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American submachine gun

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The M3 is an American .45-caliber submachine gun adopted by the U.S. Army on 12 December , as the United States Submachine Gun, Cal. .45, M3.[12] The M3 was chambered for the same .45 ACP round fired by the Thompson submachine gun, but was cheaper to mass produce and lighter, at the expense of accuracy.[12] The M3 was commonly referred to as the "Grease Gun" or simply "the Greaser," owing to its visual similarity to the mechanic's tool.[13]

The M3 was intended as a replacement for the Thompson, and began to enter frontline service in mid-. By late-, the M3A1 variant was introduced, which also saw use in the Korean War and later conflicts.

The M14 rifle, adopted in , was intended to replace the M3A1 (as well as the M1 Garand, M Browning Automatic Rifle and the M1 carbine)[14] but the recoil of the M14's 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge proved too powerful for the submachine gun role. The M14 was in turn replaced by the M16 rifle in , and this weapon (firing the intermediate 5.56×45mm NATO cartridge) was a better replacement for the M3A1. M3A1 submachine guns were retired from U.S. frontline service after , but continued to be issued, for example as backup weapons for armored vehicle crews as late as the Gulf War (-). Many overseas US military bases continued to issue these for certain crews into the mid to late s.[citation needed]

History

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M3 in use in Brittany, France, August

In , the U.S. Army Ordnance Board observed the effectiveness of submachine guns employed in Western Europe, particularly the German 9×19mm MP 40 and British Sten submachine gun and initiated a study to develop its own "Sten" type submachine gun in October .[13] The Ordnance Department requested the Army submit a list of requirements for the new weapon, and Ordnance in turn received a separate list of requirements from both the Infantry and Cavalry branches for a shoulder-fired weapon with full or semiautomatic fire capability in caliber .45 ACP or .30 Carbine.[12]

The two lists of requirements received by Ordnance were then reviewed and amended by officials at Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG). The amended requirement called for a weapon of all-sheet metal construction in .45 ACP, designed for fast and inexpensive production with a minimum of machining and featuring both fully automatic and semi-automatic fire capabilities, a heavy bolt to keep the cyclic rate of fire under 500 rounds per minute and the ability to place 90% of shots fired from a standing position in full automatic mode on a 6x6 feet target at a range of 50 yards.[12] The benchmark for testing the M3's performance would be the MA1 Thompson.[12]

George Hyde of General Motors' Inland Division was given the task of designing the new weapon, while Frederick Sampson, Inland Division's chief engineer, was responsible for preparing and organizing tooling for production. The original T15 specifications of 8 October were altered to remove the semi-automatic fire function, as well as to permit installation of a kit to convert the weapon's original .45 caliber to that of 9 mm Parabellum.[12] The new designation for the 9 mm/.45 full-automatic-only weapon was the T20.[12]

Five prototype models of the .45 T20 and five 9 mm conversion kits were built by General Motors for testing. At the initial military trials, the T20 successfully completed its accuracy trials with a score of 97 out of 100.[12] In the endurance test, the test weapon fired more than 5,000 rounds of brass-case ammunition, with only two failures to feed.[12] Four army test boards composed of multiple army service branches independently tested and reviewed the T20 prototype weapons including the Airborne Command, the Amphibious Warfare Board, the Infantry Board, and the Armored Forces Board.[12] All four branches reported malfunctions caused by the magazine, mostly attributed to defective or jammed magazine followers.[12]

The T20 was formally approved by U.S. Army Ordnance for production at GM's Guide Lamp Division in Anderson, Indiana, in December as the U.S. Submachine Gun, Caliber .45, M3.[12] Guide Lamp produced 606,694 of the M3 variant submachine gun between and .[12] Although reports of malfunctions caused by the single-feed magazine design appeared during the initial firing trials, no changes were made to the M3 magazine.[12]

