Sterling conversion

[welshchris77[TK]]

Finally got around to doing a post on my sterling conversion. Marv's t track, real counter (blue snaggletooth) and real scope. The scope I got of the italian ebay I think it was, he seems to have an endless supply of them as he always has them up for sale  and has sold loads of them.

I custom made my scope rail in one piece from some scrap steel.

It took me months to get my sterling even after I bought it because of all the red tape I had to go through to get it into the Republic of Ireland. Had to get special permission from the local Garda (police) superintendent first, thought it would just be a formality when I sent him a letter asking if I could import a deac, got a letter back asking why I wanted  to buy a machine gun so I replied with a lengthy letter explaining all about star wars and E11's.

He gave me permission but first I had to get a visit from a firearms officer to check I had a suitable safe to keep the gun in, then I had to apply for something called a 'article 7' which allows me to keep the gun, when this eventually came through I then had to apply for a special import license document and send it along with the article 7 to the UK dealer who put all the documents with the gun and sent it by courier to me and eventually a brown box arrived at my door and I had the biggest grin ever! .

All in all I think It may have taken 6 months or more from the time I first secured the sale of the gun to when it arrived, was an epic journey to be honest but glad I persevered.

Wasn't much to do for the conversion really, attach t track, make counter bracket and attach counter and scope and cut down magazine. All finished in a day or two.

I think I'm going to leave all original paintwork on the sterling and parts as it gives it so much character.

 

 

Its interesting to see what has been done for the deactivation process, what I can see so far is as follows;-

 

The bolt has been sliced through at an angle and welded to the inside of the body, the bolt is also welded near the cocking handle slot.

A hole has been drilled to the left of the magazine well and a steel pin inserted through and welded into place on the barrel and body. 

Also it looks like the inside barrel has had a slot ground through most of the its length underneath and a steel rod inserted and then welded in place, you can just about see this through some of the vent holes in the body.

Alan key bolts on the muzzle welded.

Various parts of the trigger mechanism and selector switch have been welded up but there is a little play in the trigger.

 

 

 

Hope you all enjoy the pics!

[welshchris77[TK]]

Couldn't resist posing for a few pics with my E11's

 

[TK-50101 Blue Snaggletooth[TK]]

A real beauty conversion.

[welshchris77[TK]]

Thanks Dennis

[usaeatt2]

Nicely done, Chris.  They obviously wanted to make SURE it couldn't be reactivated - those are impressive deactivation measures.  Glad to see you persisted through all the government red tape.  Even with the deactivations, you've still got a REAL Sterling, which is priceless for comparisons and measurements.  Thanks for all the pictures!  Looking GOOD!!!

[jkno]

Great piece! Congrats!   Nothing beats a real Sterling converted as E-11 Stormie blaster!

 

So you can pull back the cocking lever?

[welshchris77[TK]]

Thanks Aaron, yes a very good job of deactivating was done on this by the 'The Birmingham gun barrel proof house', I think there is no fear of anyone ever trying to re-activate this gun as the process  would pretty much destroy it.

 

Here are copies of my documents, with some of the details blacked out just incase for legal reasons, if anyone is interested in them.

 

Yes by the way Sergiu, you can pull back the cocking lever

 

[usaeatt2]

Hard to beleive with all this paperwork on file, you still have to store it in an approved gun safe.  Thanks for taking the time to post the documents!!!

[welshchris77[TK]]

I know its a bit mad alright Aaron but I think the whole issue of deactivated weapons In The Republic of Ireland is a bit of a grey area with no definitive laws on them, because of this they don't really know how to classify them so they more or less just use the existing laws on the likes of shotguns etc. which you need gun safes for.

Its a shame really as I would love to leave it permanently on display in the new display case I made, sometimes I put it in for the day but lock in up back in the safe if I go out or at night.

Its ok though, the main thing is I have it so I don't care, I can take it out from time to time and just drool over it, lol!.

As far as I know I'm the only person to own a deac sterling in the republic of Ireland, would love to know if anyone else does or is planning on getting one, maybe I could help out., troopers helping troopers 

Edited August 11, 2014 by welshchris77