Big Daddy Grim
Member
Not sure if I want one or not
New Century Arms Semi-Auto Sterling 9mm SMG
- Thread starter Kind of Blued
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Dan Crocker
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AmEngRifles
Member
What I just noticed doing a quick look at the three manufactured Uzi models is that in each category, only one or two are actually being bid on. That seems odd. Wonder if the market is slowing for some reason?
Of course, since only one Sterling shows up at a time, it is being bid on and is up to $740 now. The last one went for $735. I suspect for now the price is going to hover at the $750 range. Most people probably don't know about the new Sterlings. Have they had any press coverage? Like in Guns and Ammo? Both Wise Lite and Century are missing the boat as far as marketing their products.
I am also an old Armalite AR-180 fan and enjoy watching these sell. They don't always reach Reserve, but they are bid on quite actively.
Of course, since only one Sterling shows up at a time, it is being bid on and is up to $740 now. The last one went for $735. I suspect for now the price is going to hover at the $750 range. Most people probably don't know about the new Sterlings. Have they had any press coverage? Like in Guns and Ammo? Both Wise Lite and Century are missing the boat as far as marketing their products.
I am also an old Armalite AR-180 fan and enjoy watching these sell. They don't always reach Reserve, but they are bid on quite actively.
AmEngRifles
Member
What sources do you know for Sterling mags in like new condition? The best price I know of are the groups of 5 for $175.00 on GunBroker. Is there another source?
They look to be $569.95 at J&G, not bad:
http://www.jgsales.com/product_info.php/p/sterling-sporter-9mm-16in-by-cia/products_id/3446
http://www.jgsales.com/product_info.php/p/sterling-sporter-9mm-16in-by-cia/products_id/3446
AmEngRifles
Member
Oh, now THAT hurts! Good find mckean44. Wish I had waited just a bit. Thanks for the great link!
AmEngRifles
Member
Javelin, I have to deduce that if you "confiscated" those Sterlings, they were contraband held by; A. citizens of Iraq, or B. suspected insurgent types, neither of which probably did much routine maintenance or cleaning. Any weapon left to the elements and not cared for will degrade to a point of junk. Some quicker than others. The M-4 could be considered the same if it had thousands of rounds run through it with no concern for cleaning or maintenance. We found that out back during Viet Nam. Anyway, this isn't a contradiction of your experience, just an observation that any gun can be looked upon poorly if it has been neglected. Overall the Sterling has a very good reputation as a sub-gun. That reputation stems mainly from the professional individuals that maintain and operate the weapon within a specified application. The semi auto, since they are an altered design, do not always prove quite as reliable. But once you get it dialed in, it brings together a very efficient design. As we can see though, these Century guns have their issues as well. If we keep on Century, and Wise Lite (where I have more confidence), they may just get it right and we would have another choice for those that like something a bit different. I like the 570 offer from J&G.
AmEngRifles
Member
Javelin, almost forgot, what other weapons did you get a chance to try out when in Iraq? I have heard that in the middle East they had a special cut down version of the old .303 Bren gun, and have only caught a short glimpse of one. One of the gun mags, either SOF or SAR did an article about the diversity of weapons coming out of those confiscations. Wonder where most of those weapons end up. Does the US destroy them in place?
sterling7c
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- 71
First off hello to all as a newbie on the forum.
Javelin: I don't know what Sterlings you got to fire back in Iraq but they must have been really bady (not just badly) treated for a l-o-n-g-g-g time to malfunction. I used the L2A3 for many years in just about every hostile environment and they were totally reliable as well as being extremely accurate. We had to change to the MP5's for political reasons (who can figure out top brass anyway) and didn't much care for them. Easily disabled (God help you if you drop one on it's top side even on moderately hard ground), they DO cook-off after only moderate burst use, and it's nowhere near as easy to empty a full mag on target with them as it is with a Sterling. Not that full mag emptying is often necessary but it was nice to know it could be done.
To stay on topic: the MK 6's that are being put out now are not really identical to the original British SA model (e.g. look at the shape of the ejection port) but they are a pretty good buy at the JG price especially when you compare that cost to (say) an UZI A or B. Yes you can use sten mags in them but that's like putting an OEM mag in your carry gun .. why take the chance. Sten mag lips can easily be tweaked to feed reliably but as I think has already been said on the forum you'd better have either a mag loader or a few spare thumbs if you're not gloved !! The Sterling mag loads like a FAL rifle mag .. just roll the rounds in .. 1 to 34 so easy .. but the Sten mag .. just plain 'orrible.
