M3A1 Grease Gun - America’s $15 SMG
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- Опубликовано: 26 сен 2024
- The M3A1 “Grease Gun” was a .45 Caliber submachine gun from WW2, which won the hearts and minds of GI’s everywhere, and penetrated the hearts and minds of the enemy.
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Thanks for watching guys! I’ve been wanting a Grease Gun for years, so hopefully you guys were half as stoked for this video as I was! Let me know what other historic guns you’d like to see!
Thanks to Bulletproof Everyone for sponsoring this video! Check them out here and be sure to use code HERRERA for the free backpack armor! bit.ly/herrerabpe
Thanks to SDI! Again, it’s SDI.edu for more info!
Your an amazing person.
Shak 12 video
So glad he’s finally doing a grease gun video.
Wow 😳
can you do a review on a ar15 again? last one was funny.
I love how every major country in ww2 starts out with finely machined SMG and ends with what is basically a toob and a bolt
Toob, lever, spring, magazine.
Send it to the front lines.
There's a lesson in there somewhere.
@@jennibaker3444 KISS
Keep
It
Simple
Stupid
Keeping it simple is always best might not be good per say but whenever thing comes together it's just good enough for everything
@@fatpad00 yes porfect
Except for Germany which just had a finely machined toob and ended up with the kraut space magic stg44
If only it was still 15 bucks
I mean with the right metals you can
If only😢😢
Sad
@@chiefkeef74 more like polymers.
With inflation, it should cost around $260. With higher labor cost and more advanced toolings, it should cost more than $260.
I remember walking into my local gun store and saw a grease gun, m3 i think, being sold for about $18,000. I told one of the guys behind the counter how ironic it was that an SMG that was created to be cheap and quick to manufacture costs nearly 20 grand now. He replied with "Oh, don't get me started."
And thus, you immediately started a gun company and became a billionaire?
@@andrew3203 Oh of course and everyone stood up and clapped.
@@hrvstmn31 I don't get it why is that so unbelievable? All that happened was an interaction between two gun fanatics
@@drenivitvitskiji1395 Right, like I'm a "gun control guy" (don't shoot me, (oh the puns)) and I didn't really see anything outlandish about that two-sentence anecdote. I can picture anyone at my local gun store pissed off about that fact.
I am amazed it lasted long enough to be sold in a store
My dad was a WWII vet & he always said the "grease gun" cost $22.00 apiece & not $15.00 & was made
because too many "Thompson's" were getting lost at $200. apiece!
OOF
No one talks about the weight!!! The Thompson weighed as much as full size M1 garand at 10-10.8 pounds. The grease gun was a hair over 8 pounds.
I think people seriously underestimate the relevance of losing 2 pounds while also getting 30 round magazines. The magazine was a weak point, but it’s not like anyone was saying bad things about the grease gun??? Maybe people read grease gun abd just go home early???
I've shot both, the Thompson felt better in the hands, i thought.@@danielcurtis1434
@@danielcurtis1434 wdym the mag was a weak point, M1 Thompsons were not issued with drums because they were too large an awkward to fit onto webbing and made a lot of noise when people were moving with them.
If you mean reloading a mag in a combat area in general I can see your point
imagine misspelling "a piece"....twice.
FYI, the shoulder stock is designed to be used as a wrench for unscrewing the barrel. Press the stock button, pull the wire stock all the way out. Place the wires of the stock on the flats of the barrel nut and wrench away. It really helps when that barrel nut gets stuck.
Also can be used to load magazines.
Was about to add that about the mag loader. I think even Ian failed to mention that in his video on this awesome gun.
@Martin Swiney You dare doubt Gun Jesus?! Heathen!!!
In all seriousness, though, Ian did mention it in his video, even using it to depress the follower of a Greasegun magazine the first time he called out the feature.
Don't forget the tiny oil bottle that has a nasty tendency to disappear
They really thought of everything huh
My grandad was issued one of these to guard POWs with in WW2. He said they never trained with them, but were told to just point, pull the trigger, and hold on if they needed to.
They ended up just playing cards with the Japanese POWs instead. 😂
Lmao that's awesome
It's dope that in war, soldier's from opposing side's can still have fun with each other during peaceful moments.
That's literally the wrong way to use these! 😆 Good times.
That's amazing
Some of the funniest things I've ever read is how, in comparison to other forces during WWII, the US was downright friendly towards their POWs.
German POW camps in Texas had people regularly doing commerce and work with the inmates, and the actual MONEY that the German soldiers earned doing labor in the local areas would often be donated into local charities.
