A British 9×19mm Parabellum submachine gun. It was tested with the British Army in 1944–1945 as a replacement for the Sten gun, but it did not start to replace it until 1953. A successful and reliable design, it remained as standard issue with the British Army until 1994, when it began to be replaced by the L85assault rifle.
The Sterling utilizes conventional blowback open bolt design. Its bolt has helical grooves cut into the surface to remove dirt and fouling from the inside of the receiver to increase reliability. The weapon is constructed entirely of (stamped) steel and plastic and has a bottom-folding stock. Similar to the its predecessor, the magazine is inserted sideways.
