. But that was before my time.
I had one run away on me on the range.was Indian ammo that caused.
I really enjoy your museum tours. Thanks for this video.
fascinating to see the evolution from the Sten to the Patchett Machine Carbine Mk I
Love the Sterling & nice to see the prototype in detail. Grew up in the Cold War & it was always reassuring to see very professional chaps cradling one of these. It & the Lanchester are my favourite "old school" SMG's.
I'm sure the Bovington Tank Museum has one. I saw it back in the 80s during my RAC training. We on the other hand had the Sterling SMG. And I still have a bayonet.
My grandfather William Joy worked for Sterling as a toolmaker during ww2 and worked on SMG. I have always assumed it was on the Patchett.
Sterlings were mostly making Lanchesters during WW2.
Random comment here…I have been watching the tv show Spade on AMC. Takes place in southern France and is a sequel to the classic movie the Maltese Falcon. Long story short, many interesting firearms show up in each episode. MAS-36, MAT 49, M1C garand sniper, Walther p38 just to name a few. Seems like the show hired a firearms enthusiast and it might peak your interest.
A fine arm for the Anhk-Morpork Night Watch.
Dammit. No R in the name. I should not be trying wit on this many painkillers.😂
Actually Vimes has pretty strong feelings regarding Gonnes...
I'm waiting for him to review the "Klatchian fire engine"
Sadly guns are cursed objects in that universe. Now a small dragon in the hands of Sam Vimes... that is another matter;).
@@silverjohn6037Or anything designed by Bloody Stupid Johnson to do something completely innocuous.
The stock mechanism is beautifully designed.
The stock was taken from the commando version of the Desil silenced carbine.
Thanks again, Ian, for a great video on one of my personal favourites (historically speaking). Never fired a Patchett - but the Sterling was a beautifully balanced little weapon. Ergonomic perfection for the infantryman.
Pachett did not work in Brno, he worked in Prague at the Janeček/Jawa motorcycle factory, which came under Zbrojovka Brno only in 1945, they adapted and manufactured Schwazlose machine guns and a special type of grenade vz 21, which unlocked itself by rotating when thrown. He either threw prototypes of anti-Ank rifles over the wall of the British Embassy in 1939, or drove them to France in 1940 by car covered in bed.
@@LaCokaNostra_ What no?
@@DOMINIK99013you are missing the point, he worked in Brno the place, not specifically the armament company
@@jediknight1294 He didn't work LOL, Janeček/JAWA had nothing to do with Brno until 1945, he worked in Prague in the 1930s, he also took a number of photos and videos there, the best private shots of the arrival of the occupiers and Hitler at Prague Castle are also from him.
@@DOMINIK99013 my point was Ian didn't state anything other than he works in the city of Brno.
If he was naming the arms manufacturer he'd have used their name not simply the city as he's done in the past.
Also fun fact, Brno had a couple of companies working on small engine Mopeds I the 30s that later became influential in the Jawa labeled PS built products like the Manet and the Babette
@@jediknight1294 The fact that he lived in Prague is mentioned in both the Czech article on the wiki and articles elsewhere. The fact that Ian says something doesn't mean anything, he himself admitted in one of his QA videos that a mistake could be found in all his videos, this is doubly true in the Czech ones.
Finally I've been waiting for this since forever.
The Sterling was called the "L1A2" in NZ. My first use of a submachine gun in 1973 was one of these. Used at 25, 50, and 100 metres, both single and auto, from both the shoulder and the hip, it was an easy gun to use and control. Best results were firing from the shoulder in 3 to 5 round bursts. Stayed on target at all ranges. Very easy to field strip and clean. Light and easily carried or slung. Navy used them for boarding parties. After I left Navy, they reluctantly traded them for HK MP5s.😊😊😊
I had this up on my secondary monitor and glanced over at 10:50 to see what looked exactly like Ian hitting a live cartridge with a hammer.
Thank you again for another great video.
I do miss the days of your longer more detailed videos.
Bloke's breathing quickens...
His comparison is online.
Shows which magazine can go where.
@@myparceltape1169 I saw the YT short.
Interesting video, thanks, always nice to find a video so I can have coffee with Ian.