"You're supposed to make sure this guy doesn't escape"
"Ok"
(Proceeds to become best friends with the person he's guarding under threat of death)
As a loader and driver of tanks back in the the late 70's, I was issued one and had to qualify on it during AIT. Loved how simple it was to operate and easy it was to keep on target. I felt like I was Lee Marvin in the the Dirty Dozen everytime we went to the range. Have fun with it.
Wow didn’t know they were in service that late, pretty cool
That's cool. I was just about to comment that I was surprised to learn my old man trained with these in the early 60's (but deployed with the M-14). I was always surprised to hear they endured that long, but to hear they were around into the late 70's is awesome.
Yep and it was still issued in the 80's. I always liked the grease gun it was fun to shoot and reliable.
@@WheezingCheetah According to Vickers, Delta was using them for a little while in their early days. Just look up Vickers grease gun and you should be able to find it.
@@WheezingCheetah My engineer battalion had them in 1996.
As I got in the Army as a Tanker in 1988 I was issued a grease gun as a private. They were old then and were worn out. We had tones of run-aways. As they wear out they start to do weird things. Run-aways were the biggest issue but we also saw breach explosions and mag drops as a round was chambered and fired.
Thank you for your service all of you God bless you
My brother n 74 a tanker had those issued..
Fun fact, GM also made M2 Browning Machineguns. I know this because I was a .50 gunner during my first tour in OIF during 06-07, and the Ma Deuce I was issued had it stamped on the receiver that it was made by the General Motors brake division in 1942.
Made in 1942 and still going strong!
And two separate GM divisions, Inland Marine, and Saginaw Steering Gear, made M1 carbines.
And singer sewing machines made firearms during WWII. It was all manufacturing hands on deck. They didn't even make new cars during that time for private purchase if I'm not mistaken?
@@douglaswickstrom6736 The factory I work in now had a machine during World War 2 that made ammunition for the M1 Garand
That's awesome!
Met a gentleman at the range this past weekend that called my son and me over to check out his grease gun. Thanks to that gentleman for creating a core memory for my son and I. He told us it cost him 35k.
He overpaid, you can get them for under 20k full auto
@@yyeezyy630 what if you make em yourself?
Make em yourself then 😅
$12,800 Got your mental heath Daddy Mutha FuCker❤
@@tamarajoquintanilla9467 ok i will
I did a highschool report on the grease gun. It was created as a cost saving measure compared to the thompson which was like $200 to manufacture at the time. A lot of soldiers were upset when their thompsons were swapped for grease guns, because it was quite the downgrade, but the soldiers who were issued greese guns right off the bat loved them.
Couldn't do that today, you'll end up in the Principles office with a Shrink.
63 dollars per unit for the Thompson before production ended in 44 ( the 200 dollar price point would have been the retail price over the counter, not cheap at all ).
Thompsons are also a big, awkward, heavy subgun as well...
@@niceMange But are so fkin cool
Ya the cyclic rate is way slower then the Thompson, but much more maneuverable and lighter, and I bet if you did that report today in school the cops are showing up at your house lol
They also had a very cool 90° curved optional barrel you could change out. Used primarily for the tankers to stick out the hatches and shoot enemy targets. "Twist and shout" comes to mind. They were used a lot in Vietnam.
Like the Krumlauf? Did the American version work any better?
I was a Combat Engineer as well. When I first joined the National Guard in High School (92), our equipment operators were still carrying these. Of course, we also still had the 90 mm recoilless rifle. You should get one of those.
Yes isn’t there a insert that lets it fire 50 bmg
I was a combat engineer in the early 00s. Wish I could have carried this.
not with that attitude there isnt
>nervously eyeing numerous saws, drills and welders
not... not with that attitude
@@williamworth2746 the 90 mm? Probably, I didnt get to play with it much except to carry it on road marches. I went Active Duty shortly after IET and upgraded to modern weapons.
We are in a spiritual war. There are principalities of darkness in high places who practice the dark occult arts of summoning demonic entities to let loose in our earthly realm. These entities attach themselves and possess individuals susceptible to their influence to carry out evil acts to drive division among the American people and ultimately to undermine the freedoms of Americans. The 12 virtues helps to block, bind, and limit the influence of these "entities" specifically in the context of gun ownership. As more people understand and live by these virtues, we strengthen the angels among us and weaken the grip of the demonic entities over all of humanity....
THE 12 VIRTUES OF THE RESPONSIBLE GUN OWNER:
HUMILITY: The quality of having a modest or low view of one's own importance. It involves the recognition of one's limitations, imperfections, and fallibility, and the willingness to acknowledge and learn from one's mistakes. A humble person is not overly concerned with status, recognition, or personal gain, but instead focuses on serving others and contributing to the greater good.
