Posted on 08/13/2014 11:34:23 AM PDT by C19fan
Born out of the necessity rapidly to put inexpensive submachine guns in the hands of American soldiers and Marines, it was so cheap it looked like a mechanic’s tool rather than the product of advanced American industrial know-how.
It was supposed to serve as a replacement to the iconic and expensive Thompson submachine gun, but developed a reputation of its own that kept it in the U.S. military inventory from World War II all the way through Desert Storm.
Nobody really loved the M-3 that G.I.s dubbed the “Grease Gun.” But nobody really hated, either.
(Excerpt) Read more at medium.com ...
That Thompson looks sweet. Same with the BAR.
FRiend, we were at FT Riley at the same time. I remember we had Grease Guns in the arms room (HHC, 2-34 AR)...but nobody had them in the MTOE that I knew of. They just sat there, a relic from the past.
I remember that it would really walk on you. Learned to fire it low in front of the target — in the ground if necessary and adjusting accordingly. Strictly a close up weapon. Lots of bolt inertia.
Ditto! I was with 70th Engineer BN until I moved to the 937th EN Group. We also had the old recoilless rifle. I wasn’t a fan of that though.
Ditto! I was with 70th Engineer BN until I moved to the 937th EN Group. We also had the old recoilless rifle. I wasn’t a fan of that though.
Got to shoot the Sten in the late 70's when I was a LEO. Didn't like it as much as the M3, but it was easier to control.
Next Dept I worked for had 6 Thompsons. Got to shoot them every once in awhile. Those were a blast. Always had a grin on my face when I pulled them from the cabinet. Not so much when I had to clean them.
Ed
A Ruger 1022 can be made to fire the same way, with a fixed firing pin in the bolt face.Not worth the tax stamps and registrations though ... until SHTF arrives. Very reliable firing I’m told. Not worth the penitentiary time to make or fire one though.
I’m pretty sure your BN was attached to our task force when we went to NTC (1995 I think).
Reminds me of the old WW-II movies pacific campaign. My father was there.
We had about six grease guns, about a dozen Thompsons, about the same # of Sweedish K’s and Sten Guns in the S-4 supply at CCS, MACVSOG. Recon might carry one of the grease guns with a noise suppressor on a PW snatch. Most preferred smaller ammo then the 45 for taking a live POW after wounding him, as even a butt shot or leg shot with a 45 usually leg to the POW bleeding to death before he was back at Camp and/or out of the hospital for Intel types. I carried a Thompson with about three-four full mags one day during local training of the yards south of camp. I looked like the new company CO I was and that damn thing weighed a ton. I carried a CAR 15 with 20 mags plus another 20 mags in my INDIG ruck after that stupid move.
Send the specs to every machine shop in Texas.
You probably heard we ain’t in the prisoner-takin’ business; we in the killin’ Nazi business. And cousin, business is a-boomin’.
I went to the Gun Store in Las Vegas where they let you fire three machine guns (2 clips each) for $150. I fired the Thompson, the Grease Gun, and the Oozi first time out. I very much liked the Grease Gun the best-—light, slightly slower rate of fire but a larger caliber than the Oozi. I’m no gun expert, but this seemed like a very useful weapon for someone who didn’t know a lot about firearms.
The M3 looks like a grease gun.
Useless damn thing. I obtained one while I was doing local security patrols in Vietnam - and taped magazines back-to-back like Steve McQueen. The result weighed about 11 pounds with the magazines full and was a slow-shooting, wobbling pig. After one firefight, I took it back to the armory and got me my M-14 back: same weight, much more effective in every way.
Back when I was in the 3rd ACR, our Troop had 2 of these things in our armory. Never used, I don’t know why they still had them. This was in 96-98.
I got to fire one of them once! Just a fun experience.
The 10/22 is a closed bolt gun, so a fixed firing pin won’t work unless you manually release the bolt and hold on until the mag is empty. I’ve fired a legally converted 10/22 through a SOT and the mods were much more intricate and refined than just welding the rimfire firing pin.
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