M3 submachine gun
| Submachine Gun, Cal. .45, M3 | |
|---|---|
World War II-era Guide Lamp M3 submachine gun with 30-round magazine and other accessories. The Buffalo Arms bolt in this original M3 is dated January 1944.
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| Type | Submachine gun |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1943–1992 (US) Philippines (revived 2004) |
| Wars | |
| Production history | |
| Designer | George Hyde |
| Designed | 1942 |
| Manufacturer | General Motors, others |
| Unit cost | Approx. US$20 (1943) |
| Produced | 1943–1945 |
| Number built | ~700,000 |
| Variants |
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| Specifications | |
| Weight |
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| Length | 29.8 in (760 mm) stock extended / 22.8 in (579.1 mm) stock collapsed |
| Barrel length | 8 in (203.2 mm) |
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| Cartridge |
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| Action | Blowback, open bolt |
| Rate of fire | 450 rounds/min cyclic |
| Muzzle velocity | 920 ft/s (280 m/s) |
| Effective firing range | Sights fixed to 100 yards (91 m) |
| Feed system | 30-round detachable box magazine |
| Sights | Fixed rear peep sight and blade foresight, calibrated to 100 yards for caliber .45 M1911 ball ammunition |
The M3 was an American .45-caliber submachine gun adopted for U.S. Army service on 12 December 1942, as the United States Submachine Gun, Cal. .45, M3. The M3 was chambered for the same .45 round fired by the Thompson submachine gun, but was cheaper to produce, and lighter, although, contrary to popular belief, it was far less accurate. This myth stems from a US army training film portraying the M3 as more accurate than its counterparts. The M3 was commonly referred to as the "Grease Gun" or simply "the Greaser," owing to its visual similarity to the mechanic's tool.
Intended as a replacement for the .45-caliber Thompson series of submachine guns, the M3 and its improved successor, the M3A1 began to replace the Thompson in first-line service in late 1944 and early 1945. Due to delays caused by production issues and approved specification changes, the M3/M3A1 saw relatively little combat use in World War II.
In 1941, the U.S. Army Ordnance Board observed the effectiveness of submachine guns employed in Western Europe, particularly the German 9×19mm MP 40 and British Sten guns, and initiated a study to develop its own Sten-type submachine gun in October 1942. The Ordnance Department requested the army submit a list of requirements for the new weapon, and ordnance in turn received a separate list of requirements from both the infantry and cavalry branches for a shoulder-fired weapon with full- or semi-automatic fire capability in caliber .45 ACP or .30 Carbine.
The two lists of requirements received by ordnance were then reviewed and amended by officials at Aberdeen Proving Ground. The amended requirement called for an all-metal weapon of sheet metal construction in .45 ACP caliber, designed for fast and inexpensive production with a minimum of machining, and featuring a dual full-automatic and semi-automatic fire capability, a heavy bolt to keep the cyclic rate under 500rpm, and the ability to place 90 percent of all shots fired from a standing position in full-automatic mode on a 6x6 foot target at a range of 50 yards. The benchmark for testing the M3's performance would be the M1928A1 Thompson.
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Wikipedia