Owen Submachine Gun

[Grey Havoc]

Owen SMG

The Australian-designed Owen submachine gun is a weapon with quite a story behind it. The Owen is arguably the best subgun used during WWII, and also probably the ugliest. Its mere existence was a …

www.forgottenweapons.com

Owen Submachine Gun | www.engineersaustralia.org.au

portal.engineersaustralia.org.au

 

[Foo Fighter]

People may have an easier time with this than me but, "Arguably the best SUBGUN used during WWII". An argument in poor language. Sub, meaning below, so below a gun. What is there below a gun? A crossbow? I noticed this very lazy language use from one of the Clancy stand in's and was not impressed then. Is this really the standard people are reduced to? Has your armoured car got a gun? Well that's OK, it's a TANK............

 

[TomS]

"Subgun" is very common shorthand for submachinegun. Now, you could complain about "submachinegun" in the same fashion* but that ship has sailed about a century ago.

* Is a submachinegun less than a machinegun? Well, yes, generally. Less powerful, less heavy, less complicated, less expensive...

 

[Foo Fighter]

I would go for the correct selective fire or automatic fire personal weapon myself or, at a push SMG. The name was coined from recollection as a way of describing a weapon below the machine gun which at the time would have been fairly bulky and a support weapon for the most but why let fact get in the way of anything at all. I suppose you could say, "call me Sheldon", as opposed to "Call me Ischmael". I know this topic has no whale in it but why let facts get in the way of lazy language.