Around one thousand M3 submachine guns in caliber 9 mm Parabellum were built by Guide Lamp.[15] These original 9 mm guns, identified by the markings U.S. 9 mm S.M.G. on the left side of the magazine well (without any model designation, such as M3), were delivered to the OSS in . The 9mm M3 was also supplied to the French, Belgian, Dutch, Italian and Norwegian resistance groups so that captured German ammo could be used thus reducing the need for .45 ACP ammo resupply drops from the OSS and the SOE. Additionally, Rock Island Arsenal and Buffalo Arms Corporation manufactured parts for a limited number of 9 mm conversion kits for the M3.[16] Though 25,000 kits were originally requested for procurement, this was changed to a recommendation by the Ordnance Committee in December that only 500 9 mm conversion kits be obtained.[16] Procurement was authorized in February , but it is believed that only a limited number of kits were actually produced.[16] These conversion kits included a new 9 mm barrel, replacement bolt and recoil springs, a magazine well adapter for use with British Sten gun 32-round magazines, and a replacement 9 mm Sten magazine of British manufacture.[16] As the M3's sights were not altered for the new cartridge, the 9 mm M3 shot high at 100 yards, but the sighting error was deemed inconsequential. The OSS also requested approximately 1,000 .45-caliber M3 submachine guns with an integral sound suppressor designed by Bell Laboratories. Specially- drilled barrels and barrel nuts were manufactured by Guide Lamp, while the High Standard Firearms Company produced the internal components and assembled the weapon.[17] The Bell Laboratories suppressor was estimated to be only 80% as efficient as the British suppressed STEN Mk IIS.[18]

With its stamped, riveted, and welded construction, the M3 was originally designed as a minimum-cost small arm, to be used and then discarded once it became inoperative.[19][20] As such, replacement parts, weapon-specific tools, and sub-assemblies were not made available to unit-, depot-, or ordnance-level commands at the time of the M3's introduction to service.[21][22] In , a shortage of M3 submachine guns created by the need for interim production changes forced U.S. Army Ordnance workshops to fabricate pawl springs and other parts to keep existing weapons operational.[19][23]

Brig. Gen. Harrison, armed with M3 submachine gun in conversation with Capt. John E. Kent, Co. A, 117th Infantry Regiment somewhere in France, fall

After its introduction to service, reports of unserviceability of the M3 commenced in February with stateside units in training, who reported early failure of the cocking handle/bolt retraction mechanism on some weapons.[12] Similar reports later came from U.S. forces in Britain who were issued the M3.[12] An investigation revealed several deficiencies in the construction of the M3's bolt retraction mechanism, together with issues concerning barrel removal and retention as well as easily bent rear sights.[12] As a result, several product improvements were incorporated into all new M3 production, including a new design retracting pawl with improved heat treatment, a new spring stop fitted to the right-hand brace of the retracting lever, a modified ejector featuring a cocking lever trip, a larger ratchet pad with improved heat treatment to more securely retain the barrel assembly, and strengthening gussets fitted to the sides of the fixed 'L' rear sight.[12] After new complaints were raised about accidental magazine releases and failure of the wire buttstock to remain in place in the collapsed position, two additional changes were made to M3 production and approved by Ordnance on 31 August .[12] This included a small sheet metal guard around the magazine release button, and the inclusion of a stop between the two rods forming the wire stock at the butt end.[12]

The M3 submachine gun was suitable for issue to tank crews, drivers, and paratroopers because of its compact design. The M3 was also ideal for the Pacific War because the Thompson could easily jam if not cleaned, which had to be done constantly in the jungle environment because the action did not have a cover over the ejector as the M3 did.

The improved and simplified M3A1 variant was introduced in December in response to field requests for further improvements to the basic M3 design; 15,469 were produced before the end of World War II, and an additional 33,200 during the Korean War.[12]

It was originally hoped that the M3 could be produced in numbers sufficient to cancel future orders for the Thompson submachine gun, and to allow the Army to gradually withdraw the more expensive Thompson from front-line service. However, due to unforeseen production delays and requests for modifications, the M3 was introduced later than expected, and purchases of the Thompson continued until February . The M3 first entered combat service in the summer of . A total of 622,163 M3/M3A1 submachine guns of all types were assembled by the end of World War II.

