Regular readers of SAR will no doubt recognize the name Michael Heidler, as he is has contributed numerous articles over the years. He has also authored several books on military topics in his native German language. His latest book (entirely in English) does a splendid job of covering all aspects of the M3 and the later M3A1 variant. This is fortunate as the Thompson submachine gun tends to get the lions share of attention when discussing American SMGs.

The M3 “grease gun” was designed as a low-cost, simple-to-produce submachine gun, much like the German MP 40 and the British Sten SMGs. Made from simple stampings of sheet metal, rather than requiring many complex machining operations, these guns could be produced far faster than “old-school” guns like the Thompson.

As noted in chapter 1, Introduction, the U.S. Ordnance Department realized the need for such a design as early as 1939. The next two chapters build on this theme, with chapter 2 briefly describing the Model 1921 and 1928 Thompson guns, the Reising Model 50, and the very short-lived Hyde-Inland M2. This is followed by chapter 3 detailing the series of trials that led to the selection of the T-20 (renamed the M3 upon formal adoption.) Nine designs are profiled as part of the first phase of the trials, and 12 types that took part in the second phase are discussed. Several of these were existing foreign designs included for comparison only. These include the Finnish Suomi M/31, the British Sten Mk. II and Mk. III, and the Australian Austen Mk. I.

Heidler covers the early development stage as the T-20 went through further testing, including photos of a “dust test” wooden box. Having passed the dust test and a mud test, the gun was officially named the U.S. Submachine Gun, Caliber .45, M3.

This book has a great blend of WW II era B&W photos, patent drawings, U.S. Army illustrations (mostly from technical manual TM 9-217 and field manual FM 23-41), and modern-day color detail photos. There is also a nice collection of photos and artifacts from the Guide Lamp division of General Motors. The Guide Lamp plant in Anderson, Indiana produced 688,975 grease guns during WWII.

The Accessories chapter has a good selection of the bits and pieces that gun collectors love to collect. Items shown are: oiler, brush, extractor tool (to remove the extractor pin.), sling, magazines, mag loader, mag pouches, large and small pouches for spare parts, and the M9 flash hider.

Chapter 14, The Grease Gun in Combat, is almost entirely photographs and captions, with only about one page of text. Naturally, most photos are from WWII, but there are several from Korea, Vietnam, and even Afghanistan and Iraq.

This leads to the next chapter, Use in Foreign Countries. Some nations were supplied with the M3 by proper means, while other countries just managed to get them somehow. China is an interesting example. As Japan was at war with both the U.S. and China, it was logical that the U.S. would assist China during WWII. After WWII ended, China went back to fighting with itself; it had been involved in a civil war between the Communists and the Nationalists since 1927, pausing during the Japanese occupation. Eventually, the Nationalist forces withdrew to the island of Taiwan in 1949. But before this withdrawal, in 1947, the Nationalists set up a factory to produce near exact copies of the M3A1. This was named the Model 36. Shortly afterwards, in 1948, a version in 9x19mm entered production. This was called the Model 37. Soon, the Nationalists evacuated to Taiwan. There, they set up a new arms factory to produce an updated version (also in 9x19mm) called the model 39. Meanwhile, the Communist forces took over the original factory and began building the model 36 in 45 ACP once again. Heidler goes into more detail on this subject, of course. Numerous photos of the different variants are featured, including close-ups of receiver markings.

Argentina also produced their own version of the grease gun, called the PAM 1, and later the PAM 2. The difference was the PAM 2 had a grip safety added to prevent accidental firing if the gun was dropped. Both types were chambered in 9x19mm. Again, numerous color photos are given.   

This is a fine quality book from a respected author, covering a gun that has been overshadowed by a sibling. I hope that Heidler and Schiffer Publishing collaborate on more titles. I would love to see some of the Soviet SMGs covered in similar detail.

SPECIFICATIONS

• Title: The US M3/M3A1 Submachine Gun: The Complete History of America’s Famed “Grease Gun”
• Author: Michael Heidler
• ISBN: 978-0-7643-6058-9
• Copyright: 2020
• Binding: Hardcover with matching dust jacket
• Size: 8.5 x 11 in.
• Pages: 224 pages
• Photos: 551 B&W and color photos and illustrations
• Publisher: Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
• Website: schiffermilitary.com
• MSRP: $45

Regular readers of SAR will no doubt recognize the name Michael Heidler, as he has contributed numerous articles over the years. He has also authored several books on military topics in his native German language. His latest book, The Complete History of America’s Famed “Grease Gun” (entirely in English) does a splendid job of covering all aspects of the M3 and the later M3A1 variant. This is fortunate as the Thompson submachine gun tends to get the lion’s share of attention when discussing American SMGs.

The M3 “grease gun” was designed as a low-cost, simple to produce submachine gun, much like the German MP 40 and the British Sten SMGs. Made from simple stampings of sheet metal, rather than requiring many complex machining operations, these guns could be produced far faster than old-school guns such as the Thompson.

As noted in chapter one, Introduction, the U.S. Ordnance Department realized the need for such a design as early as 1939. The next two chapters build on this theme, with chapter two briefly describing the Model 1921 and 1928 Thompson guns, the Reising Model 50, and the very short-lived Hyde-Inland M2. This is followed by chapter three detailing the series of trials that led to the selection of the T-20 (Renamed the M3 upon formal adoption.) Nine designs are profiled as part of the first phase of the trials, and 12 types that took part in the second phase are discussed. Several of these were existing foreign designs included for comparison only. These include the Finnish Suomi M/31, the British Sten Mk. II and Mk. III, and the Australian Austen Mk. I.

Heidler covers the early development stage as the T-20 went through further testing, including photos of a wooden “dust test” box. Having passed the dust test and a mud test, the gun was officially named the U.S. Submachine Gun, Caliber .45, M3.

This book has a great blend of WWII era B&W photos, patent drawings, US Army illustrations (Mostly from Technical Manual TM 9-217 and Field Manual FM 23-41), and modern day color detail photos. There is also a nice collection of photos and artifacts from the Guide Lamp division of General Motors. The Guide Lamp plant in Anderson, Indiana produced 688,975 grease guns during WWII.

The Accessories chapter has a good selection of the bits and pieces that gun collectors love to collect. Items shown are: oiler, brush, extractor tool (to remove the extractor pin.), sling, magazines, magazine loader, magazine pouches, large and small pouches for spare parts, and the M9 flash hider.

Chapter 14, The Grease Gun in Combat, is almost entirely photographs and captions, with only about one page of text. Naturally, most photos are from WWII, but there are several from Korea, Vietnam, and even Afghanistan and Iraq.

