Owen SMG
 

Sitting at home with the covid 19 rules I've time for some of my bucket list things. I've always been fascinated with the Australian Owen SMG and am gathering information and maybe working up a scale drawing. There's no hope of ever owning one here so that will be the best I can do.

Do any Australian MLUers have access to an Owen who would be willing to share pics, stories, dimensions?

Bruce

Don't think you can get better than this. But no dimensions.

Lang

https://www.artstation.com/artwork/DxLgKR

And this is good history

https://www.guns.com/news/2017/05/24...pacific-photos

might be your lucky day......
 

Hi all: Hope everyone is well and avoiding the virus. IF you have 5 grand kickin' around, you can purchase one at PoCo Military Surplus in Langley BC. You can check it out on their web site under Firearms. It doesn't have a magazine, but I found a "dealer" in Melbourne who would sell one to Canada. Whether it would end up in your lap or not, well ....that's another question. Check it out and maybe some kind soul could post it on the Forum.
Cheers and stay healthy all......Robert

Link is here: https://www.pocomilitary.com/owen-ma...g-missing.html


It is certainly priced not to sell.

Ditto!
 

Rob....you can't shoot the store, they're the innocent party in all this. It's the seller's doing. R

Arrrg...so there is one in Canada and it's for sale. But even trying my best I can't justify $5 grand. It sure is pretty though.

I think I paid over $3K for a C1 SMG, and would do that again in a hearbeat. I have certainly paid more than that for dewats like the Lewis, Vickers, or MAG58. But I have no desire for an Owen. That one will be on the shelf for some time to come I suspect.

shot in dark?
 

Bruce: Email or call them and throw in an offer. It's been on the wall for quite sometime now. It will have limited "collectors" here in Canada, in my opinion.
Nothing to lose Bruce! Good luck.......R

Owen Gun
 

Hi Bruce,

The Owen Gun Mk.1/42 (Lysaght's nomenclature - the Army called it a Mk.I) was:
32 inches overall length with butt;
24 inches overall without butt.
Sling length was 57.5 inches
Weight with butt & empty magazine: 10 lbs 3 oz
with butt, and full mag: 11 lbs
without butt, mag empty: 9.25 lbs
without butt, mag full: 10 lbs

Mag capacity: 33 rounds of 9 mm Parabellum.
Cyclic rate of fire: 600 rpm (as a comparison, an M1928A1 had a cyclic rate of around 700 rpm, and the Austen Mk.I rate was around 500 rpm)

The Owen Mk.I was a selective fire weapon: safe/semi-auto/full auto, selected by different placement of the change lever.

The Owen's nomenclature was different at various times: from acceptance into service until 9 March 1942, it was a 'Carbines, Machine, Owen Mk. ...'. From 9 March 1942 until May 1946, it was a 'Gun, sub-machine' (along with the Thompson and Austen), then it was changed back in May 1946 to being a 'Carbines, Machine, Owen Mk ...' the last change in order to conform with UK practice.

There were three SMGs in service with the Australian Army during WW2: the Thompson (M1928A1, M1 and M1A1), Austen Mk I & II, and Owen, the Austen and Owen being locally manufactured. Others were contemplated (such as the Reising) but not acquired in quantity.

I know of a few Owen guns in public collections in the USA. The Smithsonian Museum of US History has one (or two?), and the Pentagon has one in a corridor display along with other Australian 'stuff'. The Oregon NG Museum also has one. I wonder if the CWM has an example in their firearms collection? Might be worth asking.

There are plenty of files available about the Owen Gun at the Aust National Archives. Using the search terms 'Owen' and 'gun' turned up 114 (not all Owen Gun related), several of which are digitised and available to view on-line:

https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/Sear...msListing.aspx

Using other search terms like Machine Carbine may turn up more. Happy reading, Bruce!

Regards

Mike

Sorry to pitch on this post, i am also looking at building a replica non working Owen just outside profile measurements. Did you have much luck.