The M3 became the main submachine gun over the Thompson for the U.S. and South Korean forces during the Korean War, because the Communists used the Thompson submachine gun, which the U.S. donated during World War II, as one of their main weapons during the war.[24]

The M3 and M3A1 were largely withdrawn from U.S. frontline service beginning in . But it continued to be issued until at least the Gulf War as equipment aboard armored vehicles, in particular the M60 tank (which was used by some United States National Guard units until ).[25]

In the Vietnam War, suppressed versions were made with removable barrels that can be installed after taking a standard barrel out, the former made by Guide Lamp.[26]

It was also the initial submachine gun equipping the Delta Force (formed in ) who prized it for its impressively quiet performance when equipped with a suppressor.[27] Within a year, the M3A1 had been replaced by the 9 mm Heckler & Koch MP5 submachine gun in Delta Force use, but a few were kept past that date as it was felt that the M3A1 performed better with a suppressor than the MP5. Delta Force M3A1s were fitted with thumb safeties.[28]

During the Troubles, some of the M3A1s captured from the Provisional Irish Republican Army by British forces were equipped with suppressors.[26]

Design details

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The M3 is an automatic, air-cooled blowback-operated weapon that fires from an open bolt. Constructed of plain 0.060-inch-thick (1.5 mm) sheet steel, the M3 receiver was stamped in two halves that were then welded together.[12] The M3 has a fixed firing pin milled into the face of the bolt and fires using the principle of advanced primer ignition blowback operation. The bolt was drilled longitudinally to support two parallel guide rods, upon which were mounted twin return (recoil) springs. This configuration allows for larger machining tolerances while providing operating clearance in the event of dust, sand or mud ingress.[29] The M3 features a spring-loaded extractor which is housed inside the bolt head, while the ejector is located in the trigger group.[30] Like the British Sten, time and expense was saved by cold-swaging the M3's barrel.[12]

Operating mechanism

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A diagram of the M3 illustrating function

The M3 operating sequence is as follows: the bolt is cocked to the rear using the cocking handle located on the right side of the ejector housing. When the trigger is pulled, the bolt is driven forward by the recoil springs, stripping a round from the feed lips of the magazine and guiding the round into the chamber. The bolt then continues forward and the firing pin strikes the cartridge primer, igniting the round, resulting in a high-pressure impulse, forcing the bolt back against the resistance of the recoil springs and the inertial mass of the bolt. By the time the bolt and empty casing have moved far enough to the rear to open the chamber, the bullet has left the barrel and pressure in the barrel has dropped to a safe level. The M3's comparatively low cyclic rate was a function of the relatively low pressure generated by the .45 ACP round, a heavy bolt, and recoil springs with a lighter-than-normal compression rate.[citation needed]

Features

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M3 receiver markings

The gun used metal stamping and pressing, spot welding and seam welding extensively in its construction, reducing the number of man-hours required to assemble a unit. Only the barrel, bolt and firing mechanism were precision machined. The receiver consists of two sheet metal halves welded together to form a cylinder. At the front end is a knurled metal cap which is used to retain the removable barrel. The cold-swaged, rifled barrel has four right-hand grooves. M3 and M3A1 submachine guns can be fitted with an optional, detachable flash hider, though none saw any service in World War II.[31] A later production flash hider designated Hider, Flash M9 was produced in time to see service during the Korean War. It proved popular in combat, as frequent night engagements emphasized the need to reduce flash signatures on small arms. In Korea, U.S. soldiers equipped with automatic weapons were taught to look above the flash of their weapon during night firing, a practice that sometimes prevented the detection of crawling enemy infiltrators and sappers.[citation needed]

Projecting to the rear is a one-piece wire stock made from a formed steel rod that telescopes into tubes on both sides of the receiver. Both ends of the stock were tapped and drilled so that it can be used as a cleaning rod. It can also be used as a disassembly tool or as a wrench used to unscrew the barrel cap.[32]

The M3's cocking handle assembly is located on the right-hand side of the receiver on the ejector housing, just forward and above the trigger, and consists of nine parts.[29] As the handle is pulled to the rear, a pawl rises to engage a notch in the bottom of the bolt, pushing the bolt to the rear until it locks back on the sear.