This leads to the next chapter, Use in Foreign Countries. Some nations were supplied with the M3 by proper means, while other countries just managed to get them somehow. China is an interesting example. As Japan was at war with both USA and China, it was logical that the USA would assist China during WWII. After WWII ended, China went back to fighting with itself. (It had been involved in a civil war between the Communists and the Nationalists since 1927, pausing during the Japanese occupation.) Eventually, the Nationalist forces withdrew to the island of Taiwan in 1949. But before this withdrawal, in 1947, the Nationalists set up a factory to produce near exact copies of the M3A1. This was named the Model 36. Shortly afterwards, in 1948, a version in 9x19mm entered production. This was called the Model 37. Soon, the Nationalists evacuated to Taiwan. There, they set up a new arms factory to produce an updated version, also in 9x19mm, called the model 39. Meanwhile, the Communist forces took over the original factory and began building the model 36 in .45 ACP once again. Heidler goes into more detail on this subject, of course. Numerous photos of the different variants are featured, including close-ups of receiver markings.

Argentina also produced their own version of the grease gun, called the PAM 1, and later the PAM 2. The difference was the PAM 2 had a grip safety added, to prevent accidental firing if the gun was dropped. Both types were chambered in 9x19mm. Again, numerous color photos are shown.

This is a fine quality book from a respected author, covering a gun that has been overshadowed by a sibling. I hope that Heidler and Schiffer Publishing collaborate on more titles. I would love to see some of the Soviet SMGs covered in similar detail.

Specs

• Title: The Complete History of America’s Famed “Grease Gun”
• Author: Michael Heidler
• ISBN: 978-0-7643-6058-9
• Copyright: 2020
• Binding: Hardcover with matching dust jacket
• Dimensions: 8.5x11in
• Pages: 224 pages
• Photos: 551 B&W and color photos and illustrations
• Publisher: Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
• Website: schifferbooks.com
• MSRP: $45

During a recent visit to the Springfield Armory National Historic Site Museum in Springfield, Massachusetts, Small Arms Review was granted access to the area of the museum where weapons not on display are stored. Only 16-percent of the museum’s collection is currently on exhibit.

One might wonder why some of the more unique, one-off firearms are not on display. I have asked this question of several museum curators over the years, and the answer is always the same. The average military museum visitor is interested in seeing a rifle or handgun that was issued to them, their father or grandfather. Most are not interested in one-of-a-kind prototypes.

High Standard T48 7.62mm FN FAL Rifle Serial Number HS-1

One of the rarest FN FAL rifles was manufactured by the High Standard Corporation, Hamden, Connecticut in 1954. The Belgian FN FAL rifle, as originally manufactured in Europe, was produced using the metric system of measurement. Canada, Great Britain and the United States all used the Imperial system of inches. Any rifle produced in these countries would need to adhere to their standard of measurement. One of the obstacles encountered with the Belgian rifle was that all the factory drawings were done using the metric system.

The Springfield Armory was busy with the T44E4 rifles and numerous other projects and decided to turn the task over to a commercial entity. Bids were taken for the project, and the contract was eventually awarded to the High Standard Corporation. As part of the agreement, High Standard was to manufacture at least 12 functional FN FAL T48 rifles from their final drawings. Harrington and Richardson received a contract and manufactured 510 inch-pattern T48 rifles for testing and evaluation.

Inland M1 Carbine Serial Number 1

The M1 carbine was manufactured during World War II, issued to primarily arm personnel who were not engaged in front-line infantry fighting. The carbine used a new 7.62x33mm cartridge with a 110-grain bullet at a muzzle velocity at approximately 1,970 feet per second. The carbine was designed to supply a more effective weapon to those who would normally be issued a handgun. The M1 carbine was manufactured by a large number of contractors. One of those contractors was the Inland Division of General Motors. In the museum’s holdings is the first production M1 carbine made by Inland, serial number 1, with two unusual characteristics: a “web” forward of the trigger guard and a corrugated curved butt plate. The first five tool room models of the Inland carbine were made by R.F. Sedley, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.

T29 .30 Caliber Grease Gun Serial Number X38

The experimental T29 submachine gun was developed by the Guide Lamp Division of General Motors during the fall of 1944. The T29 is a straight blowback M3A1 “Grease Gun” chambered for the .30 carbine cartridge. The barrel is 14 inches in length; the overall length is 28.8 inches. Development was terminated with the introduction of the select-fire M2 carbine.

Savage Submachine Gun .45ACP Serial Number X-1

The experimental Savage submachine gun, caliber .45, was manufactured by Savage Arms, Utica, New York. Equipped with a folding spike bayonet, magazine and sling, this submachine gun shares many features with the production Reising M50 submachine gun and feeds from a 20-round Reising magazine. The weapon was designed in the 1940s by Eugene Reising for Savage Arms.

High Standard Submachine Gun .45 ACP Serial Number 7

The High-Standard Submachine Gun Caliber .45 was designed by Carl G. Swebilius of High Standard with the patents assigned to the corporation. The .45 caliber prototypes were made by High Standard; production UD42 9mm models were manufactured by Marlin for the United Defense Supply Corporation. Reportedly only seven weapons in caliber .45 ACP were made for submission to various testing boards.

Submachine Gun Thompson M1A1 .45 ACP Serial Number 1244194

Manufactured by Savage for the Auto-Ordnance Corporation, Bridgeport, Connecticut, this is a presentation M1A1 Thompson submachine gun with a polished blue finish. The serial number represents the total number of Thompson submachine guns; 1928, M1 and M1A1 models made by Savage. The weapon was donated to the Springfield Armory NHS by Savage Arms, Westfield, Massachusetts on October 17, 1978.

Swedish-K, 9mm Caseless Ammunition Serial Number 356615

A submachine gun that was introduced to the Navy SEALs at Fort Bragg and remained in their inventory through the Vietnam War, was the Swedish Model 45, also known as the m/45 or Swedish-K.

A Swedish-K submachine gun, serial number 356615, was converted by the U.S. Smith & Wesson Corporation to electrically fire caseless 9mm ammunition. The m/45 was followed by several S&W Model 76 submachine guns that were designed for caseless ammunition before the program was terminated.

Smith & Wesson Model 76, Caseless Ammunition Serial Number X219

Model 76 serial number X219 was one of several Model 76 submachine guns converted to fire caseless ammunition. The ammunition was fired electrically. Power was supplied by a 30-volt dry cell battery located in a compartment forward of the trigger guard. The magazine release lever was redesigned to clear the battery box. Note the on-off safety switch on the pistol grip (barrel is missing from the weapon).

U.S. Rifle, M1 Caliber .30 Serial Number 1

Manufactured by Springfield Armory, Springfield, Massachusetts in May 1934, this is the first model shop semi-automatic, gas-operated (gas-trap) M1 Garand rifle with 8-round clip feed mechanism. Manufactured by semi-production, tool room methods in the Model Shop at Springfield Armory under direct supervision of John Garand. The cost to the government for the 80-model shop M1 rifles was $1,831.00 in 1934, or $32,268.51 in 2018 dollars.

U.S. Rifle, M1 Caliber .30 Serial Number 81

This M1 was manufactured by Springfield Armory, Springfield, Massachusetts in 1937. It is the first series production model M1 gas-operated, semi-automatic rifle with 8-round clip feed mechanism. Parkerized finish with many small parts blued. This is the first production line M1 manufactured in 1937 at a cost of $214.54. Serial numbers 1 to 80 were tool room models.