AmEngRifles: the Bren in original configuration was/is one superb LMG as anyone who has fired one will tell you. Their only real limitation was in mag capacity but with a two man team that was never an issue. They've been seen cut down and hacked in many different ways by various 'groups' all around the world and they would still run fine but none were originally manufactured with a shorter barrel.
Best to everyone.
Javelin: I don't know what Sterlings you got to fire back in Iraq but they must have been really bady (not just badly) treated for a l-o-n-g-g-g time to malfunction. I used the L2A3 for many years in just about every hostile environment and they were totally reliable as well as being extremely accurate. We had to change to the MP5's for political reasons (who can figure out top brass anyway) and didn't much care for them. Easily disabled (God help you if you drop one on it's top side even on moderately hard ground), they DO cook-off after only moderate burst use, and it's nowhere near as easy to empty a full mag on target with them as it is with a Sterling. Not that full mag emptying is often necessary but it was nice to know it could be done.
To stay on topic: the MK 6's that are being put out now are not really identical to the original British SA model (e.g. look at the shape of the ejection port) but they are a pretty good buy at the JG price especially when you compare that cost to (say) an UZI A or B. Yes you can use sten mags in them but that's like putting an OEM mag in your carry gun .. why take the chance. Sten mag lips can easily be tweaked to feed reliably but as I think has already been said on the forum you'd better have either a mag loader or a few spare thumbs if you're not gloved !! The Sterling mag loads like a FAL rifle mag .. just roll the rounds in .. 1 to 34 so easy .. but the Sten mag .. just plain 'orrible.
AmEngRifles: the Bren in original configuration was/is one superb LMG as anyone who has fired one will tell you. Their only real limitation was in mag capacity but with a two man team that was never an issue. They've been seen cut down and hacked in many different ways by various 'groups' all around the world and they would still run fine but none were originally manufactured with a shorter barrel.
Best to everyone.
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sterling7c
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- May 1, 2009
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AmEngRifles: sorry forgot to respond to your question on mags:
$175 is the starting price and they usually go for $200 for 5 but I have to add a rider that (in my experience) the supplier is none too swift in shipping recently and that the description of 'new old stock' shouldn't be taken too seriously.
As for other suppliers which was your real question the answer is yes: try http://www.geocities.com/psarms/SAPriceList.htm
Not the cheapest but they do know Sterlings and you do get what you pay for. Heck, mags for my Steyr GB are around the $180 - $200 mark and are almost impossible to find. Great mag design though.
The other current (dealer) listing for Sterling mags on GB is a Dutch auction, last time I looked they were $40 a piece and the housings looked pretty well worn. Usually that's no problem since they will almost certainly still lockup fine .. it's the roller condition that counts. You can also use sten springs if you need to.
A bit off topic but maybe of interest, I've found the Carl Gustav M45 36 round (final adoption) mags to be the only equal to the Sterling mags for reliability and ease of reloading.
$175 is the starting price and they usually go for $200 for 5 but I have to add a rider that (in my experience) the supplier is none too swift in shipping recently and that the description of 'new old stock' shouldn't be taken too seriously.
As for other suppliers which was your real question the answer is yes: try http://www.geocities.com/psarms/SAPriceList.htm
Not the cheapest but they do know Sterlings and you do get what you pay for. Heck, mags for my Steyr GB are around the $180 - $200 mark and are almost impossible to find. Great mag design though.
The other current (dealer) listing for Sterling mags on GB is a Dutch auction, last time I looked they were $40 a piece and the housings looked pretty well worn. Usually that's no problem since they will almost certainly still lockup fine .. it's the roller condition that counts. You can also use sten springs if you need to.
A bit off topic but maybe of interest, I've found the Carl Gustav M45 36 round (final adoption) mags to be the only equal to the Sterling mags for reliability and ease of reloading.
Mags:
$35, need some cleaning / refinishing
http://www.ima-usa.com/product_info.php/cPath/161_155/products_id/1830
$40, "good condition"
http://www.ima-usa.com/product_info.php/cPath/161_155/products_id/1570
I've always had good dealings with these folks.
$35, need some cleaning / refinishing
http://www.ima-usa.com/product_info.php/cPath/161_155/products_id/1830
$40, "good condition"
http://www.ima-usa.com/product_info.php/cPath/161_155/products_id/1570
I've always had good dealings with these folks.