The fixed sights consist of a rear aperture sight preset for firing at 100 yards (approximately 91 m) and a front blade foresight. All M3 submachine guns were test-fired for accuracy at a distance of 100 feet (30 m).[12] With the sights set at six o'clock on a bull's-eye target, each gun was required to keep four out of five shots within or cut the edge of a 3-inch (76 mm) bull's-eye to meet accuracy requirements.[12]

The weapon's only safety is the hinged ejection port dust cover. This cover has a projection on the underside that engages a notch on the bolt, locking it in either its forward or rearmost positions. The M3 has no mechanical means of disabling the trigger, and the insertion of a loaded magazine loads the gun. With receiver walls made of relatively thin-gauge sheet metal, the M3/M3A1 is subject to disabling damage if dropped on an open dust cover&#;the covers bend easily, negating the safety feature. Dropping the gun on a sharp or hard surface can dent the receiver enough to bind the bolt.[citation needed]

The M3/M3A1's 30-round magazine was the source of complaints throughout the service life of the weapon.[33][34] Unlike the Thompson, the M3 feeds from a double-column, single-feed detachable box magazine which holds 30 rounds and was patterned after the British Sten magazine; the single-feed design proved difficult to load by hand, and is more easily jammed by mud, dust, and dirt than double-column, staggered-feed designs like the Thompson.[35] Plastic (Tenite) dust caps were later issued to cover the feed end of the magazine to keep out dust and other debris. Inland started development of the dust caps in May , and they were formally adopted in November .[36]

Variants

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M3A1

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In December , a modernized version of the M3 known as the M3A1 was introduced into service, with all parts except the bolt, housing assembly, and receiver interchangeable with those of the M3. The M3A1 had several improvements:

• Most significantly eliminating the troublesome crank-type cocking lever assembly, replaced by a recessed cocking slot machined into the top front portion of the bolt, letting it be cocked by putting a finger into the cocking slot and pulling back the bolt.
• The retracting pawl notch was removed, and a clearance slot for the cover hinge rivets was added.
• The ejection port and its cover were lengthened to allow the bolt to be drawn back far enough to be engaged by the sear.
• The safety lock was moved further to the rear on the cover.
• To make loading the single-feed magazine easier, a magazine loading tool was welded to the wire stock; it also served as a cleaning rod stop.
• The barrel bushing received two flat cuts that helped in barrel removal by using the stock as a wrench.
• The barrel ratchet was redesigned to provide a longer depressing lever for easier disengagement from the barrel collar.
• The spare lubricant clip (on the left side of the cocking lever assembly) was removed, replaced with an oil reservoir and an oiler in the pistol grip of the receiver assembly. The stylus on the oiler cap could also double as a drift to remove the extractor pin.

At 7.95 pounds empty, the M3A1 was slightly lighter than the M3, at 8.15 pounds empty, primarily due to the simplified cocking mechanism.[12] The M3A1 was formally approved for production on 21 December .[12]

The M3A1 modifications resulted in a more reliable, lighter weight, easier to maintain, and easier to field strip submachine gun; the original M3 needed both the trigger guard removed and the cocking crank assembly detached from the receiver housing before unscrewing the barrel, but the M3A1 only required the user unscrew the barrel. To date, only one 9 mm conversion kit for the M3A1 has been discovered.[16]

Because it had already been issued in large numbers, the existing M3 magazine design was retained, despite demonstrated deficiencies exposed during the weapon's firing trials and its early combat service.[34] In an effort to improve reliability, a hard plastic Tenite cap designated T2 was adopted in November to fit over the feed lips of loaded magazines.[35] These caps protected the feed lips while keeping out dirt, sand, and debris.[37] Sometime during the s the hard T2 plastic cap was replaced in service with one of pliant neoprene rubber, which could be removed with less noise.[38] Unfortunately, during service in the humid climate of Vietnam it was discovered that the rubber cap caused rust to form on the covered portion of the magazine, while causing loaded ammunition to corrode.[38]

