M3 M3A1 Grease Guns in Vietnam

[Big Al]

The unreliability and lack of robustness in the M3 (and the STEN for that matter) comes from early production guns. You need to keep in mind that these were the first guns to use stamped steel construction thoughout. Consequently, the first examples off the production line were not made as well as they should have been, with problems ranging from ill-fitting parts to welds breaking apart completely when the gun was dropped. Once those difficulties were properly ironed out, the M3 and STEN became perfectly robust, servicable, and reliable guns. But as often happens, once a bad reputation is earned, it can take a long time to get rid of.

[squirrely]

Surprised this hasn't been uploaded already, but it's a picture of a VN weapons cache that's been floating around the 'net for some time.

[Big Al]

I'd be happy with the bolt-actions alone!

[MMA10mm]

Annihilator - you can have all the Mausers, if I can just have TWO of the BARs! (My favorite and my grail gun... Does anyone have a few thousand to loan me so I can get one of the Ohio Ord. Semi-Autos??)

 

 

[Big Al]

Annihilator - you can have all the Mausers, if I can just have TWO of the BARs!

Its a deal. We can divide our spoils when we rule the world. :lol:

[J_Andrews]

M-3s were actually issued -- in the ETO -- before Normandy, in late 1943. At least the 82nd and 10-1st Abn Divs got some for field/troop testing. As said before, these were early-production guns, and they suffered from lots of glitches. The major problem was improper heat-treating, making ejectors and extractors prone to failure (breaking off or losing shards or bending), and mag catch springs were too weak (mags dropped out at inconvenient times, most especially on the opening shock of a parachute, or being dropped or slammed into the ground). Magazines also had issues. As a result, during the cycle of spring 1944 field exercises, any M-3 that seemed iffy was withdrawn, and all were checked over by ordnance techs before being returned to the troops. Thus, you can find a few pictures of them in use in Normandy, but not many.

 

The M-3A1 changes (such as eliminating the cocking handle that caught on things, and using the stock as a disassembly tool and mag loader) had all (IIRC) been suggested during Stateside troop tests (AFTER General Motors and the Ordnance Test Board), but set aside to get the guns made and fielded sooner rather than later.

[badash5946]

While researching for another post I ran across this photo. It is of Co E (Recon), 2nd Bn, 3rd Inf, 199th LIB, in 1969. Sorry for the small size - there are several interesting weapons in this photo, among them an M3.

[439th Signal Battalion]

Another Redcatcher in D/2-3, 199th Infantry Brigade, carrying a grease gun in July 1969. Note the extra mags in his trouser pocket.

 

[WENebr]

According to Jane's Infantry Weapons, as of April, 2001, the US Army still had 12,637 M3's in storage or deployed (135 deployed). 707 M3's were sent to Macedonia in 1999.

[hardheaded]

Thought I'd through this freshley scanned & cropped picture in the mix. It's out of an advisors grouping I have.

[hueytaxi]

That Thompson is a load to hump. I loved shooting the one I had in those times, just impractical with the other geear and the operating scenario.

[hardheaded]

Years ago, I took my 15yr old, 90lb daughter out to a gun range to fire a full auto Thompson. It sure was fun watching her Later that night she was complaining about her arms and shoulders hurting.

[Badgerord]

The M3A1 Submachine gun (Grease gun) was removed from service in 1992. They were used as a tankers weapon from Nam to the end of its service life.

[m151mp]

we also had one of them in our arms room, HHC MP's 199th inf. 69-70 i tried it out once, it was fun to shoot.

[aussie digger]

Need to see if I can find the pics but we captured a M3 in Afghanistan along with nagants, K98s, .303s and even a 1890s tower rifle!

[SKIPH]

SKIP, 1979, w/ M3A1. Training Exercise.

[Bryant U.]

Great info and photos gentlemen. Gotta love the M3. A friend's father had one in the Gulf War as an Armor officer.

[patches]

Would like to add more fotos of the Greaser. Some among the Army some among the Marines.

 

 

 

A ROK Marine with one.

 

 

 

 

 

Here's the Navy.

 

 

 

 

 

And one being used by the 101's Lima Ranges, 1970.

 

 

And these two, one of which is a medic treating a casualty who was armed with one.

 

 

 

[BILL THE PATCH]

And these two, one of which is a medic treating a casualty who was armed with one.

 

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Hey Kev, the first picture in thread is the same one as yours on top. That's plagerism,

 

Sent from my XT1031 using Tapatalk

 

 

[patches]

Hey Kev, the first picture in thread is the same one as yours on top. That's plagerism,

 

Sent from my XT1031 using Tapatalk

Ah yreah, look kinda different at first

[patches]

Lets try this one Billy. A Marine Officer.

 

 

Troops of the 1st Inf Div's 1st Squadron 4th Cavalry in action December 1967. The M3 SMG was a standard issue in Armor/Armored Cavalry units at this time up till the 80s, at Hood in my 1st Cav Mech Inf battalion the tracked vehicle mechanics carried them still, as they crewed armored recovery vehicles M88 and M578.

 

 

 

 

[patches]

A GI with the M3 SMG, got that Yellow scarf there, perhaps that's because he's a member of the 1st Cavalry Division's 227th Aviation Battalion, he's the late Paul Steed (passed 1994) a chopper crewman.

 

[C500]

Sorry a little late to the party. Here is a honest documented early Vietnam bring back M3A1 Ithaca.

[patches]

Sorry a little late to the party. Here is a honest documented early Vietnam bring back M3A1 Ithaca.

Was this captured from the VC?

[C500]

No it was passed around and traded for.