M3 (submachine gun)
| M3A1 | |
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| general information | |
| Military designation: | M3 SMG |
| Developer / Manufacturer: | Guide Lamp Division |
| Manufacturer country: | United States |
| Production time: | 1942 to 1950 |
| Model variants: | M3 / M3A1 |
| Weapon Category: | Submachine gun |
| Furnishing | |
| Overall length: | with shoulder rest 745 mm without 570 mm |
| Weight: (unloaded) | 4.45 kg |
| Barrel length : | 200 mm |
| Technical specifications | |
| Caliber : | .45 ACP , 9 × 19 mm |
| Possible magazine fillings : | 30 cartridges |
| Ammunition supply : | Bar magazine |
| Cadence : | 350 - 450 rounds / min |
| Fire types: | Fully automatic |
| Number of trains : | 4th |
| Twist : | Right |
| Visor : | Open sights |
| Charging principle: | Recoil loader |
| Lists on the subject | |
The M3 submachine gun was an American infantry weapon used in World War II . The German-born designer George Hyde developed the recoil loader at the Guide Lamp Division of General Motors in December 1942 to replace the Thompson MP , which was expensive and complicated to manufacture . Like them, she fired .45 ACP cartridges .
The gun was very unpopular with US soldiers due to its instability when shooting. The only roughly processed case parts also gave a cheap impression. Because of its resemblance to a grease gun , the M3 was nicknamed the Grease gun or Cake Decorator .
commitment
The M3 was only designed for continuous fire . Your magazine held 30 cartridges. The rate of fire was 350 to 450 rounds per minute and was therefore comparatively low. It was therefore possible to fire individual shots with just a light touch of the trigger.
When the shutter was already cocked , you first had to open the dust cover that closed the ejection window. The lid was used to secure the trigger . The weapon was 74.5 cm long with the shoulder rest and 57 cm without it. There were few models with silencers for special forces and resistance fighters. All models had a pistol grip and a wire shoulder rest that could be pushed in to the front, which could be used when the barrel was removed to make it easier to screw out the barrel. A muzzle brake was later installed in the M3 and M3A1.
The M3 was used by the US armed forces mainly in Europe during World War II, and the later M3A1 was also used in small numbers in the Pacific War , the Korean War and the Vietnam War. A total of 679,200 units were produced, of which 640,000 were M3. In the 1982 Falklands War , the M3A1 was used by the armed forces of Argentina .
The M3 and M3A1 were used by tank divisions of the US National Guard and the US Army until 1990 because of their handy size. It was used by US units in M88 Hercules armored recovery vehicles until 1995 .
differences
The M3 had a cocking lever on the right side of the housing, with which the weapon was cocked and at the same time the dust cover was automatically opened, thus releasing the cartridge case ejection. When the rifle was cocked, the dust cover also served as a safety device, since the closing bolt could not snap forward when the flap was closed; when the gun was released, the bolt at the front was blocked, so that no unintentional loading could occur even if there was strong vibration.
The M3A1 was greatly simplified, the tension lever was omitted. In order to cock the weapon, the now enlarged dust cover had to be opened by hand and the slide pulled to the rearmost position with the finger. There was also a finger recess in the front of the lock. A simple magazine reloading aid was permanently installed in the shoulder rest, the small container with gun oil attached to the left of the housing of the M3 moved into the grip, into which it was screwed from below. The hole grin was made much more stable and welded more strongly to the housing.
Replicas
The M3 / M3A1 was rebuilt unchanged as Model 36 in China due to its very simple construction.
variants
M3
The M3 was designed to make a less expensive submachine gun than existing ones such as the Thompson. Thompson was reliable, but twice as expensive and time consuming to produce. The German MP 40 served as a template and both are similar in many ways. The M3 was made from stamped metal parts. Various deficiencies, in particular the not always reliable ammunition supply, prompted the manufacturers to develop the M3 into the M3A1.
M3A1
The M3A1 was developed in 1944. It had a larger cartridge compartment and could now also be converted to the 9 × 19 mm caliber by changing the barrel and slide. After the Second World War, a curved firing pin was integrated into the M3A1.
literature
- Ian Hogg : Military Small Arms of the 20th Century . Arms & Armor Press, 1982, ISBN 0-910676-87-9 .
- Lidschun / Wollert: Infantry weapons yesterday. Brandenburg publishing house 1998
Web links
- Submachine gun M3 and M3A1 on WaffenHQ