Initially, M3 submachine guns returned for repair were not upgraded to the M3A1 standard, but merely inspected to ensure they had the improved M3 housing assembly and magazine release shield.[39] During the Korean War, existing M3 guns in service were converted to the improved M3A1 configuration using additional new production parts.[40] During the conversion, armorers frequently removed the M3 cocking handle, leaving the rest of the now-redundant cocking mechanism inside the subframe.[41] Overall, the M3A1 was seen by most soldiers and Ordnance technicians as an improvement over the M3. However, complaints of accidental discharge continued to occur even as late as the Korean War.[41] These incidents were sometimes caused by dropping the weapon on a hard surface with an impact sufficient to knock open the ejection port cover and propel the bolt backwards (but not enough to catch the sear). The return springs would then propel the bolt forward to pick up a cartridge from the magazine and carry it into the chamber, where the bolt's fixed firing pin struck the primer upon contact.[41][42]

In , the Guide Lamp factory manufactured 15,469 M3A1 submachine guns before production contracts were canceled with the end of the war. During the Korean War, Ithaca Gun Co built another 33,200 complete guns as well as manufacturing thousands of parts for the repair and rebuilding of existing M3 and M3A1 weapons.[43]

T29

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Prototype chambered in .30 Carbine.[44][45] The idea for the T29 was driven by logistical reasons and for a weapon to rival the StG 44 which used an intermediate round.

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The first two examples used 14 inch barrels whereas the third used an 8 inch barrel. Notable differences of the T29 to the M3 SMG was the increased length of the magazine well and magazine release catch to use M1 Carbine magazines. Internal components such as the bolt was cut back 9.5mm to give the front of the bolt 15.8mm diameter round extension and a 12.7mm steel block at the rear of the bolt for weight. The guide rod locating plate ahead of the bolt was made thicker and given a central hole to match the round extension of the bolt. This operation closed the bolt head during the last part of the travel forward striking the cartridge. The mainsprings were also different, a system of two springs were used in the T29 to drive the bolt and also used a shorter stronger spring as a buffer. The ejector was also different as it was spring loaded.

Receivers of the T29 were modified from M3 SMG receivers using the same M3A1 layout without the previous damage prone cocking handle. Retractable M3 SMG stocks were used without the integral loading tool. Double column, double feed magazines were easy to load without the use of a speedloader. Ejection port was lengthened for the .30 carbine round with the dust cover acting as a safety.

Foreign variants and derivatives

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P.A.M. 1 and 2 (Argentina)

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In , a variant of the U.S. M3A1 submachine gun was designed at the Argentine FMAP (Fábrica Militar de Armas Portátiles) factory in the city of Rosario and put into production the following year as the P.A.M. 1 (Pistola Ametralladora Modelo 1).[46][47] Constructed of somewhat thinner-gauge steel than the U.S. M3A1, the P.A.M. 1 was in essence a 7/8-scale replica of the U.S. weapon in 9 mm Parabellum caliber,[48] but was lighter[49] and had a higher rate of fire. This was due to an incomplete transfer of all details to Argentina.[50] In service, the P.A.M. 1's thinner sheet steel receiver tended to overheat with extended firing, while the gun itself proved somewhat more difficult to control in automatic fire despite the smaller caliber. Additionally, triggering the weapon to fire individual shots proved difficult owing to the increased rate of fire. Problems with accidental discharges and accuracy with the P.A.M. 1 led to an improved selective-fire version with a grip safety on the magazine housing known as the P.A.M. 2, first introduced in .[50]

Colloquially referred to as La Engrasadora (the Greaser), 47,688 P.A.M. 1 and P.A.M. 2 submachine guns were produced between and . A number of P.A.M. 1 and P.A.M. 2 submachine guns were used by the Argentine Army during the Falkland Islands War with the United Kingdom in , and captured examples were tested by British military forces.[51]

Type 36 and 37 (China)

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The Type 36 is a direct clone of the M3A1, manufactured in at the Shenyang Arsenal in Mukden.[3] It resembles a M3A1, except that it has no flats to allow the use of a wrench for easy removal and it has no oil bottle trap in the pistol grip.[3] Its parts are not interchangeable with the M3A1.[3]

Ten thousand Type 36s were made before they were obtained by pro-Communist forces in .[3]

The Type 37 is a direct clone of the 9mm-chambered M3, made at the 60th Jinling Arsenal near Nanking.[3] Production continued in Taiwan as the Type 39, a successor to the Type 37.[3]

Users

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Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) requisitioned M3 from the Philippine Navy has a Simmons red dot optical sight on picatinny rail, integral suppressor and a modified magazine to have less jamming.

