Abstract
This article examines the technical aspects of the controversial developmental history of the Owen sub-machine gun. The history of the gun’s development has been both politicised and mythologised, with the result that relatively little objective analysis of the design process has been undertaken. The author’s examination of documents (including patents, manufacturing data, official documents, and personal letters) and the weapons themselves provides an alternative perspective to these widely disseminated views. This article also addresses the problematic nature of statements made by the gun’s designers and promoters, which are at variance with other information and yet have largely been accepted uncritically in firearms literature. It also seeks to determine, where possible, which elements of the gun were the work of its nominal designer, Evelyn Owen, and which were likely the work of his various collaborators. The role of the Australian Army in the design is also examined in the hope of correcting misconceptions.
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Issue: Vol. X No. 1
Published: 31 August, 2024
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52357/armax05809
Peer-reviewed?: Yes
Keywords: Australia, Owen Gun, arms development, Second World War, sub-machine gun
Bibliographic Information
Christopher Scott, ‘The Owen Gun: Notes on Development & Evolution’, Armax: The Journal of Contemporary Arms, Vol. X № 1 (2024), pp. 1–32, <https://doi.org/10.52357/armax05809>.
About the Author
Christopher Scott was formerly an archivist for the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences (Powerhouse) in Sydney, Australia. He has worked in various museums and archives, being the City Archivist for the City of Dunedin, New Zealand for a period of ten years. His museum work has included a period at the Royal Armouries Museum, Leeds, and he has a long-standing interest in historical firearms. His interest in the development of the Owen Gun originates in work relating to the personal papers of Evelyn Owen held by the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences.