Sterling Armaments Company facts for kids
The Sterling Engineering Company Ltd was a company located in Dagenham, England. It was famous for making different types of weapons, including the well-known Sterling submachine gun (L2A3). They also made parts for Jaguar cars. The company closed down in 1988.
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Building Important Weapons
The Sterling Engineering Company was a British company that built weapons. It was located in Dagenham, a town in England. The company became very famous for creating some important firearms.
The Sterling Gun Story
During World War II, two engineers named George Lanchester and George William Patchett helped make the Lanchester submachine gun. After the war, George Patchett designed a new type of gun called the Patchett machine carbine.
This new gun was tested against others in 1947. It was chosen by the British Army in 1953. They named it the L2A1 Sterling submachine gun. This new gun took the place of the older Sten gun. Later, the L2A1 was improved and became the L2A3, also known as the Sterling Mk IV.
Other Products
Besides the Sterling submachine gun, the company also made parts for other weapons. These included the ArmaLite AR-18 and the Sterling SAR-87 assault rifles. They even made parts for Jaguar cars.
What Happened to Sterling?
The original Sterling Engineering Company went out of business in 1988.
However, in 2016, the "Sterling" brand name was brought back. This was done by James Edmiston, who used to be a director at the first company. For now, this new company is mostly quiet. It doesn't have big plans for making weapons again. It mainly offers engraving services.