U.S. Rifle, T20 Caliber .30 Serial Number 1

The T20 was manufactured at Springfield Armory, Springfield, Massachusetts in October 1944. Experimental gas-operated, select-fire rifle, essentially a modified M1 adapted to a 20-round detachable BAR box magazine. The receiver was made .3125-inch longer than a production M1 to solve a problem feeding from the BAR magazine. The weapon was designed to fire from open bolt in the full-auto mode; closed bolt in semi-auto mode. The open bolt feature did not adequately solve cook-off problems.

Muzzle velocity was 2750 feet per second and cyclic rate of fire 500rpm. Weapon has an overall length of 44.5 inches, a barrel length of 24 inches and weighs approximately 10 pounds without accessories. Development of the T20 model was terminated in January 1945 with recommendations that minor changes and strengthening of various components be made. A rifle incorporating these minor design changes was designated as the T20E1.

Remington T22E2 .30 Serial Number 1

Concurrent with Garand’s work on the T20 rifle, a competitive contract was awarded to Remington Arms Company to develop an improved M1 rifle. Remington’s prototypes were designed around a standard length M1 receiver. Like the T20, the T22 used a BAR-style 20-round magazine. Manufactured and developed by Remington Arms, Ilion, New York. The T22E2 was essentially an M1 converted to select fire and modified for a detachable box magazine.

Belt-Fed German Fallschirmjagergewehr, FG42

After World War II ended, the idea to develop a new U.S. general purpose, light machine gun was renewed. A captured World War II German weapon, a late model FG42, was examined and adopted as a base design. The FG42 (Fallschirmjagergewehr, or Paratroopers Rifle) was a limited production, shoulder-fired, rifle caliber weapon intended solely for the German paratroop forces, produced from stampings and welding.

The mechanical solution for the conversion was engineered by the Bridge Tool & Die Works, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1946. The resulting weapon is a conversion of the Type 2 FG42 German paratrooper rifle with the belt feeding mechanism of the Maschinengewehr 42, a German, belt-fed general purpose machine gun, fabricated from sheet metal stampings. The Bridge Tool & Die conversion weapon is a gas-operated, blowback type combination—air-cooled; bipod supported; with forward handgrip and rear shoulder stock. The receiver cover is marked WaA 147.

T33 Clarke Arms Rifle Serial Number 8

The Clarke Arms Company of Boston entered their T33 series rifles in the U.S. Ordnance Department’s lightweight rifle competition. The T33 rifle development program was begun in March 1949. The weapon was a lightweight, selective full- and semi-automatic rifle. The purpose of the lightweight rifle program was to replace the M1 rifle. This project was suspended in late 1950, because the weapon lacked sufficient ruggedness and demonstrated poor performance under adverse conditions. The Clarke Arms Company dissolved on December 22, 1954.

T44 Rifle Serial Number 1

The first 7.62mm T44 rifles were built on .30 caliber T20 receivers. Spacers were used in the receiver to adapt the T20 receiver for the shorter 7.62mm cartridges. A new short receiver, specifically designed for the 7.62mm round, was introduced on the T44E4 model.

First Production M14 Rifle Serial Number 2000

The first U.S. M14 rifle off the series production line at the Springfield Armory in 1957 was serial number 2000. The presentation grade rifle was finished in a high polish blue with a fine black walnut wood stock.

M14E2/A1 Rifle Prototype, Springfield Armory M14 Serial Number 6488

The M14 rifle as issued, was very difficult to fire accurately in full-automatic. As a result, many were issued with selector locks, limiting their operation to semi-automatic-only. In attempt to design an M14 that could effectively use its full-auto feature, the USAIB/M14 was conceived at Fort Benning, Georgia, by Captain Durward D. Gosney. The Springfield Armory M14 Serial Number 6488 was fitted with an in-line pistol grip stock, wooden foregrip, muzzle stabilizer and commercial rubber recoil pad. In this configuration, the M14 demonstrated that the automatic fire accuracy requirements could be consistently achieved.

Due to size limitations, only a small portion of the unique firearms stored at the Springfield Armory Museum are featured in this article, as are the brief descriptions. Watch future issues of Small Arms Review for more in-depth articles and photos on many of these weapons.

Special thanks to Curator Alex MacKenzie and the entire museum staff.

For more information about the museum:

Springfield Armory National Historic Site
One Armory Square, Suite 2
Springfield, MA 01105-1299
Phone: 413-271-3976 Website: nps.gov/spar

After the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty, Chinese leader Sun Yat Sen confirmed the Republic of China on 10 October 1911 and China then embarked on 40-plus years of internal struggle and war. During the 1920s China was embroiled in a civil war between the Chinese Communist forces led by Mao Tse-tung and the Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang) led by Chiang Kai-shek, who took control of the Kuomintang Party and the army during 1926. With China embroiled in a bitter civil war, Japan saw the opportunity to advance on Manchuria in northeast China during 1931. Manchuria was easily taken and occupied by the Japanese until the end of World War II. The Japanese attacked again on 7 July 1937, troops poured into China, attempting to occupy the five Western provinces. Chiang Kai Shek was caught between fighting the Communist Chinese and the Japanese; he focused on defeating his Chinese rivals.

During World War II, the United States became allied with the Chinese Nationalists and provided massive military aid through the United States’ Lend Lease Program to assist China in defeating the Japanese. The Chinese were supplied with large amounts of U.S. small arms. The wartime plan of the U.S. was to assist China in becoming a strong ally and a stabilizing force in Asia after the war. When World War II ended the Chinese civil war intensified, eventually resulting in a Communist victory in 1949. The Nationalist government left the mainland and settled on the island of Formosa (Taiwan) located off of the southeast coast of the mainland. Communist leader Mao Tse-tung renamed mainland China the Peoples Republic of China.

The Chinese Type 36 Submachine Gun

After the end of World War II and the U.S. Lend Lease Programs, the Chinese began to copy and manufacture weapons of both Soviet and U.S. designs. One of the U.S. weapons they copied was the U.S. M3A1 submachine gun, commonly known by its nickname “Grease Gun.” The M3 and the product-improved M3A1 were first designed and fielded by the United States during World War II. The first Chinese M3A1 clone produced on mainland China was adopted in 1947 and thus designated as the Type 36. The designation came from the Chinese Republic calendar year that started in 1911 when the Republic of China was established by Sun Yat Sen. The Chinese .45 caliber Type 36, manufactured at the Shenyang 90th Arsenal, near Mukden, China was a near exact copy of the U.S. made M3A1, except for the Chinese markings on the magazine housing. Reportedly fewer than 10,000 Type 36 submachine guns were produced before Communist forces overran the factory.

The Chinese Type 37 Submachine Gun

Like the Chinese Type 36, the Type 37 was a very close copy of the U.S. M3A1 submachine gun, except the Type 37 was chambered for the 9mm Parabellum cartridge. The Type 37 was manufactured at Mainland China’s 60th Jin Ling Arsenal located in the city of Nanking, China, then the capital city of the Nationalist Chinese. The Type 37 designation of the weapon indicates that it was adopted and manufactured during 1948.

