M3A1 (Grease Gun)

The M3A1 "Grease Gun" was a further development of the base M3 submachine gun. Entering service in 1944, the M3A1 looked to simplify the weapon's production process and practices in order to streamline the result and ship the weapon out in quantity. Additionally, this period of revision allowed for a second look into correcting some deficiencies inherent in the original M3 design.

The M3A1 differed from its predecessor primarily with a redesigned bolt retracting mechanism. This also forced the prominent hinged cover to be enlarged, allowing the user to fit his finger into the recess and pull the bolt back. In another effort to make the weapon system more versatile and, in effect, "battlefield friendly", a reservoir of oil was incorporated into the pistol grip and various parts of the system were re-engineered to double as tools when the weapon was stripped down.

By all reports, the M3A1 was no much of an improvement over the M3, to which neither system ever achieved any level of acceptability or likeness with soldiers preferring their trusty M1 carbines in its place. The M3 series went on to see action throughout the end of the Second World War and throughout the Korean War. Beyond that, it was produced in some quantity outside of the United States for foreign forces thanks to the streamlined manufacturing process resulting in a weapon that was nonetheless robust, cheap and fairly easy to operate.

The M3A1 model was produced by the Guide Lamp Division of General Motors in Detroit, Michigan, as well as the Ithaca Gun Company of Ithaca, New York. US production amounted to an impressive 700,000 examples of the sub machine gun, some incorporating unusual-looking additions like muzzle-mounted flash hiders.

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Last Updated: 11/2/2009