Its replacement, the Sterling, was still cheap, but constructed to much higher standards.
When the film Star Wars was made, the British Pinewood Studio used prop Sterlings, with the folding stock folded up, no extended magazine on the left side, and a low powered scope mounted backwards so that the big end faced the shooter, as blaster rifles for the Imperial Storm Troopers.
It was one reason why the suits from 20th Century Fox were appalled when they saw the rough cut, with no visual special effects or sound effects. The thrilling battle scenes, shorn of special effects, were just a bunch of guys in sci-fi costumes running around pantomiming shooting at each with Sterling submachine guns with the scope on backwards.