SHOOTING THE GREASE GUN

[Sevens]

I'd like to see pictures or video of the M3 with that 90-degree device on it, or in use! I didn't know that existed.

 

[reach147]

I was issued a M3A1 when I got to Viet Nam, as there were not enough M16A1's in the Armory for everyone. Finally issued an M16A1 about 3 months later. I remember being told to lock my arms against my body and rock left to right in a figure eight when I shot it. That seemed to work.........

A year later I walked out behind the hanger and there sat the armorer. He had a five pound maul and a bunch of M3A1's. Asked him what he was doing. His response was watch. Then he commenced to smash the M3's. I tried to talk him out of one even offered a $100 for one. He said he had to show the armory officer all the destroyed guns. Just shook my head and walked away........

I was in the Coast Guard 70 to 74 and at least one ship I know about dumped all of their Garands overboard while at sea when they got M-16's. The ship I was on loaded ours into the trunk of an officer's Chevy and he drove them to the Philadelphia Naval Yard where they got swapped for M16's. I heard the GunnersMates had to cut them in half with a cutting torch,,,


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[charlie sherrill]

I have a friend who is a class III dealer who has several of them and a few Thompsons. I have fired them all and really prefer the M3. I had a chance to get one a few years before I retired for $150.00 but I would have had to leave it with the SO when i left. I should have done it. I would have been able to use and shoot it for about 10 years.

 

[Scharfschuetzer]

I shot the M3A1 quite a bit during my career. My SOF units always had an obsolete and foreign inventory of weapons to train with, so an annual train up with the old warhorse was always looked forward to.

Like a few above, I preferred the old Grease Gun to the Thompson which I also fired quite a bit.

 

[KEN L]

I've owned and own many Class III weapons over the years. The little Greasegun is still my favorite. It's always a crowd pleaser at MG events. People always ask to shoot it. Here's me at one of these events with mine, suppressed of course! I just love this little guy. Sorry, couldn't get the video to download.

 

[camper]

Had them in my armor company back in 65. Had to qualify with it and enjoyed firing it. Had another one I was able to pick up in Vietnam in 72. I sure would like to have one today!

 

[ironhead7544]

IIRC, you could increase the rate of fire by replacing the recoil springs.

The stock could be removed and be used as a magazine loader. It could also be used as a cleaning rod and a wrench for the barrel nut.

The M3s I shot were quite accurate at 50 yards. It was easy to shoot single shots.

I was a 45b20 Small Arms Repairman for the Army 1969 to 1972.

 

[austintexas]

In 1973-75 I was stationed at a base in Texas. I was friends with the MSgt that ran the base range. I could go and use the range when it wasn't in use. One day a GI came in the office with a brown paper bag with a dissembled Grease gun that he wanted us to reassemble. After we informed him about how much trouble he could get in, (including jail time) he left it with us to dispose of it. Of course we put it together and retired to the range and ran a bunch of ammo thru it first. Like they say It was slow and controllable. After shooting it we walked 100 yards and thru it in the Trinity river.
SWCA 892

 

[alwslate]

I have always wanted an M3-A1 but I'm just not willing to pay the going price today, whatever that is. My brother said he thought about taking his apart and packing it in his bags when he got ready to fly out of Nam but decided against it. He said the consequences were severe if you got caught.

 

[BC38]

The M3 does seem slow, but actually at 350 Per minute, that's one round
just a little over every half-second. .58 hundredths of a second.

Actually your math is off a little Phil.

350 rounds / 60 seconds = 5.83 rounds per second.

1 second / 5.83 rounds = .171 seconds per round.

Basically 17 hundredths of a second per round

 

[crazyphil]

Thank you for the correction BC38.

 

[CajunBass]

Want one but can't afford it? Check out the "Legends" M3 CO2 Grease Gun. All metal construction, CO2 power, .177 cal BB. Full or semi-auto modes.

Legends M3 CO2 Grease Gun | Pyramyd Air

I don't have one of these yet, but do have a Thompson M1A1 made by the same people. I may end up with one before too long.

 

[Pisgah]

The M3 does seem slow, but actually at 350 Per minute, that's one round
just a little over every half-second. .58 hundredths of a second.

New math? I make 350 shots in 60 seconds to be 5.83 shots per second. Of course, no one has 350-shot mags, so time for reloads slows things down...

 

[LoboGunLeather]

I'd like to see pictures or video of the M3 with that 90-degree device on it, or in use! I didn't know that existed.

Found some images in the attached link showing the M3 used in a tank turret with a porthole "periscope" mount and the 90-degree barrel attachment. In that application the weapon could be used against troops swarming the tank without crew members having to open the hatch or expose themselves.
Krummlauf grease: The bent-barrel SMG meant to shoot from inside a tank (VIDEO) :: Guns.com

Years ago I recall seeing photos of the M3 being used during house-to-house combat during WW2, shooting around corners of buildings.

Also noted some errors in my earlier post. Manufacturer was Guide Lamp Company (not Signal Lamp Company) and the magazines were 30-round capacity (not 20-round). It seems that a half-century has had some effect on my memory!

 

[Bozz10mm]

From the video, the rate of fire seems more like 180-200 rounds per minute. I think it's perfect.

 

[Richard Simmons]

Didn't they make a 9x19 conversion kit for the M3A1?

 

[crazyphil]

Pisgah - see posts 30 and 31.

 

[Gene L]

They are a good gun for the cost of them new. When I was in VN, my point guys wanted to carry M3s. I allowed it, and they were happy until the first fire-fight. They discovered an M 16 was lighter, shot faster, and was in general more portable. Our basic load was 400 rounds, and in .45 APC, that's a lot of weight. Ten mags is what they carried because that's all we had. A better vehicle gun rather than a woods gun.

 

[Sistema1927]

They had dropped it for tankers right before I joined the army. I was on the M-1 tank and heard about the M-60 crews had them.

Ft. Knox OSUT was training M1 tankers with them in 1982.

I was an NCO at Knox then, and in my Sunday School class at church was an OSUT Company Commander. He had some NCO's out one week, and he asked me if I would help them out at the range one day. I was assigned to M3A1 familiarization. The range we were on had targets out to 600 yards.

During a lull, I sat down, put an M3 in mortar position between my legs, and proceeded to walk rounds into the 600 yard targets. No accuracy to speak of, but guessing that they would have caused anyone down range to take cover.

 

[Donn]

A guy in my unit had one, I was surprised how heavy it was. Not quite as hefty as my Thompson M1A1, but both were strictly for taking pictures to send home. When we left the wire, it was M-16's, basic load, (144 rounds), and as many extra mags as we could carry.