The L2A3 submachine gun was in service with the

British army for 38 years and was finally declared ob-

solete in 1994 after service from Korea to the Gulf War.

AMERICAN REDUX
Sterling It’s very rare that even the smallest quantity of transferable

L2A3 Submachine Gun

machine guns comes on the market. When the gun in
question is a classic, impeccably presented, it’s really news.

Text and photos by Peter G. Kokalis

W
hile the submachine gun genre no longer domi- Sterling is now available in very limited quantities as a by the Sterling Armament Company, Ltd. and differ only
nates the small arms inventory of the armed non-restricted-transfer Title II firearm that can be pur- with regard to the finish.
forces of any nation, as it did when it reached its chased by anyone living in a state where it is possible to Let’s examine in detail the history of the Sterling
zenith during World War II, it is still employed by numer- own automatic weapons. submachine gun and precisely how this rather amazing
ous law enforcement agencies throughout the world. Even During the early 1980s, a small quantity of L2A3 Sterling weapon was manufactured.
there it has largely been superseded by assault-type rifles; submachine guns, as well as a sound-suppressed version, Sterling’s first effort at manufacturing a pistol-caliber
often semiautomatic-only, chambered for intermediate- designated as the L34A1, were imported as Pre-’86 Dealers submachine gun was the stodgy, but robust cal. 9x19mm
size cartridges, such as the 5.56x45mm NATO round. In Samples, as well as a semiautomatic-only variant called the Parabellum Lanchester Mk I. An undisguised copy of
some instances this is a mistake, as these rifle cartridges Mark 6, by Lanchester U.S.A., Inc. in Dallas, Texas. Hugo Schmeisser’s MP-28II, it was designed by George
have the very real potential for over-penetration in close I owned one of each, but disposed of both the L2A3 Herbert Lanchester, who was an engineer and designer
quarters urban scenarios. and L34A1 because Pre-’86 Dealers Sample Title II fire- in the British automotive industry, both prior to and af-
In my opinion, one of the finest pistol-caliber subma- arms cannot be passed on to your direct descendents un- ter World War II. Dagenham was a center of the British
chine guns ever fielded was the British Sterling L2A3, less they are SOTs (Special Occupational Taxpayers, i.e., auto industry, with the largest Ford plant in Europe, and
which was designed and manufactured by the Sterling a Class 3 dealer). Sterling later made parts for Jaguar.
Armament Company, Ltd., in Dagenham, Essex, Eng- Rick Winters, the owner of the CPS Company (Dept. Series production on his submachine gun commenced
land. The company experienced financial problems in SGN, P.O. Box 261, Monticello, Wis., 53570; phone: in April of 1941. Manufactured exclusively for the British
1988 and was acquired by the British government, which 608-274-7946; fax: 608-276-7477; website: www.Ster navy, the Lanchester Mk I was heavy (12 pounds with a
very quickly closed down the entire operation. lingL2A3.com) has painstakingly manufactured a very loaded 50-round magazine) and expensive to fabricate. It
In the United States, the Sterling L2A3 was never seen small quantity of Sterling L2A3 submachine guns on differed only in a few ways from the German MP-28II.
except as a Pre-’86 Dealers Sample, and thus was not registered pre-’86 receiver tubes that are every bit at the A subsequent Mk I* eliminated the semiautomatic
available to anyone except Class 3 dealers. Incredibly, the same level of elegant quality as those originally produced option and appeared toward the end of the war. Before
it was completely replaced by the Sten sub-
machine gun, 80,790 Lanchesters were pro-
duced (58,990 by Sterling, the remainder
by two other manufacturers). Altogether, a total of
3,750,000 Sten submachine guns, of various Marks, were
produced between 1941 and late 1945. They were never
deemed totally satisfactory, and efforts to develop more
reliable designs began during World War II.
In September of 1942, George William Patchett of
the Sterling Armament Company, Ltd., submitted a cal.
9x19mm Parabellum submachine gun to the British army
for trial. At most, a hundred of these guns were deliv-
ered before the war ended and a few may have been tested
in combat.
Development of Patchett’s submachine gun continued The overall length is only 19.375 inches folded, but
after the war, and a series of competitive trials between British army regulations specified that the stock was
it and a dozen other contenders were held between 1945 to be extended at all times while in a combat zone.
and 1953. After large-scale troop trials with the
Patchett design, it was finally adopted in 1953
and given the designation L2A1.
The Sterling submachine gun was, without
doubt, the most expensively and finely made
weapon ever produced in its class. The quality
