Free Republic

Few weapons in the modern era ever had a poem penned its honor. But few weapons were ever like the Sten gun. Hastily contrived in the early, desperate days of World War II, it looked like a last-ditch effort to arm British troops—and it was. Terrified Britons knew they did not have enough weapons to repel a German invasion force. The British lost thousands of small arms that were destroyed or simply abandoned after the devastating rout at Dunkirk.

To wrap up our week of semi-mystery guns, we have today a Sten gun copy made by the Polish Resistance. The gun’s owner didn’t have any details about its origin, and I have been unable to find any reference to it either. The gun is marked on the trigger housing and receiver endcap “BATHAU 19412 TDM”, and has no other visible markings.

Paul Tucker demonstrates weapon parts that can easily be obtained through the mail. Tucker’s on a mission to keep the weapons out of the hands of terrorists. Brooks Sample/DFWCN photo Paul Tucker is not the kind of man who most people would expect to be involved in gun control. He's a Marine Corps veteran of Vietnam, member of the National Rifle Association, hunter, and avid gun collector. "I'm for the Second Amendment," the 57-year-old medical software developer and consultant said as he displayed World War II-era British Enfield rifles at his Collin County home. But the terrorism threat looming...

A federal judge fined a Florence man $10,000 and ordered him to spend nine months in home detention for possessing a World War II-era machine gun. U.S. District Judge Karen O. Bowdre also put Paul David Connolly, 49, on five year's probation and ordered him to perform 150 hours of community service. Connolly, who had faced a possible 10-year sentence, had been indicted in April for possessing a Sten machine assembled from a kit. He later pleaded guilty. Connolly's attorney, Jim Sturdivant, said Connolly possessed the weapon for recreational purposes only and he hoped the sentence imposed by the judge...