M3 SMG
| |||
| M3 "Greasegun" | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | sub-machine gun | ||
| Nationality | US | ||
| Era | WW2 | ||
| Platform | individual | ||
| Target | personnel | ||
| History | |||
| Date of design | 1942 | ||
| Production period | 1942 - | ||
| Service duration | 1942 - 1990 | ||
| Operators | US | ||
| War service | WW2, Korea | ||
| Specifications | |||
| Type | |||
| Calibre | .45 / 9 mm | ||
| Barrel length | 203 mm | ||
| Ammunition | .45 ACP, 9mm parabellum | ||
| Magazine | 30 round box | ||
| Action | blowback | ||
| Rate of fire | 450 | ||
| Muzzle velocity | |||
| Weight | 3.7 kg | ||
| Length | 745 (570) mm | ||
| Variants | M3, M3A1 | ||
| Number built | ~680,000 | ||
The Submachine Gun, Cal. .45, M3/M3A1 (1942) was a submachine gun developed by the United States during World War Two as a cheaper substitute for the Tommy Gun. It was nicknamed the "Grease Gun" because of its resemblance to an automotive grease gun.
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Design
The M3 was a blowback-operated submachine gun fielded in December 1942 by the United States Army during World War II. It could only be fired on fully-automatic. It used the .45 ACP cartridge in 30-round magazines. Its rate of fire was 350-450 rounds per minute. Before firing, the ejection port had to be opened manually by the operator. It had a length of 745mm, or 570mm with the stock retracted. The M3A1 was used during World War II, Korean War, Vietnam, and Desert Storm. In total, 679,200 were produced.
Variants
M3
- (1942)
- Designed specifically as a low cost substitute for the Thompson submachine gun. Production was simplified by making use of stamped metal parts. A number of deficiencies were found during the initial two years of use. These deficiencies were corrected in the model M3A1.
M3A1
From (1944)
- Larger ejection port and a stronger cover spring.
- Could fire 9mm Parabellum cartridges by changing the barrel and bolt and adding an adapter to the magazine. Following World War II, a curved barrel was made for use with the M3A1.
A flash suppressor was developed for use with both the M3 and M3A1.
These weapons were still being used by some Armored (Tank) US National Guard units as late as 1990 and in active US Army units by crews of the M88 Armored Medium Recovery Vehicle up to 1995.
See also
- List of submachine guns
- List of World War II firearms
- List of individual weapons of the U.S. Armed Forces
| United States infantry weapons of World War II |
|---|
| Side-arms |
| Colt/Browning M1911 .45 |
| Rifles & Carbines |
| M1 Garand | M1 Carbine | Browning Automatic Rifle | |
| Submachine guns |
| Thompson SMG ("Tommy Gun") | M3 "Grease gun" |
| Machine-guns & other larger weapons |
| Browning MG | M2 HMG | Bazooka |