Sterling Pistols

[bobbidoll]

does any one make the sterling pistol any more? under the name sterling or just using the tooling and a new name? Do any other guns use the same magazines,
there were 22's, 25's, and 380's. I have some and need the info
Bobbidoll

 

[JR47]

Sterling started about 1967 in Buffalo, in 1971 joined with E&R products for more efficient manufacturing. In 1977 moved to Lockport ,NY. Good product & sales up to 1982.
Closed in 1983 during bad econmy period, poor sales & product liability. Overall, a well made, accurate firearm,
at least in the Model 400 MKII, a .380 semi stainless.

Sterling was a division of a larger corporation. They made guns in .22 long rifle, .25 ACP, .380 ACP, and a few in .45 ACP. These were all semi-automatic pistols. Thay aslo produced a single shot pistol with interchangeable barrels. It was vailable in .22 lr, .22 WMR, .357 Magnum, and .44 Magnum.

They lost a product liability case where the boyfriend racked the slide, took the magazine out of the gun, then aimed at, and shot, his girl-friend. The attorney claimed that they were negligent in not equipping thew gun with a magazine safety. After the suit was adjudicated, the parent company pulled the plug on the division making the guns.

I own a well-used Model 400S, stainless, in .380 ACP. I have found no inherent flaws in the gun, nor in the .25 ACP variant that a friend has (Model 300S). Parts are available from Numrich Arms.

According to the Standard catalog of Firearms 2012 Edition, a Model 400S in Excellent Condition is worth $300.00. I paid under $200 for mine, NIB.

 

[bannockburn]

bobbidoll

Eugene Sauls who owned E&R Machining, also owned Sterling Arms as a subsidiary. He had the company from 1972 until 1984 when he closed the doors on Sterling Arms. As far as I know Sterling Arms was never sold to anyone else and all the tooling, dies, and equipment may still be sitting around somewhere in Lockport, N.Y.

 

[bobbidoll]

I have a lot of the sterling magazines, have owned the guns, own the tooling, from when mec-gar made the mags. Looking for a place to sell them, and to find out what they are worth.
Thanks Bobbidoll

 

[dfariswheel]

Probably the best bet on selling the magazines depends on HOW many you own.
You could sell them by the mag on the gun auction sites or Ebay.

If you own a lot of them, you'd probably do best selling them to a parts house like Gun Parts Corporation or Jack First.

The equipment to make them also might be auctioned on a gun auction site like Gun Broker or Ebay or to a company that makes replica magazines like Triple K:

http://www.triplek.com/Products/id/38/grp/412/sg/0/

 

[mgardstr]

Mag needed 380

Bobbidoll,
Do you have a Sterling Arms mk2 400 mag for sale in 380?
Thanks,

 

[EmGeeGeorge]

eBay is best bet; Numrich likes to pay pennies on the dollar for gunparts from what a gunsmith/shop owner friend of mine tells me.
Armslist can be kinda hit or miss(lotsa lotsa flakey types) but with mags it'd be easy to ship, use PayPal, etc.

 

[scaatylobo]

Lockport NY

I still drive past the plant that made them in Lockport NY.

A very good friend Bob W. was their armorer,and told me he had too many blow up during T&E .

I owned 2 and sold them off when it was found that they went off if dropped when loaded [ round in chamber ].

That was a deal breaker for me as I dont carry unloaded defensive pistols.

Due to lawsuit,there is little reason to expect them to ever be in production again.

They were a very solid little gun,and sad that no one redid the design to make them 'drop safe'.

 

[saltyyn1]

I had a Sterling 22 many years ago. Crud would build up on the bolt face...I racked it one day and it emptied the mag, full auto with the safety on. The buildup was enough to slam the rim of the .22 hard enough to make it go bang. I carried it most of the time as a backup while hunting, guess I didn't clean it often enough.

 

[marksrtcop]

Bobbidoll, If you've got a magazine for the Model 400 MK II I'd be looking to buy one. Contact me at [email protected]