I have a Century arms Sterling semi auto type ll manufactured by Masterpiece Arms and does not have crinkle paint on it have a few patchett mags with sterling mags also - Absolutely a fun gun to shoot, even with the 16 inch shrouded barrel.
Thanks Ian! I always appreciate the fact that I can learn something new and really interesting from your channel!
Sterling firing pin is machined into the bolt.
That was so interesting. I am not a gun owner but I take an interest in guns and their history and development. It seems to me that the Patchett guns are excellent, in their simplicity and thoughtful design.
There's a couple South African SMG's Ian has covered that have a similar elegance.
A note out of context: At start of Video a man was noted, who was a motorcycle inerested person. Due to , Administration Reform ' in german state Baden-Württemberg, the Gemeinde ( Village) Fachsenfeld became a district of the town Aalen. ( May be the town has its name because in time of Roman Empire a cavallryunit ,Ala' was there.) . Inside the village there is a small , Schloß ', in this case ,Palace'. The last noble owner , a Freiherr von König - Fachsenfeld died in 1994, being not married and no children. This last nobleman of his family was a rather excentric , rural nobleman '.. In his younger Years he wanted to become a famous motorcycle race driver, but after an accident He switched to a theorethic. How to drive faster with a vehicle which has a weak engine? So in the cellar of his small palace he did aerodynamical experiments and wrote a book. In 1933 to 1945 He didn't support Hitler and refused to work for aircraft companies. After WW ll, he was involed in supporting Refugees from areas , Germany lost, and he supported local school and Kindergarten, when Money and Support was necessary. When He died , all His employees got Money for annother year. This man was really a noble man.
Ref the Patchett in Arnhem, I realize this is not proof of anything, but in the Osprey book about the Parachute Regt, there's a colour plate showing a soldier (glider pilot?) with a Patchett with a description about it being a trial gun. Usually the Osprey books are very good on details and often the colour plates are based on actual photographs...
One of the main inspirations of the Star wars weapons
Another great video, thanks.
This gun featured in ozzie TV show "Mr inbetween", where it's referred to specifically as a Patchett. Cue howls of rage from people saying it was in fact a Sterling... Well now you know. A proper machine gun, that is. I love the sound it makes!
I'm halfway through this series at the moment, I had never heard of the Patchett before then. Awesome show hey
Rays Birthday present. 🤣🤣🤣
There's a photo of a British Paratrooper with one, in a group apparently at Arnhem.
The grinder and the paint-makes me the welder I ain't.
Ditto
AVE fan?
@@Ijusthopeitsquick SV Seeker.
Donald Sinden can be seen carrying one in 1955's Simba, co-starring Virginia McKenna (who played real-life SOE operative Violette Szabo in Carve Her Name With Pride) and Dirk Bogarde (who played real life SOE operative Major Patrick Leigh Fermor in Ill Met by Moonlight).
I worked with an old feller who was in the Paras at Arnham / Operation Market Garden. He told me the sten was such a cheap weapon you could hit the stock on the ground to cock it. Those were the items that were used to clear houses as they would just be thrown in to a house via a windown with a grenade, as the Sten bounced around the grenade would finish off anyone still alive in the room. He was captured, spent a while as a POW finally escaped and made it back to American? lines before being sent back to UK to collect pay. & demob.
Raise your hand if you knew about the Patchett before this video came out XD
I have 10 of the sterlingl2a3
The idea of "we have a ton of STENs, we don't need a new SMG". Eurgh.
As Ian stated, it was the end of the war in Europe. The UK was pretty broke and had a Labour government in power who were more interested in available funds going to social projects like the NHS, than replacing an SMG which was something the UK had loads of the previous incarnation already, (which were bought and paid for and were "good enough"), with the 'latest, greatest, thing' that would need money to buy.
Thank you for providing us with the earlier prototype of the E-11 blaster rifle Ian. I'm sure that the British soldiers used it far better than stormtroopers especially in woods that crawl with carnivorous teddy bears. (Stormtroopers were far more effective in Rogue One and Andor and you Ian are the perfect representative of the Blastech Industries earth branch).
I cant lot look at this fun and not think "its the E-11!", since the infamus storm trooper blaster is basically one of this with a ton of random stuff on top
Thank You, never seen before!!
When I was a kid crackle paint was on everything metal!