The 9mm Type 37 submachine gun differed only slightly from the Type 36, and was basically a conversion of the .45 caliber Type 36 model. To facilitate the 9mm cartridge, the barrel was extended 8mm further out of the rear of the barrel nut than a standard .45 caliber barrel. This was necessary to reliably feed the shorter 9mm round into the barrel’s chamber. The rear of the 9mm barrel is slightly larger near the receiver end where it is pressed into the muzzle nut. The bolt is similar to the .45 model, except the bolt face was recessed 8mm further to compensate for the portion of the barrel protruding rearward. To feed the Type 37, a copy of the British Sten magazine was used. To permit the 9mm magazine to fit into the magazine well a three-sided magazine adapter was fabricated from a piece of .030 of an inch thick spring steel. The adapter was held in place by two metal tangs on each side. The standard M3A1 magazine release was used. To remove the 9mm magazine adapter the release button must be removed. The adapter is identical to that used in the World War II U.S. 9mm Grease Gun conversion kit, except there are no caliber or drawing numbers present.

The Type 37 was only manufactured for a brief period before the Communists overran the city of Nanking during April of 1949. Prior to the Communist takeover of the Arsenal, the Nationalist Chinese fled to Formosa taking most of the manufacturing equipment with them. Once settled on Formosa, production of the 9mm Type 37 resumed and redesignated as the Type 39. The submachine guns manufactured on Formosa are marked with the logo of the new ordnance department established there, the Combined Service Forces.

Brief History of the M3 and M3A1 Grease Gun

As early as 1939 the United States Ordnance Department had set a number of requirements for a new weapon to replace the expensive Thompson submachine gun.

U.S. Submachine Gun, Caliber 45, M2

There were extensive trials held at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland to test and evaluate foreign and domestic submachine gun designs, which could meet or exceed the Ordnance Department’s requirements. One of the George Hyde designs was considered for adoption early in 1942 as a substitute standard to begin replacement of the Thompson submachine gun. The weapon was selected as a direct result of testing at Aberdeen and was one of several designs submitted by Mr. Hyde. Several prototypes were tested before a final model successfully passed the service test. In April of 1942 the United States adopted the weapon as the U.S. Submachine Gun, Caliber .45, M2. The Marlin Firearms Company was chosen to manufacture the M2.

There were many problems encountered with the production of the M2, and there were still some flaws in the basic design. Several of the M2’s internal parts were designed to be manufactured by powder metallurgy technology and a difficult time with the manufacturing process was encountered partially because of the aforementioned process. The technology was not advanced enough at the time to successfully utilize the method. The parts then had to be redesigned for machining from steel bar stock and this added substantial man-hours to the M2 production time.

While solving problems with the M2 submachine gun were being addressed, the prototype T-20 (M3) submachine gun was tested and evaluated; the weapon had all of the characteristics that the Ordnance Department was looking for. In an Ordnance Committee meeting held in November 1942 it was reported that, “The development of a caliber .45 submachine gun and a 9mm submachine gun: The requirements for these two weapons have been met by the development of a caliber .45 machine pistol which can be converted to 9mm operation by changing the barrel and bolt.”

The T-15 and T-20 Submachine Guns

The select-fire T15 was the prototype of what would become the M3 submachine gun. Like the M2 submachine gun it was designed by George Hyde. The T15 weapon used no critical metals and required a minimum of time-consuming machining. Except for the barrel and bolt assembly the entire weapon was constructed from simple sheet metal stampings. The bolt was designed to ride on two steel rods that were secured by two holes stamped into the rear of the receiver. The rod and bolt assembly was held in place by the barrel that simply was screwed into the front of the receiver. The bolt would slide on the two steel rods never contacting the inside of the receiver. This kept the moving parts impervious to dirt, making it an extremely reliable design. As the project progressed, there were a few changes. One was a lower cyclic rate, and a full automatic only operation. The new prototype weapon was designated the T-20.

The U.S. M3 Submachine Gun

U.S. Army Ordnance R&D officer Réne Studler recruited General Motors to assist with the T-20 development. Fredrick Sampson, chief engineer of GM’s Inland Division was assigned to the project. After a brief, but thorough evaluation of the T20 prototypes, the T20 was officially adopted as the U.S. Submachine Gun, Caliber .45, M3. The M3 – T20 prototype had an overall score of 95 out of a possible 100 in the Aberdeen test, higher than any previous weapon tested. The time period between the conception and production of the M3 submachine gun was an unprecedented seven months. The project was authorized in October 1942 with five working prototypes available for testing by November 1942, and the M3 was adopted by the United States Army on Christmas Eve 1942. The M2 submachine gun contract was canceled when the M3 submachine gun went into production. The initial cost of the M3 was $17.93 per unit, minus the bolt assembly. The contract for the M3 bolts was awarded to the Buffalo Arms Company at a cost of $2.58 per piece.

The U.S. M3A1 Submachine Gun

After the M3 was in service for a period of time the Ordnance Department felt that most of the problems with the weapon design had surfaced and they set requirements for improving the initial design. One of the biggest problem areas with the M3 was with the cocking handle and its related parts. A new bolt was designed that was cocked by the finger of the operator, eliminating the need for a cocking handle. An enlarged ejection port was also needed to incorporate the new style bolt. The new model was standardized as the M3A1 December 1944 and the M3 was then classified as substitute standard. Other improvements and changes incorporated in the M3A1 were: A larger oil container that was contained inside the pistol grip, a new stock design that served as a cleaning rod and a magazine loading tool. The stock could also be used as a wrench to remove a tight barrel, a new barrel nut that had “flats” machined on it so a wrench (or the stock) could be used to easily remove it. The rear guide rod retainer was redesigned so it would clear the ejector, allowing the bolt assembly to be removed from the receiver without removing the ejector housing. Guide Lamp production ceased in August 1945, after manufacturing 606,694 M3 and 82,281 M3A1 submachine guns. An additional 33,227 M3A1 models were manufactured by Ithaca in 1955-1956. The Ithaca M3A1 was nearly identical to the World War II M3A1 weapons manufactured by Guide Lamp. The M3A1 remained the standard U.S. submachine gun until 1957. In addition to China, the M3A1 design was copied and manufactured in Argentina as the P.A.M. 1.

(Special thanks to The United States Marine Corps National Museum, Triangle, Virginia, Mr. Al Houde, Arms Curator, United States Marine Corps National Museum, Quantico, VA, and Mr. Dolf Goldsmith, Texas. The Type 37 submachine gun photographed for this article courtesy of the United States Marine Corps National Museum, Triangle, VA.)

