Sten kit build

[SpookyPistolero]

Hello all,

I have been interested for quite a while in building a semi-auto sten from a kit. Im aware of the parts that have to be added/changed to meet the semi-auto requirements, but Im not completely sure about barrel length. With the assault weapons ban in effect, does anyone have any knowledge as to whether the barrel has to be 16" or not if it is built from original parts on a new reciever? I'd definitely be waiting until september if I would have to add a 16" monstrosity to the end of it.
I do ask this with the understanding that no one here is a lawyer and this is not legal advice. I also wasnt quite sure if this was the right category to ask this question in, so I apologize if not! Take care.

-Spooky

 

[bobs1066]

Spooky, as I understand it, the AWB sunsetting will have no affect on barrel length laws. IIRC, those are defined by GCA '68. Less than a 16' barrel on a firearm with a shoulder stock would be a Short Barreled Rifle & require jumping thru numerous hoops to own legally.

 

[TODD3465]

Another little stumbling block is the open bolt fire, even if you made a semi auto it has got to be closed bolt operation IIRC. Unless this was ATF ruling on specific weapons like the MAC-10/11 and the UZI cabines.

I used to own a semi-auto MAC-10 in .45 for plinking that fired open bolt but I remeber some law coming out restricting later ones to firing from a closed bolt. Actually increased the value of mine so I traded it off for a new Stainless Mini-14.

I'd do a indepth study of the regs before messing with building one.

 

[armoredman]

Weapon must be 24" long, with a 16" barrel - that's NFA of 34, the first national gun control law. You would need to contact BATFE to get the paperwork to create a short barreled rifle, and fork out the $200.00 for the stamp.
I have heard of the open bolt thing, but I think that was MAC specific, as it was said they were very easily converted to full auto. Contact you local ATFE agent for clarification, or visit thier website.

 

[Cortland]

The original semi-auto TEC-9s were fired from an open bolt, too. I think all open-bolt semi-autos are verboten since the law (NFA or FOPA or ..?) makes no distinction between a machine gun and a gun that can be trivially converted to a machine gun.

Additionally, how does your state's machine gun law read? The machinegun laws of most machine gun States say that machine guns are illegal, but an exception is made for Federally registered machine guns. Of course the Feds haven't registered a machine gun since 1986. A minority of machine gun states, like Virginia (and Arizona?), have no requirement for Federal registration. So if you have a few extra hundred thousand dollars and wouldn't mind retiring to Club Fed if things don't work out -- why not be a test case? In fact, wasn't there a case recently about an AZ-made full-auto Sten? I believe the ruling was that the Feds had no authority over the gun, but that of course will be appealed to a court which will overturn that finding, which will be appealed all the way to the Supreme Court, which will decline to hear the case. Firearms manufactured in the absence interstate commerce is a topic that has not been adequately addressed by the courts, but I do patiently wait for the day when I might build my own legal full-auto intrastate Virginia Sten. But I sure as hell ain't gonna be no test case.

 

[Badger Arms]

The Interdynamic KG-9 was an open bolt that was laughably easy to convert to full-auto. They modified it significantly to the closed-bolt KG-99 which later became the Tec-9, then the Tec-DC9, then the AB-10. All were crap, but the older Tec's seem to be made sufficiently well to go bang most of the time. Any machinest with a lathe can make an bolt to turn a Tec-9 into an open-bolt MG within an hour. This isn't rocket science. An open bolt mechanism is VERY simple to produce. Get the weight about right and the spring tension kinetics have already been worked out.

If you want a semi-auto Sten, I believe there are a number of available kits on the market. It takes patience and some technical know-how. Can't help you with the sources, though. I'm more interested in the real thing.

 

[Johnny Guest]

Hey, wait a second!

CORRECTION on above:

armoredman[/b] wrote:

Weapon must be 24" long, with a 16" barrel - that's NFA of 34, . . .

You're two inches short on overall length. Rifle or shotgun, either one, must be twenty-SIX inches (26") overall length. You're correct as to minimum rifle barrel length of 16", and shotgun barrel(s) must be 18" minimum.


Best,
Johnny

 

[whm1974]

You're two inches short on overall length. Rifle or shotgun, either one, must be twenty-SIX inches (26") overall length. You're correct as to minimum rifle barrel length of 16", and shotgun barrel(s) must be 18" minimum.

The shotgun has to be 28" overall length.

-Bill

 

[mk_ultra]

Valkyrie Arms makes a semi-auto , forged sten - clone that fires from a closed bolt IIRC



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