Former

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Non-State Actors

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See also

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References

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Bibliography

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After the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty, Chinese leader Sun Yat Sen confirmed the Republic of China on 10 October and China then embarked on 40-plus years of internal struggle and war. During the s 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 . With China embroiled in a bitter civil war, Japan saw the opportunity to advance on Manchuria in northeast China during . Manchuria was easily taken and occupied by the Japanese until the end of World War II. The Japanese attacked again on 7 July , 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 . 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.

U.S. Army Green Berets receive training on the M3 submachine gun during the Vietnam War. The M3 and M3A1 experienced a long U.S. service career. First adopted in the M3 and later M3A1 submachine guns were theoretically replaced by the M14 in , but the submachine guns continued to serve. After the Vietnam War the weapons were largely relegated to reserve units until retired in .

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 and thus designated as the Type 36. The designation came from the Chinese Republic calendar year that started in 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 .

U.S. Ordnance Department field-strip procedures for the M3. The basic field stripping procedures were simplified with the M3A1, eliminating the need to remove the ejector housing to remove the bolt assembly from the receiver.

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 9mm Type 37 bolt assembly. The bolt assembly rides on two steel rods keeping it from contacting the inside of the receiver. This keeps the bolt nearly impervious to dirt and mud, making it an extremely reliable design. A portion of the recessed 9mm bolt face can be seen at the 10 o&#;clock position.

The Type 37 was only manufactured for a brief period before the Communists overran the city of Nanking during April of . 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.

The Chinese made Type 37, 9mm submachine gun is nearly identical to its .45 caliber U.S. M3A1 counterpart.

Brief History of the M3 and M3A1 Grease Gun

As early as 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 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 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.

The three Chinese characters inside the oval above the serial number represent 37 Type. The Chinese year numbering system that started in means the 37 Type was adopted in . The gear symbol with the bow and arrow inside of it are the crest of China&#;s Nanking Arsenal. The symbol also was marked on Maxim machine guns manufactured at the arsenal.

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 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 magazine well adapter used to accommodate the smaller 9mm magazine in the .45 caliber magazine well. The adapter is exactly like those made for the U.S. 9mm Grease Gun conversion kit, except for the lack of a drawing number and caliber markings.The Chinese made adapter for the 9mm Sten type magazine (left) was similar to that developed for the U.S. 9mm M3/M3A1 conversion (right). The U.S. made adapter was marked with an Ordnance Department drawing number and 9 MM.To feed the shorter 9mm cartridge, the barrel was extended 8mm further to the rear inside the barrel nut than a .45 caliber barrel would be. The barrel nut lacks the flats to accommodate a wrench or the struts of the buttstock to facilitate easy removal. Note the taper of the barrel at the barrel nut. U.S. made 9mm conversion barrels made for the M3 and M3A1 were not tapered.

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 short-lived U.S. .45 Caliber M2 submachine gun. Problems encountered during initial production of the M2 led to the adoption of the U.S. M3 and later the M3A1 during World War II.

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 with five working prototypes available for testing by November , and the M3 was adopted by the United States Army on Christmas Eve . 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 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 , after manufacturing 606,694 M3 and 82,281 M3A1 submachine guns. An additional 33,227 M3A1 models were manufactured by Ithaca in -. 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 . In addition to China, the M3A1 design was copied and manufactured in Argentina as the P.A.M. 1.

The Type 37 disassembly procedures are exactly like the used for the U.S. M3A1 submachine gun.

(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.)

This article first appeared in Small Arms Review V14N2 (November )

Author

• SAR Staff

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