By Jim Schatz & Dan Shea

At a facility in West Virginia, there exists what might be considered the home of the American Government’s firearms technical excellence, which includes a unique working firearms collection not before shown to the public. Imagine a facility staffed by highly experienced, dedicated working professionals charged with providing legally undisputable firearms and ammunition technical support to US Federal and local government agencies and friendly foreign governments. Imagine the assembly of a collection of rare, one-of-a-kind prototypes, first run samples, failed industry ideas and highly collectable once-transferable ordnance pieces ranging from the Colt AR-15 Model 607 (Model 7) to Russian Model 1905 Brass Maxim water-cooled machine guns. Conceive, as well, of the compilation of a firearms and ammunition reference library second to none comprised of extensive technical data on a world of offerings in small arms and ordnance materials. Task this organization with defining and enforcing the complex sea of applicable regulations and interpretations as they relate to the technical aspects of firearms and their classification under Federal laws. Combine all of this into one outfit and you would have the Firearms Technology Branch (FTB) of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

In the ATF chain of command, FTB is part of the Firearms Programs Division, which, in turn, is directed by the Office of Enforcement Programs and Services (EPS). Few SAR readers need much of an introduction to ATF. Where this article will tread new ground is in revealing the fascinating collection of firearms, ordnance items, accessories, and dangerous and unusual pieces that make up the “National Firearms Collection” (NFC). The highly experienced staff of the ATF Firearms Technology Branch has overall responsibility for the management of this one-of-a-kind collection that is comprised of more than 10,000 serial numbered items. It is certainly safe to say that no other collection of this type exists anywhere in the United States. Small Arms Review was offered an exclusive chance to be the first and only small arms periodical to cover the contents of this fascinating collection. This assemblage of reference firearms was first compiled by the Bureau of Internal Revenue, later to become the IRS that we know today, as criminal evidence acquired as early as 1931. The items were later transferred to ATF in July 1972 when this entity first separated from the IRS and became a distinct Bureau within the Treasury Department. These older IRS-era pieces are some of the most fascinating items in the collection as they are still complete with the original hand written evidence tags.

Mission First

The mission of the FTB is multifaceted. The workforce of Firearm Enforcement Officers and support personnel, which includes armorers and administration staff, has the primary tasking to support law enforcement investigations and programs related to the use of firearms and related ordnance materials. In fact, well over half of the Branch workload is dedicated to supporting law enforcement programs and investigations. Support is rendered to US Federal agencies, the Department of Defense, to State and local law enforcement organizations, to the ATF Office of Chief Counsel, to Congressional affairs personnel, to the firearms industry, and to the general public. This includes the examination, testing, and classification of firearms-related evidence submitted to the unit as a result of ongoing criminal investigations. This can also include technical support for search warrants and technical training for US and foreign forensic personnel in areas such as tooling marks, firearms operation, and manufacturers’ markings. FTB personnel provide expert testimony in criminal prosecutions; train agency personnel related to firearms use; provide and/or assist in the maintenance, employment, and support of existing issue agency weapons; and help with the selection of new weaponry. FTB staff members are available to answer the technical questions of almost any nature and on any subject posed to them by investigators, members of the industry, and civilians. It is highly likely that if you have contacted the ATF Headquarters in Washington, DC, with a question on a firearms-related technical or regulatory issue, it would have been answered by a member of the Firearms Technology Branch. This author found the members of the Branch to be dedicated, very experienced in the field of firearms, well known within the firearms community, especially at the supervisory level, and committed to their profession; and he discovered, further, that many were hard core gun aficionados with personal interests in the history of these firearms. Many are former military or law enforcement personnel and are active in after hours’ firearms-related activities like competitive shooting, gun collecting, and the ways of the firearms community in general. They are also regular readers of Small Arms Review, when the branch copy can be located. It is reported that SAR is one of the most popular gun magazines at the FTB.

The role of the FTB armorers is to provide maintenance and support for all ATFissue firearms and those props used for investigations and trials. The level of technical expertise has to be especially complete when one considers that an armorer assigned to this unit may have to be able to set the headspace on an M2HB, determine the safety of a “home grown” firearm like a pen gun or silencer prior to confirmatory testing required in support of every criminal investigation, determine the origin and year of manufacture of illegally imported AKs from the former Yugoslavia, or decide which transferable Vietnam era AR-15s confiscated in a criminal investigation should be destroyed. There are few Government or industry conducted armorers training courses for many of the firearms in the collection simply because of the point of origin and technical nature of the more unique items.

The Firearms Technology Branch is charged with ascertaining the technical nature of illegally manufactured or modified weapons. For instance, in a case where a legal semiautomatic firearm, seized from a criminal during an investigation, has been converted to fire in a fully automatic mode, FTB Firearms Enforcement Officers will inspect that weapon and record the nature of the modifications made to its mechanism. Once the weapon is deemed safe to fire, FTB personnel have ammunition of almost any type available and an indoor firing range to conduct a live-fire test of the firearm to confirm that it does in fact function as an illegally modified weapon. This same procedure is used for silencers where FTB has available the latest sound metering technology to test the sound reduction of everything from stolen US Government equipment to improvised silencers made from a variety of items available from a local hardware store or supermarket. The Branch will also test weapons which have discharged accidentally during an investigation and those that are converted to full auto illegally. Dealing with weapons that are highly modified and possibly unsound requires careful pre-firing studies and safety assessments before they can be safely fired. To ensure staff safety when handling potentially dangerous ordnance items, FTB draws on the extensive in-house experience and judgment of its staff, and occasionally outside subject matter experts when necessary.

The FTB evaluates imported firearms to ensure compliance with the provisions of Title 18 U.S.C., Chapter 44, § 935(d). In cases where candidate firearms are disapproved for importation or sale due to non-compliance with import requirements, these articles must be re-exported or destroyed, and often are abandoned due to excess costs or tedious procedures. When abandoned, they may become part of the National Firearms Collection. If you were looking to see how not to seek import approval on semiautomatic SKSs or AKs, the FTB has many examples of failed attempts by importers to properly modify semi-auto rifles to meet importation guidelines. We saw samples of SKSs with some full auto parts, full auto sear mounting holes and even one that actually had a selector lever for full auto fire. Along with these, there are firearms built in proscribed countries and transshipped to a “friendly” country and falsely claimed as satisfactory in origin.

In accordance with Title 18 U.S.C., Chapter 44, § 922(p)(1), “Undetectable Firearms Act,” FTB personnel survey and test domestic and foreign origin handguns to ensure they meet the minimum size, functional, and material content requirements for commercial sale. The Branch also tests for compliance any ammunition that may fall into the controlled category of “Armor Piercing.” And finally, and in addition to an already packed business day, the FTB must also evaluate NFA-related documents and provide comments to ATF Chief Counsel, analyze proposed new legislation when requested by the Office of Public and Governmental Affairs, prepare all correspondence concerning the classification of firearms as “curios” or “relics,” and prepare correspondence for importers and manufacturers concerning marking requirements for firearms and related materials.