control standards to which they were held more The side-loading magazine may seem odd for those used to a Thompson, but it
than surpassed all possible requirements. permits the lowest possible prone firing position, a vital advantage in combat.
The Sterling submachine gun was manufactured by
methods approximating British battleship engineering.
Stamped sheet metal pressings and welding processes
were minimized to the greatest extent possible and lim- improvements gleaned body has four transverse ribs machined from its sides.
ited to components such as the folding stock and maga- from field experience. The sharp edges of these ribs cut away fouling and debris
zine body. The chamber was modi- as the bolt reciprocates within the receiver tube. Mate-
The bolt was machined, not cast, out of ordnance fied for enhanced feeding, rial picked up by this process is gradually removed via
steel. Sixty-three separate machine operations were the folding stock strength- an open notch cut below the barrel’s chamber face and a
required. The steel tube used as the main component of ened, the disassembly tools hole at the bottom of the receiver’s end cap.
the L2A3’s receiver body was supplied to the factory with integral with the L2A1 elimi- A spring-loaded pin, located inside the bolt body,
the 76 cooling holes already pierced. After some pre- nated. Both the L2A1 and L2A2 prevents misassembly of the weapon. This is because
liminary machining, the magazine well, trigger assembly were referred to as the Mark 3 by the retracting handle cannot be reinserted until this pin
housing, front sight guard and front barrel support were the Sterling Company.
attached to the receiver tube by induction-brazing using The L2A3 (Sterling’s Mark 4) was swiftly adopted in
silver solder. 1954 and remained essentially the same throughout the
Since brazing the magazine well onto the receiver body 38 years of its series production cycle. Components used
would cause the tube to warp, the receiver tube was first in the last years of production can be installed in any
bent to a corrective angle in the opposite direction. By the Mark 4 ever produced.
use of induction and electro-gas brazing techniques—in The L2A3 differs from its predecessors in the follow-
lieu of welding—machine operations on the main casing ing ways. The buttstock was again redesigned, the trigger
were cut to a mere 150 steps (!). guard was made removable for winter use, the front sight
After the receiver’s interior was deburred and sized by was made adjustable, the chamber modified to NATO
hand reaming, it was subsequently hand-lapped to insure standards and minor changes were made on other com-
that the bolt could slide freely within it. After the gun ponents.
Kokalis says the L2A3’s
was moved over to the second assembly line, another 425 The Sterling submachine gun is unlocked blowback- balance characteristics
machine operations took place. Every bolt was checked operated and fires from the open bolt position. The bolt are excellent, the grip
and gauged by the assistant inspector, and every barrel has a fixed firing pin and rounds are fired by means of the itself is both the correct
was checked, gauged and then stamped by the chief in- method referred to as advanced primer ignition. In other size and shape and the
spector (who took his inspection stamp home with him words, the firing pin strikes the primer just before the car- grip-to-frame angle is perfect.
every night). tridge case is fully seated in the chamber.
Anyone blasé enough to merely shrug off the above The bolt is unique and its design was used in the Com-
as antiquarian and unnecessary need only examine the monwealth version of the FN FAL battle rifle. The bolt
L2A3 closely—one of the world’s most expensive, but
reliable submachine guns, purchased by more than
120 countries in the world, and of those 90 used it
in quantities of 1,000 or more. It was also manufac-
tured under license in Canada and India. More than
1.7 million L2A3 submachine guns were eventually
produced.
The L2A1 submachine gun as originally adopted
included certain components designed to ease disas-
sembly. The grip screw and retracting handle were
combined to form an Allen key for removal of the
barrel screws and, in addition, the spring block at the
rear of the bolt included a drift punch for removing
the extractor pin.
Although the basic Sterling was never changed, im- The Sterling L2A3’s flip rear peep sight has apertures The three selector positions on the CPS L2A3 are
provements were made in production techniques and two for 100 and 200 meters, while the blade front sight marked “S” for safe, “R” for the British term “Rep-
distinct variants can be noted. The L2A2 incorporated can be turned in or out to regulate elevation zero. etition” or semiautomatic fire and “A” for full-auto.
 The L2A3 accepts the No. 5 blade bayonet originally
issued with the Enfield No. 5 rifle (the so-called “Jun-
gle Carbine”). Its usefulness here is questionable.

