M3 Grease Gun

M-3/M3A1 Sub Machinegun Grease Gun

In WWII the US Army was searching for a feasible replacement to the Thompson M1A1 sub machinegun. The military reviewed various plans, but they simply could not get the idea across that they wanted something lightweight and rugged, not something that looked good and had a stock made out of polished wood. The British Sten and the German MP40 provided a good example of what the Army was looking for. Frustrated, the Army took on the task themselves. They assembled a team at Aberdeen Proving Grounds and came up with the M3. The gun was made from stamped metal, fired a .45 caliber round but could also be modified to fire the 9-mm parabellum. The weapon was adopted and went into service in December 1942, and remained in first-line service until 1960.

A finger hole was drilled in the bolt which allowed the soldier to pull it back. This was the version my father used in Korea and I was first exposed to as a kid. Re-designated the M3A1, the gun was also modified with a magazine loading device attached to the wire stock. A flash suppressor could be fitted to both models. Some of the 9-mm M3’s were also fitted with sound suppressors for clandestine use.

by Tim Davis

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