Austen Mk II
- Category
- Submachine Gun
- Barrel
- 198 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.95 kg
- Introduced
- 1944
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Austen Mk II was an improved, more heavily die-cast variant of the Australian Austen submachine gun, a 9x19mm open-bolt blowback weapon that grafted the British Sten's barrel and trigger group onto a German MP38/40-style folding stock and bolt. Built by Diecasters Ltd and W. T. Carmichael, only about 200 Mk II units were produced and the design was never formally adopted, having been outclassed by the home-grown Owen Gun.
The name 'Austen' is a portmanteau of 'Australian Sten' - the gun was a hybrid that bolted the British Sten's barrel and trigger onto the German MP38/40's folding stock and telescoping bolt, yet despite this clever blend it lost the Australian SMG contest to the home-grown Owen.
Overall length disagrees between sources (845mm stock-extended vs 732mm on militaryfactory). The Austen feeds from a left-side horizontal magazine, not top-mounted like the Owen. Roughly 200 Mk II units built.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Diecasters Ltd / W. T. Carmichael Ltd
- Category
- Submachine Gun
- Country
- Australia
- Status
- Prototype
- Produced
- 1944 to 1945
- Variant of
- Improved
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 198 mm
- Overall length
- 845 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.95 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Blowback
- Capacity
- 28
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Steel
- Finish
- Parkerized
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 380 m/s
- Effective range
- 90 m
- Rate of fire
- 500 rpm
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Mp40 style folding stock
Forward pistol grip
Left side horizontal magazine
Telescoping return spring- Increased die cast parts
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 201 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 3.95 kg | 3.18 kg | Heavier than about 80% |
| Overall lengthAmong 200 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 845 mm | 723 mm | Longer than about 80% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 202 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 198 mm | 213 mm | Shorter than about 70% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 204 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 28 | 32 | Holds fewer rounds than about 80% |
Answers
Questions about the Austen Mk II
How much does the Austen Mk II weigh?
The Austen Mk II weighs 3.95 kg (8.71 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Austen Mk II?
The Austen Mk II is chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum.
How many rounds does the Austen Mk II hold?
The Austen Mk II holds 28 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the Austen Mk II?
The Austen Mk II is 845 mm (33.3 in) long overall, with a 198 mm (7.80 in) barrel.
Who makes the Austen Mk II?
The Austen Mk II is made by Diecasters Ltd / W. T. Carmichael Ltd (Australia).
When was the Austen Mk II introduced?
The Austen Mk II was introduced in 1944 and discontinued in 1945.
How does the Austen Mk II operate?
The Austen Mk II uses a blowback action.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- Australian Army
- 1942
Provenance
Confidence in this record
66%
Stockists
Where to buy
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List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/austen-mk2' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "austen-mk2", "name": "Austen Mk II", "manufacturer": { "id": "diecasters-ltd", "name": "Diecasters Ltd / W. T. Carmichael Ltd", "countryCode": "AU", "foundedYear": null, "website": null, "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-05-04 12:38:54", "updatedAt": "2026-05-04 12:38:54", "version": "96a8517ecad2face8078e5a105e206de56379f7494e380c9be23079a4194431c" }, "category": { "id": "submachine-gun", "name": "Submachine Gun", "description": "Automatic firearms chambered in pistol calibers" }, "country_of_origin": "AU", "year_introduced": 1944, "barrel_length_mm": 198, "weight_empty_g": 3950, "action_type": "blowback"}