TC10

Happy Firearm Friday!

This week I want to talk about the most confusing piece we have in the Museum!

"what is that?" Is the comment I hear nearly every time I show someone the museum.

The TC10 was manufactured by Owen Guns and hit the market in 1990. They retailed for about $1650 and came with a red dot that fit the dovetail along the top.

Owen Guns made around 1300 of them before they were banned in 2003 by John Howard's second set of Gun Laws. The "buy back" paid customers and gun shops that we sold them to but not us. Not a cent. So they were abandoned here at Owen Guns and they also knocked back our export licence. Ron tried to fight this and this ensued court cases but no positive outcome was found.

They now make up the fence around our walls and might be the biggest talking piece in the room. Funnily enough.. it is the room they were made in. Before the Museum that space was filled with machines which built the TC10.

The design came from a surplus of "Owen Gun" magazines which are a 30 shot 9mm. They were built to be indestructible and as concealable as possible with such a big magazine. The barrel was short but accurate. It was reminiscent of the Uzi.

This firearm, as confusing or ugly as it may be to people... it represents what they did to people in the buyback and its story should be told.

#firearmhistory #australiabuyback #gunbuyback #johnhoward #australiamanufacture #owengun #firearmmuseum #museum #gympie #gympieregion