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When I first donned the green suit in the mid 60's, the Owen was still king, it rapidly became my favourite weapon, achieving skill at arms and the ability to write your initials on a figure target was proof of how controllable it was.
I adapted equally as fast when the F1 replaced it, as a left hander, it was almost as if the gun was designed just for you. I had to learn to shoot it right handed when selected to compete at BISAM in 1987, but we were simply outgunned by the Asian countries that had adopted AR180's and other 5.56mm short rifles that we considered not true sub machine carbines.
At least they were impressed by the big holes we left in the targets, at the end of the comp. when we had a swap around, I found that the carbines used by both the philopeno's,Indon's and Malaysians, although accurate single shot, were uncontrollabe for bursts and heated the handguard so much you had trouble holding them, in return all of the teams were wrapped in our little spud gun.
The Kiwi's were using a Mk.3 sten, pretty much rubbish compared to the F1.
This is me trying not to look to bored while supervising some of them.
Attachment 37671
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Thank You to muffett.2008 For This Useful Post:
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10-20-2012 05:12 PM
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Where was that range Muffett? Out back of Enoggera Barracks?
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Thank You to muffett.2008 For This Useful Post:
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Originally Posted by
muffett.2008
Brunei.
You mean as in Borneo? That's a stretch from Enoggera...
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Strangely enough, thats where Bisam is held.
1987 was the last year we used 9mm in competition, they started to follow the Asian style using 5.56mm, pity.
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Good non-posed photo muffer. He seems to have the F1 a bit to far ahead of himself. We were taught to tuck it back so that the butt is well under the arm, against the side of the body.
When did the last Owens go Muffer? As I said, I had one in Australia
and Malaya in 1967/8. James Edmiston told me once that there were a few legal wrangles going on over Lithgow/ADEMaribiyong wanting to use/make Sterling magazines for use in the F1 that was delaying progress. It got a bit bogged down so eventually, James went to the Defence Attache at the High Commission in The Strand, had a beer with him in the bar/restaurant/canteen upstairs and simply said words to the effect that '........ I know that you rejected the Sterling gun that I said you could make for minimum royalties but Australia has always been a good friend of Britain so from here on in, you can manufacture the magazine on condition that it is for your own use and not ever for sale abroad'. Good eh! That's what friends are for............ Dave Howroyd (?) went to Oz and advised the manufacturing process
We always had the left side of our hats up too - unless we were wearing jungle hats. In late 68ish we started to wear berets like the poms who had all but left the Far East by then. The QM told me that the Australians were wearing them because the poms had left millions behind!
Last edited by Peter Laidler; 10-21-2012 at 06:04 AM.
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Phased out about 1970-72 Pete, as for the turned up brim, OHS started to infringe by the 80's, in the tropics it was brim down.
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We've got a couple of Owens at Warminster and I always said to myself that I'd make a 'replica'. But haven't quite got around to it yet. One day.......
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