![sterling mk4 sterling mk4](https://oioiairsoft.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/sterling-2.png)
The caption suggests that the weapon might be a captured trophy.įrom the available photographs the weapon appears to have a matte, rather than crackle paint, finish – this is either an original contract choice or a later armory refurbishment. The photographs are credited to Alexander Kharchenko but sadly no location is mentioned. The twitter post includes a second photograph showing the Sterling’s magazine housing and markings. Following some digging I was able to find what I believe to be the original posting of the photograph online. The weapon featured in the photograph appears to be in remarkably good condition. Sterling successfully marketed the commercial version of the L2A3, the Mk4, to over a dozen countries around the world from Malaysia, to Libya, to Iraq. The Sterling was subsequently sold commercially and licensed for overseas production in both Canada (leading to the C1 Submachine Gun) and India (leading to the 1A Machine Carbine). The L2A3 was produced commercially by Sterling at their plant in Dagenham, UK from 1956 until 1988 with an estimated 211,000 produced.
![sterling mk4 sterling mk4](https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/uploads/gallery/album_40/gallery_12157_40_30917.jpg)
It entered British service as the L2A1 in 1953, evolving quickly to its final form the L2A3. Following extensive testing in the late 1940s and early 1950s the British Army adopted Patchett’s submachine gun to replace the Sten gun. The Sterling submachine gun was developed by George Patchett at the Sterling Arms Company during the latter half of World War Two. Sightings of the Cold War era- Sterling submachine gun, however, have been few and far between. Plenty of surplus World War Two weapons including the StG-44, MG42, Mosin-Nagant, K98ks and even French MAS-36s have been sighted in Iraq and Syria during the regions current multi-sided conflict. 9-MM MACHINE GUN STERLING MK 4 / l2a3 used by a government soldier.” The photograph had the short caption, which once translated, reads: “Syria Ad2018. Milmag, the Polish defense magazine, posted an intriguing photograph on their facebook page. This is his first work for Silah Report, and we hope it won’t be the last! Mathew Moss comes to us as a highly esteemed writer from The Firearm Blog, but he also founded his own fascinating historical small arms research source, The Armourers Bench, in addition to runs his Twitter feed at Historical Firearms.