STP barrel options?

[SignOfZeta]

In case some are confused, because I was, here are two different Sterling barrel fitment situations. These guns are 30 years apart in age.

This is the OG. The brass part threads in, the flange on the steel part is cut flat on one side to avoid the barrel. These have their own barrel type. Palmer made some once.



This is the newer style. As you can see that the barrel is THICK on these, as wide as the body, and the flange has been moon sectioned out to meet it perfectly. This boxes in the whole structure making it slightly stronger and slightly less dependent on the screw. It also makes sure the screw hole is perfectly clocked straight through. The brass bush is pressed in on these. The threads are "Spyder" but it will be hard to find a barrel that fits the late Sterling this perfectly.



Here we see how much the barrel changed from 92 to 2022 or whatever the exact years are...

[Chuck E Ducky]

For reference my marker posted #9 and #13 post it’s the gold style markers design. It’s probably only a few years old. It’s got the round style brass bushing and the fat style barrel with the short shank like modern Spyders. The freak barrel I posted works perfectly on it. I didn’t realize how many different ways they made these barrels. Guess I got super lucky the thing got perfect first try. I bet that Doc one I posted will work too if you can’t find one like I got and you need the short shank newer style barrel. Most of his barrels are 1” round OD.

[ATBen]

Chuck E Ducky, here's some better pictures of the underside of mine and the various barrels I have. What era/year would you say this one would come from? The front grip screw is definitely more like your golden one.

[SignOfZeta]

There are other periods and options of Sterling. I used to have an early one with a brass lined barrel. That one also had a round pump handle. Yours seems to be of a spec just before my gold one.

Early Sterlings (back bottle valve, right feed, WGP single hole frame) had a full sight rail as part of the main extrusion. The most recent ones have none, just a flared area for the feed (center or stock) to clamp onto. I think this later period is the only era to have the stealth air line but I don't know that.

Yours seems to still have a sight rail but it's cut down toward the front. The feed is vertical and looks permanent. So the sight rail evolved exactly like WGP cocker bodies did...which makes sense.

Is your frame metal or plastic? Maybe this is just the difference between a STP and a Bronze. I know the actual meaning of "STP" and "Bronze" has been flexible. Currently the Bronzes for sale on the AU store are cut down sight rails but right feed and with goofy plastic frames.

[ATBen]

This one is metal. I think it's aluminum and matches the matte black of the body.