Live stream preview

Watch this video and more on History of Weapons & War

Watch this video and more on History of Weapons & War

Start your free trial

Already subscribed? Sign in

The Owen SMG: Looks Bad; Shoots Good

Australia • 3m 10s

Up Next in Australia

  • The Diggers' Dismay: Austen Mk I SMG

    When World War Two began, Australia saw little threat of invasion from Germany (obviously), and sent a substantial number of firearms to Britain to help arm the Home Guard there, which was seriously concerned about the possibility of a German invasion. When Japan and Australia declared war in Dec...

  • Too Late and Not Much Better: the Aus...

    The story of the Austen submachine gun did not end when the Mk I guns were pulled from combat service in 1944. The manufacturer continued to work on an improved version, which would be ready in 1946, after the end of World War Two. Only 200 were made total, and they were both adopted and declared...

  • Sterling Meets Owen: The Australian F...

    The Australian Owen submachine gun was once of the best overall SMG designs of the Second World War, and when Australia decided to replace them in the 1960s, the new F1 design have big shoes to fill. The basic configuration of the top-mounted magazine remained, but coupled with elements of the St...