Sterling

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The ^🌐Sterling is an open bolt submachine gun that saw service with the British Commonwealth. Many were also sold to or copied by foreign countries. It fires the 9×19mm Parabellum cartridge, typical of most pistols and submachine guns. Its most distinctive feature is the horizontal magwell, feeding rounds from a sideways magazine. Today, It is most often used by insurgent and rebel groups, as the Sterling is a cost effective firearm and is easily manufactured and operated.

Insurgency

Sterling
Slot	Primary
Category	Submachine gun
Faction(s)	Insurgent Forces
Statistics
Caliber	9×19mm
Fire Rate	600rpm
Magazine Capacity	34
Reserve Ammunition	34+102 30+170(CR) 30+204 (CC)
Fire Modes	Automatic
Attributes
Damage	60-32
Reload Time	3.00s loaded 4.17s unloaded
Spread	0.40
Miscellaneous
Weight Points?	86/640
Length?	16
Console Commands?	sterling

The Sterling is one of two SMG's available to the Insurgent faction (the other being the MP40). It has a low-moderate rate of fire, at 600 rounds/min, and fires from 34 round detachable box magazines, inserted into the left side of the firearm.

It is lightweight, and weighs the same as the MP40, but fires 50 rpm faster and has 2 more rounds per magazine. A mere 50 extra RPM and 2 more rounds seems marginal in the grand scheme, but in CQB it could make all the difference.

Strangely well received by the community despite only having slightly better statistics than the much maligned MP40, the Sterling's advantages are largely ergonomic, boasting the lightest weight of any of the SMG's and on par with the MP40 (But with higher recoil) and a slightly faster reload from empty when compared to its peers.

However, its iron sights are much more obstructive than the open-top iron sights of the MP40. A small trade-off to ensure balance between the two weapons.

Attachments

Optics	Kobra Sight 2x Red Dot PO 4x24 CO-OP only: Holographic Sight Red Dot C79 scope
Barrel	Suppressor
Siderail	Flashlight Laser Sight
Ammunition	AP Ammo HP Ammo Tracer Ammo

Insurgency: Sandstorm

Sterling
Slot	Primary
Category	Submachine gun
Faction(s)	Insurgent Forces Breacher
Supply Points	1
Statistics
Caliber	9x19mm
Fire Rate	500 rpm
Velocity	381 m/s
Penetration	168 pp
Horizontal Recoil	18
Vertical Recoil	17
Magazine Capacity	34 rounds 50 (Ext.)
Reserve Ammunition	3 mags 5 (LC) 7 (HC)
Fire Modes	Fully automatic
Miscellaneous
Weight	11%

The Sterling is a submachine gun featured in Insurgency: Sandstorm. It was added in the Operation Nightfall update.

Compared to other SMGs such as the MP5, the Sterling has a slow rate of fire, making it very controllable but with the cost of reduced fire power. Additionally, the Sterling has quite a large capacity, sporting 34 rounds in the default magazine and 50 with the extended magazine. This, combined with its slow fire rate, make reloads less frequent.

Attachments

Optics	1.5x PK-AS 1x Kobra 1x MARS 1x MRO 1x OKP-7 1x Red Dot 1x Holographic 2x-1x Holographic 2x-1x Kobra 2x-1x MARS 2x-1x OKP-7 2x-1x Red Dot 7x Hunting Scope 7x Sniper Scope 4x M150 4x-1x C79 4x-1x SU230 6x-3x Red Ring Scope 6x-3x T Scope 4x-1x M150 BUS 4x-1x SU230 BUS
Underbarrel	Quick Draw Grip Loading Grip Aiming Grip Recoil Grip
Barrel	Suppressor
Magazine	Extended Magazine
Siderail	Laser Sight

Media

Coming soon

Trivia

General

• In both games, the in-game model is based on the Mk. IV variant of the Sterling, known as the L2A3 in British service. Attaching a suppressor to the weapon in both games turns it into the integrally suppressed Mk. V variant, designated as the L34A1.
  • The Mk. IV Sterling has both semi and full-auto fire modes, but in both games the weapon is full-auto only.

Insurgency

• The Sterling fires from an open bolt, and thus is unable to store an extra round in the chamber.
• The Sterling is the only Insurgency weapon to have a integral suppressor when the attachment is selected. In the real world, however, the suppressed and unsuppressed variants of the Sterling are two different weapons, and the ability to add or remove the suppressor in-game is not true to life. It could however be argued that the weapon was simply switched out for the suppressed variant when selected.
• The Sterling is the only Insurgency weapon to have a magazine that is inserted from the side of the firearm. Interestingly, this has no noticeable effect on weapon performance, as in real life the Sterling would always tend to the left because of the magazine being on the side; this is one of the reasons it was phased out.
• The player uses his supporting hand to hold the Sterling by the magazine. This type of grip not recommended in real life, as the force of the supporting hand combined with recoil can dislodge the magazine and cause midfeeds.
  • However, the poor grip of the firearm can be attributed to the poor training of the Insurgent Forces.
    • Despite this, Security Forces who pick up the Sterling also wield the firearm this way. However, this can further be attributed to the fact that, although they might be considered highly trained, Security Forces might also not be familiar with this specific weapon and thus how to handle it properly.

Insurgency Sandstorm

• Unlike the previous game, the player correctly holds the Sterling by the heat shield instead of the magazine.
• The Sterling has a permanently-welded Picatinny rail on the top of the receiver that is present even if no optic is equipped.
• The suppressed variant of the Sterling omits the Mk. V's wooden foregrip and instead features a Sten Mk II(S)-style leather sheath wrapped around the suppressor. This is most likely to make its shape more similar to the unsuppressed variant, so that handling animations can be reused.
• As of the Nightfall update, the Sterling can be picked up from dead enemies in the Range as well as Co-op.