Now the Fun Stuff 

Within the National Firearms Collection, there are all manner of weapon reference types, many that would never be seen anywhere else. This includes racks and racks of rifles, both military-style assault rifles and conventional commercial hunting and competition rifles; submachine guns in various sizes and shapes; machine guns light, medium, and heavy; sniper rifles; shotguns; and destructive devices to include single-shot, multipleshot, and automatic grenade launchers. Each weapon’s category is organized by country of origin and/or alphabetically. Below the long gun racks are cabinets with drawer after drawer of handguns arranged alphabetically by maker or country of origin, both revolvers and semiautomatics, as well as full auto machine pistols, again some made by licensed manufacturers and those illegally made in unlicensed “work shops” both in the US and abroad. Within the handgun drawers are countless examples of silencers, pen guns, flash light guns, “zip” guns, toy and miniature guns, homemade AOWs (Any Other Weapons), and even an entire line of wearable “clothing guns” that includes an assortment of belt buckle, pager, cell phone, brass knuckle, knife, arm and even ring guns.

The collection includes reference samples of various automatic sears and lower receivers, such as the wide assortment of MAC-type lower receivers in various stages of completion. Within the NFC resides an excellent collection of crewserved weapons and anti-tank rocket launchers, like the infamous RPG and the WWII-era British PIAT launcher. ATF does not purchase or accept donated weapons from industry into the collection so the vast majority of the reference pieces have been added to the collection as a result of FTBs daily performance of its extensive mission portrayed above.

The reference collection includes mostly criminal case seizures, expired bond weapons not sold during the 5-year allowable period, those surrendered by unwary civilians, and, as indicated, samples sent in for ATF review and approval by US importers and manufacturers seeking permission for import and/or sale, which in some cases are later abandoned to ATF. When asked, our FTB guide for the day and the Vault Curator answered quickly that the most common WWII “bring-back” weapons have been MP40 submachine guns, lots of MP44s, and Czech ZB26 and ZB30 light machine guns, of all things. Not surprisingly, weapons from the Pacific theater are also not uncommon. Library pieces are donated by other agencies and many have returned from service overseas as a result of combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, such as Iranian-made G3 rifles included in the FTB collection. One of the more interesting unofficial “displays” was a cart marked for destruction of, shall we say, obviously well-used 1960s-era US AR-15s, M60s and M79s that were captured by the North Vietnamese after the fall of Saigon and were later smuggled back into the United States and quickly confiscated by US Customs and ATF personnel. There is even a sawed-off and exquisitely engraved 12 gauge Purdy shotgun originally valued at more than $50,000 on display No one ever said all criminals were smart.

Important Notices

As we dive into this extensive photographic collection expertly recorded by SAR Editor in Chief and Technical Editor Dan Shea, it must be stated that the ATF National Firearms Collection is not open to the public. As a working reference collection, access is available to other Government personnel involved in official business generally via request to the Chief, FTB.

It must also be stated that manufacturing firearms and/or silencers, or making certain key changes in a weapon’s configuration (overall length, barrel length, external features, etc.) or changing the function of a firearm in many cases requires special approval and licensing in advance from ATF. Readers are advised to check with their local ATF office and/ or the ATF Federal Firearms Regulations Reference Guide before proceeding on home projects of this nature and to always remember “All ATF rules apply.”

Acknowledgements

The co-authors for this article and the fine folks at Small Arms Review magazine would like to thank the men and women of the Firearms Technology Branch, and the leadership at the ATF, for the opportunity to see and record the fascinating and significant ordnance pieces that make up this one-of-a-kind collection for SAR readers.

(c)Text & Photos by Jeff W. Zimba

Just like the very unique look of the Thompson, or the distinctive style of the M16, the M3 “Grease Gun” has a few immediately recognizable features not easily forgotten by those who once carried it in a theatre of operation. The pullout wire stock, combined with its tubular receiver, immediately gives it away even to those only remotely familiar with it.

There are only a handful of firearms that are instantly recognizable by the general public. This is most likely due to their exposure to Hollywood. Everything else seems to be lumped together and referred to by names that sound familiar. If I had a nickel for every time I was handling an M10 or a Sten in the past only to be asked, “Is that an Uzi?” I could have retired years ago. The Grease Gun is certainly not one of these “generic” submachine guns of the silver screen.

While operating a retail gun shop in years past, it was always obvious when someone who spent time in the armed services from the latter years of World War II to the early years of Vietnam would stop by the store. They would always gravitate to either a BAR or a Grease Gun, smile, and tell anyone within ear shot that they used to carry one of those. They would always ask what the price was, and more often than not, after explaining the process of legally obtaining a machine gun, most would leave with only the memories they arrived with. If the prices would not have been driven so far out of sight by the 1986-manufacturing ban, or if the registration requirements were not so costly and intimidating, many of these fellow brothers-in-arms would have purchased one for their collection.

Enter the Valkyrie Arms M3A1 Semiautomatic Carbine. After years of development Valerie Johnson has began manufacturing her semiautomatic-only version of the famous Grease Gun. Just like its namesake, it is chambered for the .45ACP cartridge and utilizes a standard, unmodified 30-round M3 magazine. While there are several changes in the firing mechanism and the overall design, few are apparent by just looking at the firearm.

Several criteria had to be met in order to allow the carbine to remain a Title I firearm and therefore not be subject to the National Firearms Act. The most obvious is the mandatory 16-inch barrel. While looking somewhat awkward it is necessary to keep the barrel length at or above 16 inches so it is not considered a “short-barreled rifle.” Secondly, in order to comply with the “Assault Weapons Ban” of 1994 (The ban that this writer hopes will be allowed to sunset in 2004 like originally intended), the wire stock is permanently fixed in the extended position so it does not collapse like the original. In my conversations with Valerie, she has indicated that in the future she will make original length barrel assemblies available to anyone who may wish to register their carbine as a “short-barreled rifle” to keep the aesthetics a little closer to the SMG. For an additional $25.00 Valkyrie will be shortening, crowning and refinishing the originally supplied barrel if the customer desires. They may also manufacture a suppressed barrel assembly at some point depending upon the sunset of the current “1994 Assault Weapons Ban”. For the time being, a short, non-functional display barrel is currently available with no additional registration requirements for the additional price of $60.00. A dummy OSS look-alike suppressor is also available for an additional $65.00. In the near future Valkyrie Arms will be offering an 8-inch, blank firing barrel as well.

While the overall look and feel are very similar, the vast majority of the parts used in manufacturing the Valkyrie carbine are proprietary and will not interchange with original M3 or M3A1 parts.

At a hefty unloaded weight of 8 pounds, the feel of the carbine is extremely close to the original submachine gun. (The unloaded weight of the M3 was 8.15 pounds while that of the M3A1 was reduced to 7.95 pounds.) This heavy carbine is relatively unaffected by the recoil of the .45ACP. Muzzle rise is minimal and multiple, rapid-fire rounds can be easily placed on target at 50 yards.

