Sterling serial numbers

[jkno]

Please does anyone has some info on the Sterling serial numbers? Year of release, type, country etc.? Thanks

[Talan Kain]

I don't know much, serial numbers beginning US or UF were British military issue, KR was Sterling commercial for export and there are some prefix 'S' too. Records after 1974 are lost as far as I know, apparently under dodgy circumstances.. 

 

The book Guns Of Dagenham is the best resource there is regarding the weapons made by Sterling Arms 1940-1989 but it's out of print and quite spendy 

Edited December 6, 2013 by Talan Kain

[jkno]

Thanks for the info. That book seems pretty interesting, but quite expensive indeed. I have seen KR and S (or maybe SI?) models so far. BTW do you know please what would that S or SI go for? Any pics of US and UF? Are these separated by cricnkle/regular paint in any way too?

[Turrican]

Hey that's a realy good question.

I would also be very interested to know where my Sterling has gone so far.

 

Just found this:

http://www.uzitalk.com/forums/showthread.php?68349-Sterling-L2A3-Serial-Number-question

 

Mine does start with S and if i look to the list, it was made 1972.

Edited December 6, 2013 by Turrican

[PGHtrooper21]

Hoping Vern will chime in. He know his stuff on Sterlings!

 

Andy

[Talan Kain]

 Any pics of US and UF? Are these separated by cricnkle/regular paint in any way too?

 

They were painted with Suncorite 259 which is a smooth matte/flat black for British MOD specifications, although some British issue weapons ended up with crinkle buttcaps due to a relaxation of the specs after a mess-up with an order for India the main weapon was always Suncorite 259 so smooth matte finishes for the British military issues, never wrinkle or crackle finishes..

[jkno]

Thanks Mark and Stefan!

 

 

Hoping Vern will chime in. He know his stuff on Sterlings!

 

Andy

 

I guess Vern already asked about this here: http://www.uzitalk.com/forums/showthread.php?68349-Sterling-L2A3-Serial-Number-question&p=620455&viewfull=1#post620455

[TK bondservnt[501st]]

I don't know much, serial numbers beginning US or UF were British military issue, KR was Sterling commercial for export and there are some prefix 'S' too. Records after 1974 are lost as far as I know, apparently under dodgy circumstances.. 

 

The book Guns Of Dagenham is the best resource there is regarding the weapons made by Sterling Arms 1940-1989 but it's out of print and quite spendy 

correct!

 

the dates of serials recorded are not listed as you have them.

[Turrican]

correct!

 

the dates of serials recorded are not listed as you have them.

 

Anybody here have this book?

 

Cause of the date of making.

If my serial would be not listed in that book, does that mean my sterling was deployed/sold as an illegal warweapon?

[Turrican]

They were painted with Suncorite 259 which is a smooth matte/flat black for British MOD specifications, although some British issue weapons ended up with crinkle buttcaps due to a relaxation of the specs after a mess-up with an order for India the main weapon was always Suncorite 259 so smooth matte finishes for the British military issues, never wrinkle or crackle finishes..

 

That's very interesting, THX

[Talan Kain]

 

If my serial would be not listed in that book, does that mean my sterling was deployed/sold as an illegal warweapon? 

 

It's a possibility but definitely not a certainty, not that it really matters. There have been a few infamous murky 'backroom' arms deals in British history (we are far from alone in this BTW ) "Arms to Iraq" being one of the better known ones after reports of arms sales in the 1980s to Iraq by British companies lead to a famous judicial inquiry (the Scott Report) and for around 14 years worth of records to mysteriously vanish around the time of this inquiry is a little suspicious..

Most of these records will have been legitimate sales but all arms producing countries are known for backing certain sides 'on the quiet' in foreign wars when it suits them politically only to have it blow up in their faces when the political scene shifts, such as the US, Britain, Switzerland, China etc backing and arming the Mujahideen in Afghanistan against the USSR during the Cold War and early backing of Iraq during the Iran-Iraq war, history is littered with examples like these and it's entirely possible some Sterlings were involved I suppose.  

 

This is just possible Sterling history, not politics and sorry for the slight thread derailment, back to topic.... 

 

 

My Sterling deac is a re-imported KR although it's seen some action by the looks of it and has been repainted a few times, by the looks of it the last coat was hammerite or something similar, there is residue of a wrinkle finish on a small part of the stock. 

 

I am thinking about stripping the paint and redoing it but in what I am not sure yet, I can get hold of Suncorite 259 but it's hazardous and difficult to use, I know it's also old stock so it might not be that stable, it's possibly even unusable. I don't want to recreate the oven baked wrinkle finish because it's not really to my taste personally and I'd quite like it to look like a British military issue so a very slightly textured but basically smooth matte paint might be the final choice.

 

The ex domestic military US and UF prefixes seem to be quite difficult to get hold of but I am trying, in the meantime a lookalike will do

 

Just as it's difficult in most shots to see the fingernail and palm texturing on the gloves used in the film because it's black on black, it's difficult to tell 100% if the E11s had any textured finish or if they were smooth matte. From what I can tell they were smooth, I'm almost certain of that but wouldn't bet my house on it, Bapty is a British company too so it is entirely possible that the Sterlings they hired out for the film were sourced as military surplus from the British Forces. I don't know this to be correct, just supposition on my part although I'd like to know though if anybody has any knowledge of this? 

Edited December 7, 2013 by Talan Kain