Video—I Have This Old Gun: U.S. M3A1 Grease Gun

by
posted on July 27, 2018
When America entered World War II, the standard U.S. military submachine gun was the famous Thompson M1928A1. The downside of the Thompson Submachine Gun—the Tommy gun—was that it was heavy, hard to produce and expensive to produce. Thus, the Army requested a new submachine gun to replace it. The new variant, known as the M3 Grease Gun, offered low cost, could be produced quickly and was simple. However, it still wasn't simple enough and was made even simpler with the introduction of the M3A1. The crank handle on the M3 was taken off and replaced with a finger hole on the side of the bolt for the M3A1, creating less problems for soldiers during combat. The M3A1 saw service during World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and even up until Operation Desert Storm in the early 1990s. For more on the U.S. M3A1 Grease Gun, watch this "I Have This Old Gun" segment from a recent episode of American Rifleman TV.













Additional Reading:
The M3 and M3A1 "Grease Guns"

Latest

Nraam 2025
Nraam 2025

See New Guns & Gear At The NRA's Annual Meetings In Georgia

Freedom-loving American patriots gather every spring at the NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits to celebrate their liberty and check out the newest crop of guns, optics, ammunition and accessories. This year, 2025, the fun will take place in Atlanta, Ga.—we hope to see you there!

Rifleman Q&A: A Hornet In Father’s Attic

From the pages of the April 2025 American Rifleman, learn about a Savage rifle in .22 Hornet that was found in an attic. 

Spring Into Savings With Federal & Remington Ammo

Two of the industry’s finest began offering ammunition rebates on April 1 and the special savings continue through June 30.

The Revolutionary Art Of Don Troiani

By using surviving artifacts, eyewitness testimony, accurately reproduced uniforms, original firearms and the thorough study of battle sites, Don Troiani has done more than imagine what happened 250 years ago. His art is as close as it can get to a true representation of what period combat would have looked like.

The Armed Citizen® April 21, 2025

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Captain John Parker's Fowler: Witness To History

While thousands of firearms were used in and around the Massachusetts towns of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, few survive today. One survivor is the flintlock fowler used by Capt. John Parker of the Lexington militia.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.