The tensile fracture of two austenitic stainless steels with different degrees of stability for low temperature strain induced martensitic transformation was investigated. A stable AISI type 310 stainless steel displayed typical tensile stress-strain curves with decreasing work hardening rate at temperatures in the interval of 25 to-196°C, in which no martensitic transformation occurred. By contrast, a metastable type 302 stainless steel with martensitic transformation from 25 to-196°C showed a range of plastic deformation with increasing work hardening rate. The fracture of the stable 310 steel presented the characteristic cup and cone ductile aspect with micro dimples and sparse evidence of intergranular cracks. On the contrary, the martensitic transformation in the metastable 302 steel causes a neckless fracture with generally brittle appearance, despite the relatively high strain attained at fracture. At-80 and-196°C, associated with higher amount of transformed martensite, the fracture surface was covered with micro-craters formed around inclusions enveloped by thin strain induced martensite lamellae.