The L2A3 barrel is only 7.8 inches (198mm) in length.

The L2A3 submachine gun will It has six grooves and a 1:9.84 right-hand twist (250mm),
reliably feed a substantial num-
which is conventional for the 9x19mm Parabellum car-
ber of projectile configurations,
including hollow-points, such tridge. The barrel is firmly seated inside the receiver hous-
as these Hornady TAP rounds. ing and held in place by two 3/16" Allen head screws at-
tached through its mounting bar at the muzzle end. It is
not normally removed when field stripping.
The front blade sight is adjustable for elevation zero.
Instead of the usual sheet metal The flip rear peep sight has apertures for 100 and 200 me-
platform, the 34-round magazine’s After some preliminary machining, the ters. The total sight radius is 16.4 inches (406.5mm).
follower is composed of two off- magazine well is attached to the re- The Sterling’s trigger assembly is perfectly positioned,
set roller bearings that help ceiver tube by induction brazing using
under and immediately to the rear of the magazine
make feeding unusually smooth. silver solder. This yields a durable joint.
well. The balance characteristics are excellent. The
reinforced, impact-resistant, one-piece, black plastic
grip panels and the grip itself are both the correct size
has been pushed forward by the center pin on the recoil produced many stoppages with the Sten and moving the and shape. The grip-to-receiver angle is ideal, and the
spring assembly. This ensures the retracting handle’s pas- supporting hand forward, past the muzzle could result in selector lever is easily manipulated by the thumb of the
sage through a hole in the center pin, firmly tying the bolt serious injury to the operator. firing hand.
and recoil spring assembly together. As previously mentioned, the magazine well was care- The three selector positions on Sterling Armament Co.
The L2A3’s recoil spring assembly consists of four fully oven brass-brazed to the left side of the receiver tube. L2A3 submachine guns were marked “SAFE”, “I” for
components: the previously mentioned center pin, an in- The 34-round, staggered-column, curved magazine is of semiautomatic fire, and “34” for full-auto (the CPS L2A3
ner and outer recoil spring and a middle housing, which the more reliable two-position-feed-type. Easy to load by used in SGN’s test and evaluation is marked “S” for safe,
connects the two springs. This arrangement, although ex- hand, no special loading tool was ever issued or required. “R” for the British term “Repetition” or semiautomatic
pensive, increases reliability with all types of ammunition. The magazine’s forward lip serves as a feed ramp. Sterling fire and “A” for full-auto). The positioning sequence is
The outer spring absorbs most of the recoil produced by Armament’s magazine body was constructed from four proper, as pushing the lever forward (the natural reac-
soft to medium loads, while the inner spring compresses pieces of spot-welded sheet metal, while that fabricated tion) places the weapon first in the semiautomatic mode
fully only when really hot ammunition is fired. at the Royal Ordnance Factory at Fazackerly was a two- and then into full-auto.
The extruded steel, ventilated receiver tube has two fin- piece unit. The trigger mechanism is unitized and can be easily re-
ger guards mounted on the right side, one just forward of The magazine follower of both is unique. Instead of moved. Merely turn the trigger group retaining pin’s slot
the ejection port and one aft of the muzzle. Useful addi- the usual sheet metal platform, the follower is composed head in alignment with the word “FREE” on the right
tions, as sliding the hand rearward over the ejection port of two offset roller bearings. Once again, it was quite ex- side grip panel and drive out the pin with a small drift or
pensive to produce, but it provided another the nose of a bullet. Pull the trigger back toward the rear,
keen edge in reliability. The heavy, reliable disengage it from the step in the receiver, swing outward
magazine follower spring is a circular coil and remove.
rather than the usual rectangular configura- When the selector is set to the safe position, the discon-
