Had an idea, may need some help.

[Russe11]

I really want an Owen gun.

The chances of anyone making a commercial Owen gun AEG are approximately nil. It's an Australian weapon and Australia doesn't allow airsoft, so the market for it would be approximately...me.

At 1st, the weird shape is an intimidating prospect, but in actual fact, it's pretty much the same as a Sten with the trigger moved forward and the magwell rotated to be vertical.

I even found this site http://grabcad.com/library/owen-gun-mark-1-1943 where someone has created CAD files. All I need now, is someone who can do a bit of metalwork and who knows their way around an airsoft gun.

 

[Chock]

You could fairly easily modify the AGM airsoft STEN to look like one. All the other bits you'd need could be fairly easily created with mild steel sheet, a coping saw and a brazing torch. Of course changing the feed and firing mechanism might not be quite so simple, but certainly not impossible, and in fact the gravity-fed aspect of a top magazine might actually help a great deal with an airsoft weapon. You would also have to relocate the battery, which is in the tubular stock on the AGM STEN. But you've got a few choices there, the housing for the trigger mechanism, the fore grip and the stock (if you go for the solid stock variant) would all fit a small battery.

Personally, if I was going to go to the trouble of converting one, I'd convert a few and sell them to reenactors, since users of the Owen would include Aussie, NZ and US WW2 troops, Aussies in Korea and Vietnam, Pathet Lao, Viet Minh, Viet Cong, Khmer Rouge, and (allegedly) various special forces from Oz, UK and US, so you'd probably find quite a few takers and have little trouble recouping the investment.

In case you don't have this link, here's a nice page with lots of info on the Owen, including diagrams, cutaways and technical info on the internals:

http://www.forgottenweapons.com/submachine-guns/owen-smg/

 

[jcheeseright]

altering the feed mechanism would be really straightforward, just chop the hop unit cleanly in half and rotate it 90 degrees before sticking it back together... altering the position of the magwell, that'd take a bit more work to get it right.

 

[straffham]

Battery wise you could consider Ares M3 Grease gun mags as these hold the Lipo battery too IIRC.

 

[Russe11]

The metal tubing of the main body of the Sten would need to be replaced as the cutout for the cocking handle is different. You can currently fit a lipo in the back section of the Sten tubing so the Owen would fit one here.

This is an M14 gearbox, the Sten uses a simplified version of it:

All the space above the motor is empty.

 

[Russe11]

Woot, found someone willing to make this for me

It's a guy from the WW2 airsoft forums, he's done a lot of other custom jobs. Might be going for a P90 hop up to save hassle with moving the feed direction. Anyone got knowledge of P90 hop ups?

 

[Chock]

Hmm, wonder if he'd make me a Swedish K? I really want an airsoft one of those

 

[Ian_Gere]

Or a tactical Vz58...?

 

[Russe11]

Plenty of people on ww2airsoft.org.uk who have experience of making their own custom guns up to an including small artillery pieces. If you can get them interested, they might do a Swedish K. A tactical Vz58 might be a harder sell

 

[Dom_e]

I'm pretty new to the custom airsoft guns thing, but I'm looking for opportunities to add to the portfolio! Sadly someone beat me to the Owen project but if anyone has any special requests do feel free to drop me a line