Austen MK1

A Little British, a Little German, and Very Australian.

Welcome back to another Owen Guns Firearm Friday!

This week we're winding the clock back to the dark days of the Second World War, when Australia was facing one of the greatest threats in its history, our factories were working around the clock, and Australian ingenuity was being put to the ultimate test.

But before we get stuck into this week's piece of military history, we want to say a massive THANK YOU to everyone who joined us for last week's article on the legendary SLR!

With over 1,500 likes, it became our most popular Firearm Friday article yet! The comments, stories, memories and enthusiasm from our fantastic shooting community, our veterans and servicemen alike who told stories of the days of the SLR have been absolutely incredible. It's wonderful to see so many people sharing our passion for firearms history, and we genuinely appreciate every bit of support. Without you lot, we'd just be talking to ourselves about old forgotten guns, and while Ron probably wouldn't mind that, it's much better having you all along for the ride!

Now, last week we were talking about a rifle that became an icon of Australian military service. This week, we're heading a little further back in time to look at a firearm that was born out of wartime necessity, Australian ingenuity, and a rather unusual marriage of British and German engineering.

Introducing the Australian-made Austen Mk I Submachine Gun!

By 1942, the Second World War had well and truly reached Australia's doorstep. Singapore had fallen, Japanese forces were advancing through the Pacific, and Australia was facing the very real possibility of attack. With thousands of servicemen being mobilised and equipment in desperately short supply, the Australian government was looking for ways to manufacture more of its own weapons rather than relying entirely on shipments from overseas.

One of the weapons urgently needed was the submachine gun. Compact, capable of automatic fire and chambered for pistol ammunition, these firearms were particularly useful for soldiers operating in confined spaces, defensive positions and the thick vegetation of the Pacific.

Of course, most Australians with an interest in military firearms will be familiar with the famous Owen gun, one of the great Australian success stories of the Second World War. But what many people don't realise is that Australia was actually manufacturing another submachine gun at roughly the same time, and this one had a rather different family tree.

Enter Austen MK1!

The name itself gives away a fair bit about its origins. Take the AUS from Australia, combine it with the STEN from the British Sten submachine gun, and you've got yourself an Austen. Not exactly the most imaginative naming department, but when there's a war on, we suppose you've got bigger things to worry about!

The British Sten was a remarkably simple firearm, developed to be manufactured quickly and cheaply at a time when Britain desperately needed weapons. With its tubular receiver, side-mounted magazine and rather agricultural appearance, it was never going to win any beauty contests, but it was straightforward to produce and did the job it was designed for.

Australian engineers took the basic Sten concept and decided they could improve upon it, and this is where things get particularly interesting.

Rather than simply copying the British design, they incorporated several features inspired by the German MP40 submachine gun. The most obvious was the folding metal stock, which made the Austen considerably more compact when folded. It also featured a forward pistol grip and a telescoping return-spring arrangement influenced by the German weapon.

The result was a rather peculiar-looking firearm that was part British Sten, part German MP40, and entirely Australian in manufacture. You could almost imagine a British engineer and a German engineer arguing over the design while an Australian bloke stood in the middle saying, "She'll be right, we'll just use a bit of both!"

Mechanically, the Austen was a 9mm Parabellum submachine gun operating on a simple blowback system and firing from an open bolt. It was capable of both semi-automatic and fully automatic fire, fed from a 32-round magazine mounted horizontally on the left side of the receiver, much like its British relative.

It had a barrel approximately 198mm long, weighed around 4kg unloaded and had a rate of fire of approximately 500 rounds per minute. With its stock extended, it measured roughly 840mm overall, although the folding stock allowed it to be shortened considerably for transport and storage.

One of the more unusual aspects of the Austen was the way it was manufactured. Australian companies including Diecasters Ltd and W.T. Carmichael Ltd were involved in production, and the firearm made extensive use of die-cast components. This was an interesting approach at the time, allowing Australian industry to put existing manufacturing capabilities to work producing military equipment.

Production of the Mk I began in 1942, with approximately 19,000 examples manufactured. A smaller number of improved Mk II models were also produced, bringing total Austen production to around 20,000 firearms.

Now, here's where the story takes an interesting turn.

At the same time the Austen was entering production, another Australian-designed submachine gun was making quite a name for itself, and unfortunately for the Austen, it was a very difficult act to follow.

That firearm was, of course, the Owen gun.

While the Austen was based on established European designs, the Owen was the product of Australian inventor Evelyn Owen, whose unconventional design had initially struggled to gain official attention. Once the military began putting it through its paces, however, the Owen quickly demonstrated some remarkable qualities.

The Owen's top-mounted magazine, internal design and exceptional resistance to dirt, mud and moisture made it particularly well suited to the harsh conditions encountered by Australian troops fighting in New Guinea and throughout the Pacific.

And if there's one thing a soldier fighting in a tropical jungle doesn't want, it's a firearm that decides to stop working because it's swallowed a bit of mud!

The Austen, although a perfectly serviceable design in many respects, struggled to match the Owen's reputation for reliability in difficult conditions. Its Sten-derived arrangement was more vulnerable to the effects of dirt and debris, and despite its clever features and folding stock, it simply couldn't compete with the rugged dependability of its Australian rival.

That's not to say the Austen was a complete failure. It was issued to Australian forces and saw wartime service, including in the Pacific theatre. It was a functional submachine gun produced at a time when the country desperately needed weapons, and it contributed to Australia's wartime armament effort.

However, as the Owen continued to prove itself, the Austen gradually found itself pushed into the background.

The Owen would go on to become one of Australia's most respected military firearms, remaining in service for decades after the Second World War, while the Austen largely disappeared from military use following the conflict.

And that's perhaps the most interesting part of the Austen's story.

Here was a firearm that combined ideas from two of Europe's best-known wartime submachine guns, incorporated Australian manufacturing techniques, and was produced in considerable numbers during one of the most desperate periods in our nation's history.

Yet despite all of that, it was overshadowed by a homegrown design that looked decidedly unusual but worked exceptionally well when conditions were at their worst.

Today, surviving Austen Mk I submachine guns are fascinating pieces of Australian military history. They represent a time when our country had to become increasingly self-reliant, when factories were being adapted to produce everything from ammunition to aircraft, and when Australian engineers and manufacturers were doing whatever they could to support the war effort.

The Austen might not have earned the legendary reputation of the Owen, but it certainly deserves recognition for its place in that story.

After all, not every firearm needs to become a legend to be historically important. Sometimes the interesting part is why it was developed, what it was competing against, and how the lessons learned helped shape the equipment carried by future generations of soldiers.

And we reckon there's something particularly Australian about looking at a British Sten, borrowing a few ideas from a German MP40, building the whole thing here at home, and then discovering that another Aussie had already come up with something even better!

Well, that's another piece of Australian firearms history dusted off and brought back into the spotlight!

Once again, we'd like to thank everyone for the overwhelming support of last week's SLR article and for continuing to make Firearm Friday something we genuinely look forward to sharing. The stories, knowledge and memories that come through in the comments each week are every bit as interesting as the firearms themselves, and we love seeing our shooting community keeping this history alive.

Now we'd love to hear from you! Have you ever come across an Austen Mk I, or perhaps had the opportunity to handle one alongside an Owen gun? We'd love to hear your stories in the comments!

Until next Friday, keep your powder dry, your history alive, and remember  just because an old firearm didn't become famous doesn't mean it hasn't got a good story to tell!