VIETNAM WAR ERA AUSTRALIAN F1 SUBMACHINE GUN MAGAZINES AND AMMO POUCH
HISTORY
The F1 submachine gun replaced the World War 2-era Owen submachine gun series then in service with the Australian Army. By the 1960s, the Owen series, highly valued by Australian military personnel, was beginning to show its dated origins that were set back in the 1930s. Design of a new submachine gun began in 1962 and resulted in the "X3" prototype - a submachine gun design not unlike the British Sterling Submachine Gun. After the requisite trials, production began in 1963 and well over 400,000 examples were eventually produced by the Lithgow Small Arms Factory based out of Lithgow, New South Wales, Australia. The submachine gun became better known as the "F1" and she would see notable combat actions in the upcoming Vietnam War (1955-1975). The F1 maintained a long and healthy tenure with the Australian military and served a span from 1963 to 1991 before being replaced by the more modern F88 Austeyr Carbine - a shortened form of the F88 Austeyr Assault Rifle. The F88 Austeyr series itself is based on the Austrian Steyr automatic rifle line, modified to suit Australian military requirements. In essence, the F88C Austeyr Carbine is the Australian version of the Austrian Steyr AUG Carbine.
ITEM DESCRIPTION
Complete set of four F1 Submachine Gun magazine's and carrier pouch dated 1966.