Owen Gun
Encyclopedia
The Owen Gun, which was known officially as the Owen Machine Carbine, was an Australia
n submachine gun
designed by Evelyn (Evo) Owen
in 1939. The Owen was the only Australian-designed and main service submachine gun of World War II
and used by the Australian Army
from 1943 until the mid 1960's.
in Sydney
. The gun was rejected because the army, at the time, did not recognize the value of submachine guns. Following the outbreak of war, Owen joined the Australian Army as a private.
In September 1940, the manager of Lysaght’s Works at Port Kembla Vincent Wardell discovered a machine gun in a sugar bag next to his garage when he returned home from work. He showed it to his neighbour, Evelyn’s father who “exploded” at his son’s carelessness and explained the story so far. Wardell became intrigued by the weapon's simplicity and arranged to have Owen transferred to the Army Inventions Board
, where he re-commenced work on the gun. The army continued to view the weapon in a negative light, but the government took an increasingly favourable view.
The prototype was equipped with a top-mounted drum magazine
, which later gave way to a top-mounted straight magazine.
The choice of caliber took some time to be settled. As large quantities of .45 ACP
cartridges were available, it was decided to adopt it for the Owen Gun. Official trials were organized, and Lysaght made three versions in 9 mm, .38-200
and .45 ACP. Sten
and Thompson submachine gun
s were used as benchmarks. As part of the testing, all of the guns were immersed in mud and covered with sand to simulate the harshest environments in which they would be used. The Owen was the only gun that still operated after the treatment. Although the test showed the Owen's capability, the army could not decide on a calibre, and it was only after intervention from the higher levels of government that the army ordered the 9 mm variant. This was very important to the Australian Army.
During the gun's life, its reliability earned it the nickname "Digger's Darling" by Australian troops and it was rumoured to be highly favoured by US troops.
n troops, at that time fighting Japan
ese forces in New Guinea
. Approximately 50,000 Owens were produced from 1941 to 1945.
Although it was somewhat bulky, the Owen became very popular with soldiers because of its reliability. It was so successful that it was also ordered by the United States
and New Zealand
.
The Owen was later used by Australian troops in the Korean
and Vietnam War
s, particularly the scouts in infantry section
s. It remained a standard weapon of the Australian Army until the mid-1960s, when it was replaced by the F1 submachine gun. It was also used in Malaya by British troops, the gun was among their favourites for jungle fighting.
To facilitate cleaning, the ejector is built into the magazine, rather than the body of the gun. This allows the barrel to be removed rapidly, by pulling up a spring-loaded plunger in front of the magazine housing. After removing the barrel, the bolt and return spring are removed in a forward direction, completely dismantling the gun.
Photographic evidence indicates a horseshoe-shaped 72-round magazine was fielded, but little information exists as to the specifics of this variant.
In 2004, an "underground weapons factory" was seized in Melbourne, Australia
, yielding among other things a number of silenced
copies of the Owen submachine gun with magazines instead inserted underneath rather than overhead, suspected to have been built for sale to local gangs
involved in the illegal drug trade
.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n submachine gun
Submachine gun
A submachine gun is an automatic carbine, designed to fire pistol cartridges. It combines the automatic fire of a machine gun with the cartridge of a pistol. The submachine gun was invented during World War I , but the apex of its use was during World War II when millions of the weapon type were...
designed by Evelyn (Evo) Owen
Evelyn Owen
Evelyn Ernest Owen was the Australian who developed the Owen Submachine Gun which was used in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.-Early life:Evelyn Owen was born on 15 May 1915 in Wollongong, New South Wales...
in 1939. The Owen was the only Australian-designed and main service submachine gun of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and used by the Australian Army
Australian Army
The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
from 1943 until the mid 1960's.
History
Owen, an inventor from Wollongong, was 24 in July 1939 when he demonstrated his prototype .22 calibre "Machine Carbine" to Australian Army ordnance officers at Victoria BarracksVictoria Barracks
There are several Victoria Barracks in the world.*Victoria Barracks, Windsor Castle*Victoria Barracks, Melbourne*Victoria Barracks, Hong Kong*Victoria Barracks, Sydney*Victoria Barracks, Brisbane...
in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. The gun was rejected because the army, at the time, did not recognize the value of submachine guns. Following the outbreak of war, Owen joined the Australian Army as a private.
In September 1940, the manager of Lysaght’s Works at Port Kembla Vincent Wardell discovered a machine gun in a sugar bag next to his garage when he returned home from work. He showed it to his neighbour, Evelyn’s father who “exploded” at his son’s carelessness and explained the story so far. Wardell became intrigued by the weapon's simplicity and arranged to have Owen transferred to the Army Inventions Board
Army Inventions Board
The Australian Army Inventions Board, otherwise known as the Army Inventions Directorate, was a government body of the Commonwealth of Australia, set up in 1942 to handle the thousands of inventions submitted by the public. These inventions numbered some 27,000; a mere 127 of which were eventually...