Fit and finish on the particular carbine we tested for this article were absolutely immaculate. The finish is a dark gray Parkerizing and is uniform from the muzzle to the stock. The dust cover is lined with felt on the inside so it does not wear the finish of the receiver while closed. The dust cover hinge is tight, as is every moving part on our test example and nothing rattles during normal or even heavy handling. The bolt is cocked with the forefinger via a slot in the bolt under the dust cover similar to the original M3A1. The design is of a closed-bolt style and the recoil spring is extremely heavy

Range time with the Valkyrie M3A1 Carbine was always enjoyable. The gun is extremely controllable and pleasant to shoot. The function with a standard 30-round magazine was flawless, regardless of ammunition type, and we never experienced any malfunctions at all. In an effort to distinguish any particular type of “favorite” ammunition, we loaded and fired several magazines with ball, hollow point and even semi-wadcutter match rounds with no failures to feed or fire. The trigger is very smooth. Trigger travel is over 1/2 inch but the break is quick and other than a steady spring tension there is no feeling of resistance at all. The magazine release is located on the left side of the magazine well and depressing the release will allow an unloaded magazine to drop free without having to pull it out.

All in all, I would highly recommend this carbine as a unique addition to any firearms collection. While this is a great alternative to an original grease gun for people who live in non-class III states, it is also an attractive and extremely functional piece sure to add to any collection. I live in one of the great free states where machine guns are no problem and found this gun fit to add to my own collection anyway.

Valkyrie Arms

Valerie Johnson founded Valkyrie Arms in 1993. The company concept began with an idea that formed out of the frustration of living in Washington, a state that banned fully automatic firearms. Valkyrie Arms has since evolved into a business that designs ATF approved, semiautomatic-only versions of classic military automatic arms. Some classic military firearms that Valkyrie Arms has designed in their new semiautomatic-only mode include the .50 BMG M2HB, M60, Browning 1919, Browning 1917, 1918 BAR and several others. They are also currently manufacturing and offering their own version of the very rare, suppressed, DeLisle Carbine. Valerie Johnson is a licensed pilot residing in Washington with a passion for firearms and is very active in the preservation of the Second Amendment.

Just a short while later the Germans simplified their original design of the MP38, by utilizing sheet-metal stampings, welded and pressed together. The result was a weapon that could be produced very inexpensively, but more importantly during a major war, manufactured in a short period of time. The new sheet-metal machinegun was called the MP40 maschinenpistole. Despite the fact that the weapon was made of inexpensive materials and methods it was just as reliable as the weapons that were produced from more traditional techniques. While fighting the Germans in North Africa in 1942, the American Army captured a number of MP40 weapons. These were promptly shipped to the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland for evaluation and testing. The Ordnance personnel at Aberdeen were quite impressed with the methods and materials used to make the rugged German submachine gun.

The standard United States submachine gun issued during most of World War Two was the Thompson. The first model of the famous “Tommy Gun” that was procured by the U.S. Army was the 1928 model. The 1928 Thompson was of a design conceived over twenty years earlier. Although extremely reliable and rugged, the Thompson was very labor intensive to produce, heavy and expensive. The M1 and M1A1 Thompson was introduced in 1942, although simplified for ease of manufacture, they were still far too time consuming to produce in the numbers needed to supply the United States and her allies. The U.S. Marines were forced to adopt and procure 80,000 .45 caliber Reising submachine guns in 1942, due to the shortage of Thompsons.

The U.S. Ordnance department had started to test both domestic and foreign submachine guns as early as 1939, even as their first orders for the Thompson were being placed. The testing failed to find a suitable replacement for the Thompson. The Ordnance Department decided to develop their own weapon, the T-20.

The United States Army Ordnance Department recruited the General Motors Corporation to assist with the design and development of the T-20. The GM Inland Division’s Chief engineer Fredrick Sampson was assigned to head up the project. After the successful and thorough testing of the T20 prototypes, the T20 was officially adopted as the U.S. Submachine Gun, Caliber .45, M3. The M3 -T20 prototype had an overall score of 95 out of a possible 100 in the standard Aberdeen small arms test, higher than any previous weapon tested.

On 29 January 1943 the Guide Lamp Division of the General Motors Corporation, and the U.S. Ordnance Department completed negotiations of a contract to manufacture the M3 submachine guns. The initial cost was $17.93 per unit, minus the bolt assembly. This cost would be amended several times during the life of the GM Guide Lamp contract. The contract to manufacture the bolts for the M3 was awarded to the Buffalo Arms Company of New York at a cost of $2.58 per piece. Ordnance contracts W-294-ORD-2107 and W-33-ORD-825 for the initial 300,000 units were awarded to Guide from the Cincinnati Ordnance District. The Guide Lamp factory was located in Anderson, Indiana. Guide Lamp was also manufacturing the .45 caliber sheet metal Liberator pistols, and Browning machine gun barrels. At the peak of production Guide was turning out a new M3 submachine gun every 2.4 minutes. A total of 605,694 M3 models would be accepted by the Ordnance Department from 1943 until early in 1944. The simplified M3A1 model was only produced in 1945, 82,281 were built before production ceased at the end of July.

The US .45 caliber M3 submachine gun, was an air-cooled, automatic only, weapon that fired from an open bolt. The weapon’s rate of fire was a somewhat slow 350- 400 rounds per minute. Semi automatic fire could be quite easily achieved by careful manipulation of the trigger. The U.S. troops that were issued the M3 were not immediately impressed by the new weapon, mostly because of its slow cyclic rate. They perceived that the effectiveness of any given weapon was directly related to the amount of rounds it could expend in a short period of time.

Although the cyclic rate was slow and the appearance unorthodox, the M3 was quite a reliable and effective weapon within its design limits. Its toy-like appearance generated several nicknames for the weapon, some not very flattering. The one that stuck was the grease gun, for its similarity in appearance to an auto mechanics tool. The M3 was easily manufactured from two die-stamped halves of sheet metal that were welded together. At first problems were encountered from the heat of the welding process warping the sheet metal receiver, but the problem was soon solved. The barrels were rifled by using the time saving cold swaging method. The bolt assembly was basically the only part requiring any extensive machining. The double feed, single stack magazine capacity was 30 rounds of .45 ACP ball ammunition. A magazine loader was issued to aid in loading the magazines.

After the M3 was in service for a period of time, the Ordnance Department felt that most of the problems with the weapon’s design had surfaced, and they set requirements for improving the initial design. One of the biggest problem areas with the M3 was with the cocking handle and its related parts. This troublesome assembly would be completely eliminated in the improved M3A1 design. A new bolt was designed that was cocked by the finger of the operator. An enlarged ejection port was also needed to incorporate the new style bolt. The design also allowed for much easier field stripping by eliminating the need to remove the ejector housing in order to remove the bolt assembly from the receiver. The new model was standardized as the M3A1 December 1944. The M3 was then classified as Substitute Standard. The M3 and M3A1 were destined to completely replace the Thompson as the standard U.S. submachine gun, but by the time World War Two ended in 1945, not enough had been produced. Production was abruptly terminated in July of 1945 as the war was in its final days.

