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The Sten submachine gun is certainly not the most elegant SMG every
made. Neither is it the safest, especially in the Mk II configuration I
tested for this article. It was, however, the right weapon at the right
time. When the Sten went into production, Great Britain was facing
possible invasion by the Germans and desperately needed weapons to fight
the enemy on the beaches and behind them. British industry and
resources were already stretched to the maximum, thus a weapon that
could be manufactured cheaply and quickly was needed. The Sten was that
weapon.