TEMPERANCE: The quality of having restraint and moderation in one's emotions, behaviors, and desires. Temperance is an important virtue as it helps people maintain self-control and avoid impulsive or harmful actions.
GRATITUDE: A feeling or expression of thankfulness or appreciation for something that one has received or experienced. It is a positive emotion that can be directed towards others or towards life in general, and is often associated with feelings of joy, contentment, and well-being. Gratitude can also be a practice, in which individuals consciously focus on the good things in their lives and cultivate a sense of appreciation for them.
SOBRIETY: The quality of being free from the effects of alcohol or drugs. It can also be used more broadly to describe a lifestyle or attitude that emphasizes moderation, restraint, and self-control.
MORAL DUTY: The obligation to act in a certain way that is consistent with moral principles or values. It is the responsibility that one has to do what is right and ethical, regardless of personal gain or benefit.
PATRIOTISM: Patriotism generally refers to the love, devotion, and loyalty that a person feels toward their country. It often includes a sense of pride in one's country, its history, culture, and achievements.
MINDFULNESS: The state of being present and fully engaged in the current moment, paying attention to one's thoughts, feelings, and surroundings. It involves being non-judgmental and accepting of what is happening in the present moment. Having situational awareness.
CONSIDERATION: Involves taking into account the needs and feelings of others before making a decision or taking action. It is the act of being thoughtful and showing regard for the well-being of others.
COURAGE: Involves taking action to protect others in the face of danger or adversity, and being willing to stand up for what is right, even when it is difficult or unpopular. It requires both physical and moral strength, as well as a willingness to take risks and face challenges in order to protect others.
RESILIENCE: Refers to the ability of an individual or a system to recover from difficult or challenging circumstances. It involves adapting to adversity, maintaining a positive outlook, and bouncing back from setbacks. Resilience can apply to various areas of life, such as personal relationships, health, work, and business. It is not the absence of difficulty or hardship, but rather the ability to cope with and overcome them. Developing resilience can help individuals navigate difficult situations and emerge stronger and more capable.
THOROUGHNESS: refers to the quality of being meticulous, careful, and precise in carrying out tasks or fulfilling responsibilities. It involves a strong attention to detail and a commitment to ensuring that all necessary steps are taken and all relevant aspects are considered. A thorough person is diligent in their approach, consistently adhering to established procedures, conducting comprehensive checks, and verifying information or results to minimize errors and ensure accuracy.
PRUDENCE: Someone who is prudent carefully considers all the available information before making a decision or forming an opinion. This involves being open-minded, objective, and patient in gathering and evaluating evidence, and avoiding hasty or impulsive conclusions. Such a person would be able to weigh the pros and cons of different options, assess the potential risks and benefits, and make a well-informed and reasonable judgment.
I was a tanker in the mid-late 80’s. These were still issued to us and we got to shoot them about once a year. Loved the Grease Gun. We got one caught in the turret as we traversed and turned it into a pretzel. When they “coded it out” (military speak for throwing it away), it was valued at $111.83. Wish I could get one for that now. Or even the current equivalent.
That was a common event when not in the weapon mount
They still used them in the first Gulf War for the tankers.
@@robschlotterbeck2566 And some Combat Engineers. I know I was One.
Delra Force used suppressed M3s during Operation Eagle Claw, more about it on some videos here on RUclips.
Tankers friend! I loved that gun. easy to take disassemble and reassemble.- always reliable.
I was absolutely floored during the disassembly at how SIMPLE the construction of this gun was. GM understood the assignment when they got that one. Nice vid, Brandon!
IIRC, Guide Lamp division actually cooked this up on their own after seeing how horribly over-complicated and genuinely not very good the Thompson was.
And I mean that last part. The Grease Gun is a WAY better SMG just from a shooting standpoint than the Thompson.
@@immikeurnot if you are going by looks alone the Thompson looks more refined as a gun but at the end of the day it is about how it shoots. That is what will make you more likely to come home.
@@immikeurnot yeah I can see that. It appears to be a really stable platform and that lower cyclic rate undoubtedly makes it easy to control.
@@tenofprime As someone who's gotten to hold a real Thompson before, that is one hefty son of a bitch.
Too bad they didn’t follow suit with their later endeavors.
I was issued one of those in 1984! Third Armored Division in West Germany. Also had a WW2 Jeep and WW2 steel helmet.
Brandon is a great humanitarian, he didn't want the torso to have to go through those hard two weeks of pissing blood. Very kind sir, to put him out of his misery.
Also, he hesitated to shoot the rabbit much longer than that torso!
the herrera coup de grace
@@Tigrisshark but was that little guy turned to run, . . . Already frangible dead. . .kind of sadness 😢
He also made sure the whiteclaws didn't suffer. Such a bro, even to the enemy.