During the Korean Conflict of 1950 to 1953 the Thompsons and the M3 and M3A1 submachine guns were pulled from storage and sent to fight another war. By the time hostilities in Korea had ended, the U.S. was facing a shortage of submachine guns according to the peacetime requirements. The United States had provided an enormous amount of WWII weapons to South Korea as military aid during the war. In 1955 the Ithaca Gun Company of Ithaca, New York was awarded contract number DA-19-058-ORD-7854 by the Rochester Ordnance District to manufacture 70,000 M3A1 submachine guns. Production was halted after only 33,227 were produced. In the interim the United States had been searching for a new modern service rifle to replace the M1 Garand rifle. As a result of years of testing and evaluation the Ordnance Department adopted the M14 as the standard U.S. Service Rifle of the U.S. Army. The new M14 was to replace the M1 Rifle, M1 Carbine and the .45 caliber submachine gun. Due to a number of problems the first M14 rifles were not issued until 1959.

When the United States sent advisory personnel into Vietnam in the early 1960s, the troops were armed with many weapons from WWII. As the war endured, U.S. personnel were eventually issued M14, M16 and M16A1 rifles. On 11 December 1961, the United States began to supply an enormous amount of military aid to the South Vietnamese Government. Included in the aid were many World War Two small arms including 1919A4 – 1919A6 machine guns, BARs, M1 rifles, M1 – M2 carbines, and M3 – M3A1 submachine guns.

In order to keep the M3 and M3A1 weapons in serviceable condition during the Vietnam War, the production of spare parts was resumed. The Vietnam era parts will be stamped with only the Ordnance drawing number of the part. The letter codes GL indicating Guide Lamp, and the ITG code representing the Ithaca Company are absent. There was one insignificant change introduced during the Vietnam era, and that was the introduction of the chromium-lined barrel. The corrosion resistant chromium bore was implemented because of periods of extreme humidity and rainfall in the country. These barrels are easily recognized by the dull silver appearance of their bores and chambers.

Suppressed or “silencer” equipped versions of the M3 and M3A1 weapons were used by U.S. sniper teams in Vietnam to quietly dispatch any enemy personnel that might compromise their positions. These weapons were fitted with suppressors manufactured by the SIONICS corporation. A few suppressor-equipped grease guns were also used by the enemy in Vietnam. The enemy weapons used a suppressor that was very similar in construction to those made by Bell Laboratories for the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) during WWII. Since the OSS grease gun suppressors had no identifying markings on them, it wasn’t known for certain if the enemy suppressors were refurbished U.S. issue or Chinese copies. There was one internal difference noted. The enemy suppressors used oil soaked felt, original U.S. produced versions ones did not.

(Dan’s Note: There were a number of Special Operations personnel and others who have described taking an M3A1 Greasegun, and replacing the recoil springs with cut down M2HB springs- this increased the cyclic rate to around 800rpm, but was destructive to the rear end of the receiver).

A number of U.S. M3-M3A1 submachine guns were also captured and used against the United States forces and their South Vietnamese allies. The Viet Cong Guerrillas especially favored the compact and easily concealed “grease gun”. Communist China had supplied the Viet Cong and NVA troops with a substantial number of their own indigenously produced version of the M3A1. The Chinese copies of the M3A1 submachine gun were designated as the M36 when chambered for the .45 caliber cartridge and the M37 chambered for 9mm rounds. These two weapons were direct copies of “grease guns” that the United States had supplied to a desperate China during WWII. The weapons were very similar to the U.S. manufactured M3A1model except for the Chinese markings on the magazine housings.

The M3 and M3A1 grease guns are the only U.S. weapons adopted during WWII that continue to serve even today. Some weapons like the famous Thompson Submachine Gun endear, while others like the utilitarian M3-M3A1 grease guns simply endure.

This article was excerpted from the book The M3 and M3A1 Grease Gun. The book is available from Moose Lake Publishing 207-683-2959

The Wright Museum of American Enterprise located in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire divides its focus between civilian and military life during the war years of 1939-1945. The military side is based on founder David M. Wright’s collection of about 40 U.S. military vehicles. The civilian focus is on Home Front activities taking place in support of the armed forces during the war.

“Our intention is to preserve that period of time when the U.S. industrial output was at its peak. Everyone pulled together during the war years and we not only attained victory, but also produced some very good industrial and military products. The whole idea behind this museum is to preserve that period when American-produced goods were tops in the world. We also present a slice of what daily life was like during the war years,” Wright says.

The museum showcases Americans’ enterprising spirit as the populace set aside their differences and answered the calls to arms of World War Two. The exhibits comprise an historically accurate collection of memorabilia, small arms, vehicles, period films and other artifacts intended to demonstrate the efforts the American people brought to this time of crisis. How daily civilian life changed, such as the entrance of women into the workforce and the migration of farmers to cities to work in factories, is portrayed through lectures, plays and motion pictures.

The museum site comprises six acres of land and contains about 32,000 square-feet of exhibit space within two buildings. The front building contains an arresting display of an American World War Two-era tank seemingly bursting through a brick sidewall onto the street. Inside, Big Band and other period music plays in the background as the visitor walks through the exhibits. Vegetables grown in an on-site Victory Garden are donated to a local foodbank.

Former members of the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) are honored by what Wright calls “the largest WASP exhibit in the country.” WASPs were not allowed to fly in combat but served by delivering fighter aircraft from factories to military bases, and helping to train male combat pilots.

Another exhibit honors the late René Gagnon, a New Hampshire Marine and Medal of Honor winner depicted in the famous wartime photograph and later sculpture of the World War Two Iowa Jima flag-raising.

Girl-power on the Home Front became America’s wartime strength, the museum exhibits detail. By 1944, there were 18.7 million more people at work in the U.S. than in 1939 and they were producing 40% of the world’s armaments. By July of 1945, the U.S. had built close to 300,000 aircraft, 71,000 Navy ships, 600,000 Jeeps, and 102,000 tanks.

With raw materials badly needed for the fabrication of arms, Americans formed the largest scrap drives in history. Tons of tires, toothpaste tubes, aluminum pots and tin cans piled into armament plants. For example, one old automobile radiator was said to provide the raw material for the production of seventeen .30 caliber rifles. One shovel could be converted into four hand grenades and 12 gas masks could be made from one old rubber tire. Rationing spread through the nation making shoes, food, liquor, cigarettes and especially gasoline, available only through a point system.

In keeping with the World War Two-era practice of volunteerism, a network of about 60 volunteers help to keep the institution running. Operational vehicles within the collection appear in local parades. The centerpiece of the collection is a T-26 Pershing tank which was among the first 20 such armored vehicles sent to Europe as part of the “Zebra” mission in February 1945. The detail, which was composed of the Ninth and Third Armored Divisions, each received 10 tanks. The museum’s specimen had been assigned to Company A, 14th Tank Battalion of the Ninth Armored Division and was one of the only known surviving tanks which crossed the Rhine River.

Open seven days a week during the summer, the museum opens its doors on weekends only during the winter months. Lake Winnipesaukee, a popular summer resort, is just a short distance away. For more information call (603) 569-1212.