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sterling7c
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zoom6zoom: good enough company but their 'good condition' Sterling mags are pretty lousy (inc. their hand picked from best in stock + $5) which is why I didn't mention them. FWIW I always give a gun the best mag I can. It's cheaper in the long run, usually less frustrating and for carry it's essential (IMHO).
nero45acp
Member
I'd like to get one, but I want to see a few more range reports from folks before I do.
nero
nero
AmEngRifles
Member
To hesitate may be to miss an opportunity
Mine came with a commercial Sterling mag, the type most people are familiar with. These are the 4 piece constructed mags with the distinctive scalloped edge down the back of the mag made by the Sterling company and not the British Government. Mine appears to have refinished. It had more of a flat parkerizing that the original mags come with. I suspect Century bulk purchased these and they needed a little freshening up.
Here is another little tidbit of info. Apparently Century is contracting to have the barrel made (not by WiseLite) and all parts are shipped to WiseLite for final assembly. I will be taking my feed issue to Century now. I think I am at the very front of the user curve on these Century guns. Wondering if a few more will experience my problem so I can force Century's hand to look hard at their dimensional similarities to the original and correct any shortcomings.
Even with this known issue, since no one knows how long these things may be in the pipeline, I would buy one now from J&G and get it corrected once that correction is arrived at. Remember, mine does feed 115 grain fmj flawlessly. I will move to try 115 hollowpoints next. I am hoping the problem will be relatively easy to fix, even IF I have to find a good gunsmith and make the correction independently.
At just under 6, J&G's is the real bargain. I noticed the last Sterling on GB went for one dollar more than I paid (again from Phoenix). Poor guy must not know about J&G either.
Mine came with a commercial Sterling mag, the type most people are familiar with. These are the 4 piece constructed mags with the distinctive scalloped edge down the back of the mag made by the Sterling company and not the British Government. Mine appears to have refinished. It had more of a flat parkerizing that the original mags come with. I suspect Century bulk purchased these and they needed a little freshening up.
Here is another little tidbit of info. Apparently Century is contracting to have the barrel made (not by WiseLite) and all parts are shipped to WiseLite for final assembly. I will be taking my feed issue to Century now. I think I am at the very front of the user curve on these Century guns. Wondering if a few more will experience my problem so I can force Century's hand to look hard at their dimensional similarities to the original and correct any shortcomings.
Even with this known issue, since no one knows how long these things may be in the pipeline, I would buy one now from J&G and get it corrected once that correction is arrived at. Remember, mine does feed 115 grain fmj flawlessly. I will move to try 115 hollowpoints next. I am hoping the problem will be relatively easy to fix, even IF I have to find a good gunsmith and make the correction independently.
At just under 6, J&G's is the real bargain. I noticed the last Sterling on GB went for one dollar more than I paid (again from Phoenix). Poor guy must not know about J&G either.
IMA must be nearing the bottom of the barrel, then. The ones I got from them last year were almost new in condition. I lucked out and also found another batch on GB for $15 each, so I have about a dozen now including a 15 round Canadian.
AmEngRifles
Member
I am noticing that the ones on GB are now climbing as well. When there were no new Sterlings, I suspect it was tough to move these mags at any volume. I think that will change very quickly.
AmEngRifles
Member
Latest Range Report
2nd time out. Rifle did MUCH better. Egg on my mug as the 124 grains DO work in this rifle. I apparently had 2 mags that had issues first time out. Took different mags to range this time and they fed everything! 115 grain fmj, 115 grain hollow points and 124 grain fmj. I am all smiles. This is a great little carbine. Even managed to work in some Sten mags and they do fine as well.
BUT, I have some of the Finish made mags (these are marked SA in a square, lower front of mag) and they do not even want to go in the mag well. VERY TIGHT, to the point that if you force them in, you can't get them back out. I think the mags I took today were all Brit mags. If they fit in the mag well, they will feed. Best way to shop for Sten mags for the Sterling is to either buy one of a make before making larger purchase or take your Sterling to the gun shows and test fit the mag before purchasing.
I am very pleased except for the fact that I paid a bit too much and discovered too late J&G selling with a set price. They are in stock too as I made the inquiry yesterday.
2nd time out. Rifle did MUCH better. Egg on my mug as the 124 grains DO work in this rifle. I apparently had 2 mags that had issues first time out. Took different mags to range this time and they fed everything! 115 grain fmj, 115 grain hollow points and 124 grain fmj. I am all smiles. This is a great little carbine. Even managed to work in some Sten mags and they do fine as well.
BUT, I have some of the Finish made mags (these are marked SA in a square, lower front of mag) and they do not even want to go in the mag well. VERY TIGHT, to the point that if you force them in, you can't get them back out. I think the mags I took today were all Brit mags. If they fit in the mag well, they will feed. Best way to shop for Sten mags for the Sterling is to either buy one of a make before making larger purchase or take your Sterling to the gun shows and test fit the mag before purchasing.
