Owen Mk 2
- Category
- Submachine Gun
- Barrel
- 247 mm
- Weight, empty
- 4.22 kg
- Introduced
- 1944
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Owen Mk 2 was a simplified, cost-reduced prototype variant of the Australian Owen submachine gun, an open-bolt blowback 9x19mm weapon famed for its top-mounted magazine and exceptional reliability in tropical conditions. Developed late in the war by John Lysaght at Port Kembla, the Mk 2 reached only prototype stage before the end of WWII halted further development.
The Owen's top-mounted magazine fed straight down by gravity, and a separate sealed compartment kept the bolt clear of grit, making it famously dependable in the mud, sand and jungle grime of the New Guinea campaign, where Diggers prized it over the American Thompson and British Sten.
The Owen Mk 2 was a simplified/improved prototype that never entered mass production; numeric specifications are largely inherited from the production Owen Gun. Muzzle velocity sources vary (366-421 m/s).
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- John Lysaght (Australia) Ltd, Port Kembla
- Category
- Submachine Gun
- Country
- Australia
- Status
- Prototype
- Produced
- 1944 to 1945
- Variant of
- Simplified
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 247 mm
- Overall length
- 810 mm
- Weight, empty
- 4.22 kg
- Weight, loaded
- 4.86 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Blowback
- Capacity
- 32
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Wood
- Finish
- Parkerized
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 380 m/s
- Effective range
- 123 m
- Rate of fire
- 700 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.
Top mounted magazine
Side offset iron sights
Quick change barrel
Forward pistol grip- Sealed bolt compartment
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 | 4.22 kg | 3.18 kg | Heavier than about 90% |
| Overall lengthAmong 200 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 810 mm | 723 mm | Longer than about 70% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 202 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 247 mm | 213 mm | Longer than about 70% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 204 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 32 | 32 | Holds more rounds than about 60% |
Answers
Questions about the Owen Mk 2
How much does the Owen Mk 2 weigh?
The Owen Mk 2 weighs 4.22 kg (9.30 lb) empty and 4.86 kg (10.71 lb) loaded.
What caliber is the Owen Mk 2?
The Owen Mk 2 is chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum.
How many rounds does the Owen Mk 2 hold?
The Owen Mk 2 holds 32 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the Owen Mk 2?
The Owen Mk 2 is 810 mm (31.9 in) long overall, with a 247 mm (9.72 in) barrel.
Who makes the Owen Mk 2?
The Owen Mk 2 is made by John Lysaght (Australia) Ltd, Port Kembla (Australia). It was designed by Evelyn Owen.
When was the Owen Mk 2 introduced?
The Owen Mk 2 was introduced in 1944 and discontinued in 1945.
How does the Owen Mk 2 operate?
The Owen Mk 2 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
68%
Stockists
Where to buy
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No shop has listed this firearm yet
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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/owen-mk2' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "owen-mk2", "name": "Owen Mk 2", "manufacturer": { "id": "john-lysaght", "name": "John Lysaght (Australia) Ltd, Port Kembla", "countryCode": "AU", "foundedYear": 1857, "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": "aee18447afec3faf245a2101b6a657dab99b7a36de31ae4e33b4ba7e7b8329ed" }, "category": { "id": "submachine-gun", "name": "Submachine Gun", "description": "Automatic firearms chambered in pistol calibers" }, "country_of_origin": "AU", "year_introduced": 1944, "barrel_length_mm": 247, "weight_empty_g": 4220, "action_type": "blowback"}