I had a ‘72 MG BGT, it was on the dash
I Love the sterling, such an excellent, yet simple firearm. The fact that it's the Star Wars blaster
does not hurt, either.
Cool , Ray's gun ...)) Thank you , Ian , for your hard work
I do love the Sterling, myself, so it's cool to see a developmental model like this!
Put an optic on it and it would be an E-11
“Only Imperial Stormtroopers are so precise.”
The optic on the E-11 did wonders.
@@dspserpico I'm sure the scope they used actually being on backwards didn't help.
Thanks from Saudi Arabia 🎉
Looks like a stormtrooper blaster
Nice Blas tech E11 prototype
The Empire strikes back !
The 100 trial guns went to the 2nd, Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment, in the summer of 1944, for testing. This glider battalion then went on to fight at Arnhem in September, 1944, and it is speculated, but not proven, that some Patchetts went with them.
Any museum that display a weapon that Ian have made a video on should put a qr-code link at the display information.
with all of the places Ian ends up at, he's beginning to sound like Tom Scott introducing places
9:10 I expect rifling in the barrel, not on the bolt.
Hey, Ian, do a "What would Stange do?" build :)
Imagine that tall order of a gun, with modern manufacturing, materials and technology!
I carried the Canadian version of the Sterling in the army. Fun gun to shoot.
What a cool design! Had no clue this gun even existed
Mr Inbetween 🇦🇺
Nah… I know an E-11 when I see one.
That's the Stormtrooper Blaster! 😅
TY Ian. I like firearms without the needless gas system.
When converted to laser ammo this gun has been proven very innacurate. Maybe a gun issue or operator malfunction.
No one ever blames the helmets.....
His work history appears to be working for arms manufacturers that also made motorcycles:
"In his early career he was a motorcycle racer for motorcycle manufacturers such as Brough Superior, McEvoy and the Belgian arms company FN. At Pendine, Wales he won the Welsh TT in 1925 and the Welsh TT sidecar in 1927 on Brough machines.
In 1930 he was recruited by the Czech arms manufacturer František Janeček, founder of the JAWA motorcycle company, to work as an engineer and a racer. Due to the economic recession Janeček wanted to build a cheaper motorcycle than their 500cc model. Patchett's contacts with the Villiers company enabled a new Jawa 175 Villiers to be designed around the Villiers 175cc two-stroke engine which proved very popular."
I believe Pendine is also where someone famous was killed running a record attempt with a chain driven car, something like the Golden Arrow or similar, I have been on the sands it has an amazing history. TE Lawrence, also a Welsh man was fond of the Brough's. My great uncle was a Royal Marine Commando DR Despatch Rider used standard bikes in ww2 from D-Day but loved the Brough Superior for his own use. Fascinating to read your comment.
Used to ride my bike to the Brussels army museum
The Galactic Empire called. They want their blaster back.
If Patchett did saw use in WW2 then it would be Britain's best SMG (qualitatively) at the time.
I kinda want to see Ian review a bow and arrow as if it were the most advanced missile system in the world…
The Brussels military museum also has a great collection of military muzzle loaders and 19th century single shot rifles on display.
I have shot a sterling at a gun club I belonged to. Found it accurate enough and easy to use at our 20 yard range. The army officer in charge of the weapons wouldn't let us fire them full auto which was a huge disappointment to us.
I saw a Sterling in service in Iraq 20 years ago. Some government official's "security detail" guy had one. He had packed the heat shield with mud, possibly to ensure it "stayed cool when firing" or something. I was...skeptical of this modification's potential efficacy.
more effective as a club???
A grinder and paint make you the welder you ain't.
Open the Blast Doors, open the Blast Doors.
I was in the Army and as a Sergeant, my personal weapon was a Sterling SMG.
The big difference between the British SMG and the Canadian SMG C1, was the bolt on the C1 was solid with a fixed firing pin and a one piece recoil spring. Oh and we did have a bayonet lug as well, that fit an FNC1 bayonet. And yes we had chrome bayonets for parades.
My grandfather used one for farm protection in Mozambique in the early 70's
Just as requested, Star Wars weapons up front. Thanks!
a great very interesting video and firearm Mr GJ.have a good one.
“That’s a sterling”
“Nah it’s a pachett”
Mr. inbeetwen brought me here and I should have assumed gun Jesus would have a video on it