Question about MK III STEN

[Nige H]

Hi Mick,
as to a jig, the REME guy I've spoken to said all they did was push the bolt to the forward position, with an empty magazine into the gun, and then drill the hole tough the tube from the inside, using the factory hole in the bolt as the guide.

Here's the relevant page for the August 1942 armourers catalogue with part numbers for Mk1 components including the cocking handle, and early type bolt assembly, as I stated before the safe hole and nipple on the end of the cockling handle and the corresponding hole in the bolt can be clearly seen in the line drawings.





Nige.

[Mick]

The jig I was refering to replaces the cocking handle. It holds the drill in line and locates the bolt in the correct position so the hole can be drilled in exactly the right place without damaging the bolt. It's just a piece of steel tube of the correct id for the drill bit that's about an inch long.
I am certain these jigs were used as it's almost impossible to get it right without the jig.