×
Aircraft / Aviation Vehicles & Artillery Small Arms Warships & Submarines Military Ranks Military Pay Chart (2024) Special Forces
HOME
SMALL ARMS INDEX
MODERN ARMIES
SPECIAL FORCES
ARMS BY COUNTRY
ARMS MANUFACTURERS
COMPARE ARMS
ARMS BY CONFLICT
ARMS BY TYPE
ARMS BY DECADE
COLD WAR ARMS
KOREAN WAR ARMS
VIETNAM WAR ARMS
WWII SMALL ARMS
Infantry Small Arms / The Warfighter

M3 Carbine (US Carbine, Caliber 30, M3)


Sniper Carbine Rifle [ 1944 ]



About 3,000 M3 Sniper Carbines were produced for American troopers towards the end of World War 2 - these weapons seeing service in Korea and Vietnam thereafter.



Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 06/13/2018 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

VIEW SPECIFICATIONS [+]
At its core, the M3 Carbine was nothing more than the M2 Carbine form (detailed elsewhere on this site) with its upper section of the receiver modified to accept an InfraRed (IR) sight mounting to allow for engagement, at range, in low-light-level/night time conditions. It lacked the open iron sights of the earlier M1 and M2 marks as a result but all other functions of the gun were faithful to the originals. Various IR sights were developed during the course of the M3's operational existence and these scopes designated simply as the "M1", "M2", and "M3".

Again the engineers of the Inland Division of General Motors were charged with getting more out of the M1/M2 Carbine family so design work began in 1940 leading to limited production beginning in late-1944, early-1945. This, in turn, led to the developmental designation of "T3" being assigned to the new carbine. The earliest scope in play became the M1 "sniperscope" which was known developmentally as the "T120". Effective range of the modified M2/T3 was now out to 200 to 300 yards in low-level-light conditions, aided primarily by the installed scope.

Between 2,100 and 3,000 M3 Carbines were produced by Inland but the gun series never existed, at least officially, beyond their few-thousand-strong semi-prototype forms. The series did see limited circulation towards the end of World War 2 (1939-1945), and were actively fielded at the Battle of Okinawa, but wider-spread service was had during the Korean War (1950-1953). It saw some service in the Vietnam War (1955-1975) as well with special forces elements but, in time, was surpassed by more potent sniper solutions of the Cold War period.©MilitaryFactory.com
Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.

Specifications



Inland Division of General Motors - USA
Manufacturer(s)
United States
Operators National flag of the United States
1944
Service Year
United States
National Origin


ACCURACY / PRECISION
Long-range accuracy / precision capable; suitable for sniping, particularly when equipped with sighting aids.


905 mm
(35.63 inches)
Overall Length
460 mm
(18.11 inches)
Barrel Length
5.62 lb
(2.55 kg)
Empty Weight
Selective-Fire (Semi-/Full-Automatic); Gas-Operated, Short-Stroke Piston
Action
SEMI-AUTOMATIC
One shot per trigger pull; self-loading or auto-loading action aided by internal mechanism; trigger management (and initial cocking) typically required by the operator; subsequent shots are aided by the unlocked / moving bolt.
FULL-AUTOMATIC
Rounds are automatically ejected from the breech, a new cartridge stripped from the feed and set in the chamber, and rounds are continuously fired so long as the trigger is pulled and an ammunition supply exists.
SHORT-STROKE PISTON
Type of gas operation typically found in rifle-type arms; relatively short amount of piston movement with reliance on sudden blow for quick acceleration of said piston; lever connected to the bolt is actuated, taking on the resultant energy, subsequently passing it on to the awaiting bolt.
GAS-OPERATED
Gas-operated system is featured, typically involving a gas cylinder and rear-driven piston directing energy to the bolt component.
30 M1 Carbine
Caliber(s)
May not represent an exhuastive list; Calibers may be model-specific dependent; Always consult official manufacturer sources.
15- or 30-round detachable box magazine.
Rounds
Telescopic Scope with IR system fitted.
Sights


Material presented above is for historical and entertainment value and should not be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation - always consult official manufacturer sources for such information.

900 feet
(274 meters | 300 yards)
Max Effective Range
750
Rounds-per-Minute
Rate-of-Fire
2,000 ft/sec
(610 m/sec)
Muzzle Velocity


M3 Carbine (Sniper) - Base Series Name.
US Carbine, Caliber 30, M3 - Formal designation, about 3,000 units produced.


Military lapel ribbon for the American Civil War
Military lapel ribbon for pioneering aircraft
Military lapel ribbon for the Cold War
Military lapel ribbon for the Korean War
Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft
Military lapel ribbon representing special forces
Military lapel ribbon for the Ukranian-Russian War
Military lapel ribbon for the Vietnam War
Military lapel ribbon for the World War 1
Military lapel ribbon for the World War 2

Images



1 / 2
Image of the M3 Carbine (US Carbine, Caliber 30, M3)
Image copyright www.MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.
2 / 2
Image of the M3 Carbine (US Carbine, Caliber 30, M3)
Image copyright www.MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.

Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies

2024 Military Pay Chart Military Ranks DoD Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content; site is 100% curated by humans.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane, and MilitaryRibbons.info, cataloguing military medals and ribbons. Special Interest: RailRoad Junction, the locomotive encyclopedia.


©2023 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2023 (20yrs)