Catco Sterling 9mm SMG For Sale Overview

Catco Sterling 9mm SMG For Sale

The Catco (California Arms Tech Co) Sterling 9mm SMG submachine gun is constructed entirely of steel. And plastic and has a shoulder stock, which folds underneath the weapon. There is an adjustable rear-sight, which can be flipped between 100 and 200 yard settings. Although of conventional blowback design firing from an open bolt, there are some unusual features. For example, the bolt has helical grooves cut into the surface to remove dirt. And fouling from the inside of the receiver to increase reliability. There are two concentric recoil springs which cycle the bolt. As opposed to the single spring arrangement used by many other SMG designs.

This double-spring arrangement significantly reduces “bolt-bounce” when cartridges are chambered, resulting in better obturation, smoother recoil and increased accuracy. Additionally, the Sterling uses a much-improved (over the Sten) 34-round curved double-column feed box magazine, which is inserted into the left side of the receiver. The magazine follower, which pushes the cartridges into the feed port, is equipped with rollers to reduce friction. The bolt feeds ammunition alternately from the top and bottom of the magazine lips. And its fixed firing pin is designed so that it does not line up with the primer in the cartridge until the cartridge has entered the chamber.

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The Sterling employs a degree of what is known as Advanced Primer Ignition, in that the cartridge is fired while the bolt is still moving forward. A fraction of a second before the round is fully chambered. The firing of the round thus not only sends the bullet flying down the barrel. But simultaneously resists the forwards movement of the bolt.

By this means it is possible to employ a lighter bolt than if the cartridge was fired after the bolt had already stopped, as in simple blowback, since the energy of the expanding gases would then only have to overcome the bolt’s static inertia (plus spring resistance) to push it backwards again and cycle the weapon; whereas in this arrangement some of this energy is used up in counteracting the bolt’s forwards momentum as well; and thus the bolt does not have to be so massive. The lighter bolt makes not only for a lighter gun, but a more controllable one since there is less mass moving to and fro within it as it fires.