Austen MK I

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Austen Mk I

Type	sub-machine gun
Place of origin	Australia
Service history
Used by	Australia
Wars	WW2
Production history
Number built	45,000
Variants	MK 1, MK 2
Specifications
Weight	3.98 kg empty
Length	(stock closed/open): 552 / 732 mm
Barrel length	198 mm (7.87 in)

Cartridge	9 mm Parabellum
Caliber	9 mm
Rate of fire	500 round/min
Muzzle velocity	366 m/s
Feed system	28 round detachable box

The Mark I Austen (from "Australian Sten") was a 9 millimeter Australian submachine gun derived from the British Sten gun developed during the Second World War by the Lithgow Small Arms Factory. Approximately 45,000 Austens were produced from 1942 to 1944. They remained in service as a standard weapon of the Australian Army until 1966.

[edit] Design

The Austen was essentially a modified Sten submachine gun with features appropriated from the German MP40. Instead of the Sten's fixed stock and lack of grips, the metal stock of the Austen could fold and the weapon had two plastic pistol grips. The gun had a selective-fire feature permitting the shooter to fire single shots or fully automatic fire at 500 rounds per minute.

An improved version, the Mark II Austen, had an accompanying bayonet designed to fit over the muzzle compensator. Only 200 examples of this model of bayonet were produced. In 1944 a shortened version of the standard Pattern 1907, or No. 1 Mark I bayonet, was designed for use with the Austen.

Despite these improvements the weapon did not prove successful in jungle warfare. It was less popular with Australian troops than the Australian designed Owen.