I am very pleased except for the fact that I paid a bit too much and discovered too late J&G selling with a set price. They are in stock too as I made the inquiry yesterday.
sterling7c
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- May 1, 2009
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- 71
AmEngRifles: great to hear that your MK 6 is now a runner with 124's. If you get issues with a Sterling mag just shove a new sten spring in - it'll work. If it's the rollers (rare) try what you're never supposed to do and squirt some thick lithium based grease between the roller and it's pin - usually works fine. As for paying a little too much for your item .. heck they could have come and gone in a jiffy then you'd be kicking yourself for not picking one up while you could 
Wish I had a dollar for every gun I paid a bit too much for - I'd be pretty well off by now. I think most all of us shooters would be too. A bird in the hand .......
Wish I had a dollar for every gun I paid a bit too much for - I'd be pretty well off by now. I think most all of us shooters would be too. A bird in the hand .......Ric_Knight
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AmEngRifles
Member
My understanding from other sites like UziTalk and GunBoards is that these 15 round Sterling mas at $18.00 are now gone! That didn't take long. I suspect that with this new batch of Sterling rifles being put out by Century, this neglected market will heat up quickly.
Apparently SOG has the Sterlings on backorder. J&G has them in stock, but they are behind in shipping by 2 to 3 weeks. I would go ahead and order up. I think they are going to be just fine. I have had Century actually fix guns for me in the past. While their consistency may SUK, they are trying to run a business and I suspect they will try to keep the customer base happy. And as I stated before, if Century won't fix any problems, I will pay a proper gunsmith to make it right and run. The design is so simple, how hard can it be!!??
Reference the fact that I haven't seen an original Sterling for sale in a good number of months. And if you do, it will more than likely be over 2 Gs. For a WHOLE lot less money, I feel confident I can make this gun run right. I am thinking more and more my initial problem was mag related. Just ordered 6 more new mags to try out. And those were still at $35 a piece. Pretty good buy in my book for a quality mag.
Thanks Sterling7 for the tip. I will take those 2 questionable mags and try running with Sten springs in them. Wish someone would come out with a mandrel to correct feed lip geometry on the Sterling mags.
Apparently SOG has the Sterlings on backorder. J&G has them in stock, but they are behind in shipping by 2 to 3 weeks. I would go ahead and order up. I think they are going to be just fine. I have had Century actually fix guns for me in the past. While their consistency may SUK, they are trying to run a business and I suspect they will try to keep the customer base happy. And as I stated before, if Century won't fix any problems, I will pay a proper gunsmith to make it right and run. The design is so simple, how hard can it be!!??
Reference the fact that I haven't seen an original Sterling for sale in a good number of months. And if you do, it will more than likely be over 2 Gs. For a WHOLE lot less money, I feel confident I can make this gun run right. I am thinking more and more my initial problem was mag related. Just ordered 6 more new mags to try out. And those were still at $35 a piece. Pretty good buy in my book for a quality mag.
Thanks Sterling7 for the tip. I will take those 2 questionable mags and try running with Sten springs in them. Wish someone would come out with a mandrel to correct feed lip geometry on the Sterling mags.
AmEngRifles
Member
HAVOCCENTRAL
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- May 15, 2009
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- 1
Century arms Sterling
My friend just got one of these from J&G. We live in Prescott, Az. so it was just a matter of walking in the store. We went shooting and it was going cyclic on us. At first it would pop off two round bursts, than it popped off six or seven. It jammed quite a bit too, but we were using Wolf ammo so that may have been the problem.
Someone mentioned theirs was firing about 12" low, so was this one.
My friend took it back to J&G and told the salesman it was slam firing and going cyclic, the guy says "oh thats not a problem, it won't hurt anything, it won't fire uless the round is locked in there". My buddy told him he would like to trade it out/get his money back just the same. They traded it out no problem.
We will be shooting it this Sunday, so if we come across any more issues I will post them here.
My friend just got one of these from J&G. We live in Prescott, Az. so it was just a matter of walking in the store. We went shooting and it was going cyclic on us. At first it would pop off two round bursts, than it popped off six or seven. It jammed quite a bit too, but we were using Wolf ammo so that may have been the problem.
Someone mentioned theirs was firing about 12" low, so was this one.
My friend took it back to J&G and told the salesman it was slam firing and going cyclic, the guy says "oh thats not a problem, it won't hurt anything, it won't fire uless the round is locked in there". My buddy told him he would like to trade it out/get his money back just the same. They traded it out no problem.
We will be shooting it this Sunday, so if we come across any more issues I will post them here.
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