tion. nector remains frozen and the bolt cannot move forward
Magazines for the Canadian C1 subma- or be retracted rearward. When the selector lever is set to
chine gun (a slight modification of the L2A3 “A” (or “34”), its spindle is rotated forward out of contact
that was made by Canadian Arsenals, Ltd.), with the disconnector.
hold only 30 rounds and employed a conven- When the trigger is pulled, the nose of the sear is
tional magazine follower. The Canadian C1 lowered off the bolt’s bent and the bolt will continue
magazine can be fired in the Sterling L2A3, to reciprocate as long as the trigger is held back and
as can the 34-round Australian F1 subma- cartridges remain in the magazine. When the selector
chine gun magazine. lever is set to “R” (or “I”), the selector spindle’s inner
Contrary to the advice provided by Jane’s arm rotates upward to meet the disconnector. When
Infantry Weapons during that time, the the trigger is pulled, the sear comes down as before
32-round Sten and 50-round Lanchester and the bolt flies forward. Now, however, the discon-
magazines, which will fit in the Sterling mag- nector rotates clockwise, causing its nose to slip off the
azine well, should not be used. Their angle of spring-loaded sear, which rises to stop the bolt’s forward
feed is incorrect and premature detonation is travel.
possible, especially in the full-auto mode. The Sterling’s folding stock is my only area of major
criticism, as it’s far too complex. And, in fact, British
army regulations specified that the stock was to be ex-
tended at all times while in a combat zone. It is, however,
The CPS L2A3 submachine gun comes rugged and secure, and once extended provides a firing
complete with four 34-round magazines, platform second only to the wood stocks found on sub-
four-cell magazine pouch, web sling, No. 5
blade bayonet and scabbard, two different
machine guns of earlier vintage.
British army field manuals, and two certifi- With the stock extended, the L2A3 is 27 inches
cates of authenticity, all of which is packed (685.8mm) in overall length. This is reduced to 19.375
in a handmade, fitted wooden chest. inches (492mm) when the stock is folded. While slightly
 tainly an anachronism, at least the No. ling Company, D. Howroyd, all of which is packed in a
5 bayonet was better than earlier Enfield handmade, fitted wooden chest. The price is $10,900 and
spike bayonets. It was a passable fight- this compares very favorably with the current prices of a
ing knife and could also be used to open number of transferrable submachine guns of far lesser
55-gallon drums. In my opinion, the Brit- merit. I purchased the specimen used in the SGN test and
ish spike bayonet was never more than a evaluation and I am very satisfied with it.
modified tent peg.
The Sterling’s web sling is slightly wider
than that of the Sten. The rear is attached CPS L2A3 Submachine Gun
to a non-rotating swivel on the receiver SPECIFICATIONS
tube’s end cap. Adjustment is by means
of a brass buckle and a miniature Enfield- Caliber 9x19mm Parabellum.
type brass loop. The non-rotating, spring- Method of operation Unlocked, pure blowback, fires
loaded brass front hook is attached from the open-bolt position.
The web gear associated with the L2A3 submachine through two of the receiver’s vent holes to the left and Both semiautomatic and full-
gun in British service included a sling, which has
rear of the front sight. auto capability.
brass fittings, and a canvas four-cell magazine pouch.
Conclusions
Cyclic rate Approximately 550 rpm.
I have fired and observed many thousands of rounds
through Sterling submachine guns and I’ve never wit- Feed mechanism 34-round, two-position-feed,
longer than the Beretta M12S and the Uzi, this is still nessed a single malfunction—except as a consequence of staggered-column, detachable
shorter than the Heckler & Koch MP5A3. The L2A3 damaged magazines or defective surplus ammunition. In box-type magazine with unique
weighs 6.5 pounds (2.9 kg), empty and 8 pounds (3.6 kg) the spring of 1983 I spent many days at the Sterling Com- magazine follower consisting of
