The Andrews machine carbine was an Australian prototype submachine gun produced by Birmingham Small Arms.
History[]
The Andrews machine carbine was designed by an Australian engineer who sent the blueprints to BSA in Britain, who constructed a small batch of prototypes. These guns were submitted to the British Ordnance Board in 1943 and trials were arranged in late September that year. It was tested against the Owen Mk.II, the Austen Mk.II, the Patchett Mk.I, the Sten Mk.IV, and the Welgun. Testing found that the Andrews was fragile and uncomfortable to fire, and the Ordnance Board expressed little further interest in the design. The Australian designer, who had come to the UK to oversee the tests, remained in the country to work on new designs for RSAF Enfield. The prototypes remain unaccounted for as of 2021.
Design[]
The Andrews was a 9×19mm submachine gun of an unusual design. The pistol grip was hinged and could be folded underneath the body when not in use, and a spare magazine could be inserted into a slot in the rear end of the weapon to be used as a rudimentary stock. Both of these novel features proved to be unreliable in practice, however, as the spare magazine was found to come loose easily and the folding pistol grip had poor ergonomics.
The internal mechanism of the Andrews was also unconventional. The bolt was carried by two spring-loaded guide rods that ran above and below the barrel. It featured a sliding dust cover that could seal off the ejection port to prevent dirt from fouling the weapon when it was not in use. Like the Sten, the magazine fed into the left side of the receiver.
Gallery[]
