TricklessMagic
Posts: 248
Joined: 9/14/2009
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Actually having met a veteran of the 1948 war who was a Hagannah member, there's a wonderful set of tales. As to lipstick tubes, they were made of quality brass and as such they were formed into rifle cartridges. As so tons of lipstick tubes were imported into Israel. The Isaelis could make pistol cartridges for Sten guns and pistols but rifle cartridges were more difficult to make from scratch. Cartridge fabrication is very difficult to do but not impossible and if you have the time to make them you will. I learned how to make primers for berdan and boxer primed cartridges. It can be done by hand with simple tools but it's a pain in the neck and very time consuming.
Now the STEN, oh god the STEN. Most folks don't understand the concept of the "Tube Gun." Well STENs are ridiculously primitive Tube Guns. Little more than zip guns with open bolt firing mechanisims. The most complicated part of the STEN gun is the semi-auto select function for the firearm. The reality is that fully auto tube guns are easier to make than semi-auto tube guns. The semi-auto function requires the addition of more parts and precision fitting. America had it's own tube guns in the form of the Reising and M4 Grease Gun but that's another story.
Now where did the STENs come from in Israel, then Palestine? Simple really. Many places. There was one kibbutz that made a ton of them but the operation of manufacture was based well within the Jewish territories. The STENs barrels were rifled with simple sine bar rifling methods. Sine bar rifling apparatus can be made and housed in the home so long as someone understands geometry and has a method of drilling out and forming the small parts. Were these apparatus Pratt and Whitney machines, by god no. They were simple hand operated machines that were typically six feet by three feet, and some smaller. The cutting heads were anywhere from thirteen to twenty six pieces. All that was needed was bored out and reamed barrels which were typically supplied by specialized shops. There's a lot more to it but I doubt anyone really cares.
Now were guns smuggled into Israel, oh absolutely. The Hebrew 3rd Brigade (Division? I can't remember exactly) that fought for the British made up of Israeli Jews smuggled as much back as they could, and they also stole what they could as well which was pretty easy given that most of them resembled the English occupiers. The French funny enough were very helpful in supplying anti-tank and mortar weapons to the Jews.
Czech manufactured 8mm Mausers made their way to Israel by way of France and the Czech. Some Americans got guns over but they were rare and few. The vet I spoke with was from Virginia, Jewish, fought in Patton's 3rd Army, then moved to Israel where he lived till the eighties. His family mailed him a Colt 1911 after he moved to Israel with a few hundred rounds of ammo which he told me he used up in about two weeks of fighting in reprisal campaigns pre-1948 and then he could almost never get ammo for it that wasn't hand made by the local Hagannah. It got to a point where he traded it and carried a Poslih Radom 9mm which bore some resemblance to the 1911 as 9mm was more plentiful.
Under British occupation, under the threat of Arab violence, the nation of Israel was forged with steel and sweat, and tempered with luck.
Oh and to make a STEN, all you need is the same equipment it takes to make a bicycle the old vet told me. Having made my own semi-auto closed bolt STEN pistol (the parts kit came with a surplus rifled barrel) with little more than a dremel, drill press, and hand files, I believe him.
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A few questions about gun control... - 
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