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Sterling "sporter" rifle. Can it be converted?


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A friend of mine in my Garrison has connections to a supplier of Sterling "sporter" rifles. Basically, these are the Sterlings we are all familiar with except with a 16 inch barrell. Sticks out way past the nose of the gun.(Sorry Vern, my typing skills need work)

Anyway, I am on the fence about getting one of these because I don't know if the front muzzle of the standard L2 A3 is interchangeable with the "Sporter" or if major modifications need to be done. Does anyone have this experience?

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yea, it is BIG trouble if you cut down a barrel.. (i have looked into this) it is actually a felony!!

 

 

To legally shorten a barrel, you must shorten it to no less than 16 inches and recrown the barrel (you cant just take a hacksaw to it :P). If you go shorter than that, you must apply for and get an SBR stamp. SBR is short barrelled rifle. and you need to check local laws as well.. call your local gunsmith and ask about this as i am no expert by any means.. but after talking to my local authorities i just gave up on the idea lol..

 

also you need to pay a hefty tax to uncle sam before legally making the modifications ;)

 

in the end it would be for too costly and time consuming to do this legally... and you really don't want the ATF knocking on your door :laugh1:

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I just looked this up in my copy of the Guns Of Dagenham (my Christmas present!) and it's even more complex really. Because of the US BAFT 16" barrel law Sterling had to do a redesign on the whole barrel all the way back to the breech block. Which means that even if you could get the heavy new muzzle design off the sports rifle and replace it with an offset bayonet mounting muzzle, you would also need to obtain a whole new barrel from an original MK4 in order to attach the muzzle to the receiver. It's getting that barrel that would be almost impossible for the reasons Mason mentioned above...

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Thats about an average price on the sterling. It's probably a century arms model. Century arms is hit or miss. They basically clone popular models. They make a C93 for about $600. They use real H&K parts but don't bother with the machined tolerances. So its luck of the draw. You get some that all the tolerances just happen to be in spec. These guns are dependable beyond your lifetimeand much cheaper than the $2000+ HK93 model. On the opposite end of the spectrum you end up with an all out of whack gun that jams more than it shoots and is better sold. If Century Arms ever makes a MP44, I'll buy the first one I can test fire.

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believe it or not, my intention was never to even fire it. If it was a simple fix, The first thing I was going to do IF I was to get one was to disable it. BUT, in order to do that properly, you need to bring it someplace, have them certify that it's a now a deac then they find out I don't FFA card and I go to jail......All for the sake of an E-11. That's dedication!!

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  • 3 weeks later...

believe it or not, my intention was never to even fire it. If it was a simple fix, The first thing I was going to do IF I was to get one was to disable it. BUT, in order to do that properly, you need to bring it someplace, have them certify that it's a now a deac then they find out I don't FFA card and I go to jail......All for the sake of an E-11. That's dedication!!

 

 

couldn't you just remove the whole inner barrel? if that could be done, the gun won't be able to fire, correct? and you can just add the end piece on the outer housing/vent... no? i don't think that would be illegal.

 

in Vegas, i'm able to carry firearms in public... heh

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Ad far as i´ve learned in the US the receiver tube of the Sterling is considered a automatic weapon, in both cases: just the tube or fully equipped.

 

No matter if you have a real sterling or just a piece of steeltube that was drilled and slotted accordingly, you better take care you have the legal permission to own it.

Edited by Lichtbringer
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