The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - The M3A1 'Grease gun' was a rude, crude, and effective submachine gun

**44 AMP** · March 23, 2011, 04:30 PM

And they are "crude" in the sense that a firearm made mostly from stampings was considered "crude" in the era of WWII.

Personally, I rate the M3/M3A1 as less "crude" than the STEN gun, and actually a rather elegant economy of design.

They do have their weaknesses, but for the time, the design is nothing short of genius in many ways. IIRC original cost to Uncle Sam was $17.50 per unit. Compare that to over $100 for a Tommygun.

The Grease gun is simple, robust, and rugged. It has a low rate of fire that makes it very controlable, small size, and it handles and points as well as anything contemporary in its class, and better than some.

The only parts that are problems are; stocks get bent, and the finger tab on the barrel nut retaining sping breaks off. Thats about it. Did see one once where the safety tab on the cover had broken off. But only one.

The "grasshopper leg" cockking lever system of the M3 can give trouble, and if yiou get it jammed, brother you got a JAM. Thats why it was done away with on the M3A1.

Still in service in tanker units in the 1970s (and likely later) mostly M3A1s, with the occassional M3, they were a lot handier inside a vehicle (and getting through hatches) than the M16!

Considering all factors, including service life, I'd have to say the M3 series SMG was the most cost effective firearm the US ever had.

March 23, 2011, 04:30 PM	#9
44 AMP Staff Join Date: March 11, 2006 Location: Upper US Posts: 28,849	I worked on them while in the army... And they are "crude" in the sense that a firearm made mostly from stampings was considered "crude" in the era of WWII. Personally, I rate the M3/M3A1 as less "crude" than the STEN gun, and actually a rather elegant economy of design. They do have their weaknesses, but for the time, the design is nothing short of genius in many ways. IIRC original cost to Uncle Sam was $17.50 per unit. Compare that to over $100 for a Tommygun. The Grease gun is simple, robust, and rugged. It has a low rate of fire that makes it very controlable, small size, and it handles and points as well as anything contemporary in its class, and better than some. The only parts that are problems are; stocks get bent, and the finger tab on the barrel nut retaining sping breaks off. Thats about it. Did see one once where the safety tab on the cover had broken off. But only one. The "grasshopper leg" cockking lever system of the M3 can give trouble, and if yiou get it jammed, brother you got a JAM. Thats why it was done away with on the M3A1. Still in service in tanker units in the 1970s (and likely later) mostly M3A1s, with the occassional M3, they were a lot handier inside a vehicle (and getting through hatches) than the M16! Considering all factors, including service life, I'd have to say the M3 series SMG was the most cost effective firearm the US ever had. __________________ All else being equal (and it almost never is) bigger bullets tend to work better.