In 1940, Evelyn Owen of NSW a 23 yr old tinker who made his own open bolt sub machine gun, of dubious legality, at home enlisted in WW2. His neighbor, Wardell, a factory owner found it laying against Owen’s family home in a bag soon after Evelyn’s departure.
Wardell would put further R&D into it then he presented it to the Aussie Military. Expecting to get Sten guns soon they turned down Wardell. Wardell would run a PR campaign presenting it as ‘Hometown Boy Makes Gun to Win War’.
After going through many caliber changes, they finalized on 9mm. Thanks to the Wardell’s campaign non-military government officials demanded he be given a fair chance. It did exceedingly well in trials, and was adopted to be used as the primary SMG from WW2 through early 1960s.
Video: https://youtu.be/g_3AoDf7CeE?si=tadEI3I4pH3wmlPE [17:14]
How do you aim the thing with the magazine protruding from the top?
The sights are offset on the right side.
You know when to pull the trigger when you can’t see what you are aiming at.
wow, gotta say I hate the forced-canted stance on it, great piece of history tho