, where he re-commenced work on the gun. The army continued to view the weapon in a negative light, but the government took an increasingly favourable view.
The prototype was equipped with a top-mounted drum magazine
Drum magazine
A drum magazine is a type of firearms magazine that is cylindrical in shape, similar to a drum. Instead of rounds being stored flat, as in a more common box magazine, rounds in a drum magazine are stored in a spiral around the center of the magazine, facing the direction of the barrel.There are...
, which later gave way to a top-mounted straight magazine.
The choice of caliber took some time to be settled. As large quantities of .45 ACP
.45 ACP
The .45 ACP , also known as the .45 Auto by C.I.P., is a cartridge designed by John Browning in 1904, for use in his prototype Colt semi-automatic .45 pistol and eventually the M1911 pistol adopted by the United States Army in 1911.-Design and history:The U.S...
cartridges were available, it was decided to adopt it for the Owen Gun. Official trials were organized, and Lysaght made three versions in 9 mm, .38-200
.38-200
The .38-200 was a British military revolver cartridge identical to Smith & Wesson's .38 S&W cartridge but with specific loadings for military service....
and .45 ACP. Sten
Sten
The STEN was a family of British 9 mm submachine guns used extensively by British and Commonwealth forces throughout World War II and the Korean War...
and Thompson submachine gun
Thompson submachine gun
The Thompson is an American submachine gun, invented by John T. Thompson in 1919, that became infamous during the Prohibition era. It was a common sight in the media of the time, being used by both law enforcement officers and criminals...
s were used as benchmarks. As part of the testing, all of the guns were immersed in mud and covered with sand to simulate the harshest environments in which they would be used. The Owen was the only gun that still operated after the treatment. Although the test showed the Owen's capability, the army could not decide on a calibre, and it was only after intervention from the higher levels of government that the army ordered the 9 mm variant. This was very important to the Australian Army.
During the gun's life, its reliability earned it the nickname "Digger's Darling" by Australian troops and it was rumoured to be highly favoured by US troops.
Production and use
The Owen went into production at the John Lysaght factories at Port Kembla and Newcastle. Between March 1942 and February 1943, Lysaght produced 28,000 Owen Guns. However, the initial batch of ammunition turned out to be the wrong type and 10,000 of the guns could not be supplied with ammunition. Once again the government overrode military bureaucracy, and took the ammunition through the final production stages and into the hands of AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n troops, at that time fighting Japan
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
ese forces in New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
. Approximately 50,000 Owens were produced from 1941 to 1945.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
The Owen was later used by Australian troops in the Korean
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
and Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
s, particularly the scouts in infantry section
Section (military unit)
A section is a small military unit in some armies. In many armies, it is a squad of seven to twelve soldiers. However in France and armies based on the French model, it is the sub-division of a company .-Australian Army:...
s. It remained a standard weapon of the Australian Army until the mid-1960s, when it was replaced by the F1 submachine gun. It was also used in Malaya by British troops, the gun was among their favourites for jungle fighting.
Design
The Owen has a simple blowback design, firing from an open bolt. It was designed to be fired either from the shoulder or the hip. It is easily recognisable, owing to its unconventional appearance, including the top-mounted magazine, and the side-mounted sight required to allow the firer to aim past it. The placement of the magazine allows gravity to assist the magazine spring in pushing cartridges down to the breech, which improves feeding reliability. Another unusual feature is the separate compartment inside the receiver, which isolates the small-diameter bolt from its retracting handle by means of a small bulkhead. This prevents dirt and mud from jamming the bolt, and makes the Owen a highly reliable weapon. Like the Sten, the Owen had a non-folding wire buttstock, but also had pistol grips.To facilitate cleaning, the ejector is built into the magazine, rather than the body of the gun. This allows the barrel to be removed rapidly, by pulling up a spring-loaded plunger in front of the magazine housing. After removing the barrel, the bolt and return spring are removed in a forward direction, completely dismantling the gun.
Photographic evidence indicates a horseshoe-shaped 72-round magazine was fielded, but little information exists as to the specifics of this variant.
In 2004, an "underground weapons factory" was seized in Melbourne, Australia
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, yielding among other things a number of silenced
Suppressor
A suppressor, sound suppressor, sound moderator, or silencer, is a device attached to or part of the barrel of a firearm which reduces the amount of noise and flash generated by firing the weapon....
copies of the Owen submachine gun with magazines instead inserted underneath rather than overhead, suspected to have been built for sale to local gangs
Gangs in Australia
The history of gangs in Australia goes back at least 100 years. Criminal gangs have flourished in the Rocks district of Sydney in its early history in the 19th century, The Rocks Push was a notorious larrikin gang, which dominated the The Rocks area of Sydney, Australia from the 1870s to the end of...
involved in the illegal drug trade
Illegal drug trade
The illegal drug trade is a global black market, dedicated to cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of those substances which are subject to drug prohibition laws. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types of drugs by drug prohibition laws.A UN report said the...
.
