Originally Posted by Martin Bull

The Sten was incredibly cheap to produce and could be turned out in large quantities. A major plus was the ease with which it could be stripped down into its major components ( making it very popular among Resistance movements ).

It inspired little affection among British troops ( in contrast to, say, the Bren and Vickers ) and acquired a number of unflattering nicknames ( 'the Woolworths gun' being one of the most common ). Jamming in dusty or sandy conditions was a serious problem and just about any account you read of Arnhem refers to jammed Stens being thrown away and replaced by captured MP40s.