with a full magazine of 34 rounds. pany factory, talking to the engineering staff and watch- two offset roller bearings.
The L2A3 and other models made by the Sterling ing the assembly of the L2A3 and L34A1 submachine Weight 6.5 pounds (2.9 kg), empty and
Company for commercial sales and to countries outside guns. Much of the previously unpublished information in 8 pounds (3.6 kg) with a full
the British Commonwealth were exterior-finished with this article comes from this visit. magazine of 34 rounds.
a tough and durable black crackle texture, wood-epoxy- The L2A3 submachine gun’s cyclic rate is approximate-
Length, overall With the stock extended, 27
resin baked enamel over phosphate. In addition to the ly 550 rounds per minute; and that is the correct rate of
inches (685.8mm) and 19.375
protection it offered against wear and rust, the wrinkle fire for a pistol-caliber submachine gun. The L2A3 is very
inches (492mm) when the stock
finish reduced glare. controllable in every firing position, accurate, and exhib-
is folded.
L2A3 submachine guns (as well as Enfield rifles its high hit probability at the appropriate ranges. This su-
and many other small arms) in service with the Brit- perbly engineered, beautifully executed, rugged, reliable Barrel length 7.8 inches (198mm).
ish army were given a finish called Suncorite. As it weapon is all one could desire in a submachine gun, and Barrel Six grooves with a right-hand
self-phosphates, pre-Parkerizing was unnecessary. then some. Those not accustomed to the Sten or early twist of one turn in 9.84 inches
Currently owned by the large German company known German submachine guns with magazines positioned on (250mm).
as Henkel, Suncorite contains at least four carcino- the side may initially feel somewhat awkward handling
Finish Black Duracoat over manga-
gens and thus its importation to the United States is it, but among other attributes this configuration permits
nese phosphate.
completely impossible. the lowest possible prone firing position. After 38 years
As a consequence, the CPS L2A3 submachine guns of service, the Ministry of Defence declared the L2A3 Furniture Black plastic, checkered grip
manufactured in the United States are finished with black obsolete in 1994 and destroyed all remaining inventories, panels.
DuraCoat over manganese phosphate, which closely leaving only a few examples in the collection of the fa- Sights Front blade-type sight is adjust-
matches the appearance of the Sterling L2A3 fielded by mous British Pattern Room. able for elevation zero. The rear
the British army. The CPS Company’s L2A3 comes complete with four peep sight is of the flip type,
The L2A3 is fitted with a bayonet lug that accepts the 34-round magazines, four-cell magazine pouch, web sling, with apertures for 100 and 200
No. 5 blade bayonet originally issued with the cal. .303 No. 5 blade bayonet and scabbard, two different British meters. The total sight radius is
British Enfield No. 5 rifle (the so-called “Jungle Car- army field manuals, two certificates of authenticity, one 16.4 inches (406.5mm).
bine”). While bayonets on submachine guns were cer- personally signed by the former chief designer of the Ster-
Price $10,900, complete with four
34-round magazines, four-cell
magazine pouch, web sling, No.
5 blade bayonet and scabbard,
two different British army field
manuals, two certificates of au-
thenticity, one personally signed
by the former chief designer
of the Sterling Company, D.
Howroyd, all of which is packed
in a handmade, fitted wooden
chest. This is a fully transfer-
rable NFA weapon.
Manufacturer CPS Company, Dept. SGN, P.O.
Box 261, Monticello, Wisconsin,
53570; phone: 608-274-7946;
fax: 608-276-7477; website:
www.SterlingL2A3.com.
T&E summary Very controllable in every firing
position, accurate, and exhibits
high hit probability at the ap-
propriate ranges. A superbly en-
gineered, beautifully executed,
rugged, reliable weapon that is
all one could desire in a subma-
The L2A3 is blowback-operated and fires from the open bolt position. Note the chine gun, and then some.
distinctive inner and outer recoil springs, connected by the middle housing.