One of the most famous (infamous) SOG Green Berets of the Vietnam war. SFC. Jerry “Mad Dog” Schriver regularly carried a suppressed M3A2 across the fence. It was his favorite weapon. He never made it home and is still unaccounted for. Rest in peace sir.
He may yet be unaccounted for, but I imagine he accounted for more than a few of his own...
Amen to that 🫡🇺🇸
Thanks for enlightening me about this man, may he rest in peace.
A1 not A2.
Sergeant not sir.
My SOT buddy built an integrally suppressed M3 from a kit; it is indeed an easily controllable hoot to shoot!
FUN FACT: They could also be converted to 9mm.
But why would you convert when .45 is all you ever need?
Dude post a vid of that thing. The internet needs it
@@windsoboreas6073 Allies
@@petesheppard1709 no to export it to all over the world
You see to forget of American capitalism, If it can be sold we are selling it 😂
Why convert to 9x19 when you can convert to 10mm Auto?
"So easy a marine can do it" had me laughing for while.😂
In the mid 80's I assumed command of a Combat Support Company in an infantry battalion. During the change of command inventory I noticed this unit still had two M3A1 on the MTOE and still in the arms room. One of them was my assigned weapon. 😊
I loved shooting that gun.
Jody, I was wondering, is military issue .45 ACP loaded to higher pressures than regular ammo? Or does the grease gun get picky if using low velocity .45? I have two boxes of .45 for my H&K handgun and was shocked by the specs: one barely hits 700 fps and the other is almost 900 fps. Interestingly, the higher velocity version has hollow points. Odd, I thought considering its size, the low velocity ammo would have been fitted with HPs.
@largol33t1 look at the weight bro, if the hollow points are lightweight they are gonna go faster. Also the slow ammo is probably range bulk
@@largol33t1 hollow points tend to be self defense ammo which is usually higher pressure loads.
iirc, the standard issue .45 acp round weighed 230 grains and has a fps slightly over 800. It was advised not to use civilian ammo as the higher chamber pressure would shorten the life span of the weapon. That was for the 1911. I don't recall anything like that for the M3A1, likely because no one thought they'd be used as long as they were. I know for a fact that some M88 recovery vehicle crew were issued these into the 90's.
$15 in 1944 is approximately $249.42 today.
I could see that gun (if it was newly invented at today's purchasing power) going for about $250-$300 in a gun shop.
According to official inflation figures... an ounce of gold was $25 back then. So it'd be closer to $800.
After the passage of the Gold Reserve Act of 1934, FDR upped the value of gold to $35 an ounce.
That makes sense, a Hi-Point .45 ACP carbine is about $320-350, and being closed bolt and semi-auto is a little more mechanically complicated.
These are stamped guns. Unless milling was needed I’m sure the true value of production was damn near Penny’s on the dollar. If these were in modern day production they’d probably realistically be even cheaper then when they were new or about the same price without the government contractor tax.
Realistically if you account for the wood on an m1 garand or m14, the stock alone even today would probably cost more to produce than the hunk of shit grease gun.
I would only want the gun in full auto. If only we could all have one 😭
The mechanics that followed us in an M88 recovery vehicle during Desert Storm (1990-91) still carried these. Even though they almost never got to take them to the range for live fire. Hell as a driver I had a WWII era 1911 issued up to just a short time before we deployed, when we got the Berrettas. My 1911 was so old it had no blueing and it sounded like a baby's rattle when you shook it, but it looked cool with the shoulder holsters we had for them.
As a mechanic in the early 80's I did combat support for a mech unit. M88's and M579's. When I wasn't working from those I rode with the mortar platoon in the M113's. Always carried a grease gun.
IIRC, these were still being issued to National Guard tankers in M60s and M1s all the way into the mid-1990s or so, maybe even a bit later.
Furthermore, the Philippine Marine Corps *still* issues modernized Grease Guns to its troops. You can find some neat images of them online. They've been given woodland camo paint schemes, suppressors, and red dots.
@@chico522 You wasn't in the 24th Inf Div was you?
In 99 we used Vietnam Era m16s for basic training. The gas tubes broke at the gas block every once and a while but most of em still ran good.
@TheSelfeDestruct which did you prefer, m1911 or beretta?
This was a trip down memory lane for me. I was in the 82nd airborne 4/68th armor. The only airborne armor unit in the world. In fact it is no more, disbanded, probably because the Sheridan is past it usefulness. Only 16 tons but it had a 155 mm main gun. Other little goodies too. Anyway that was from 1972 til 1975, yes Viet Nam time. This was the sidearm for one of the crewmen on the tank. So it did have a long service life and was fun as hell to shoot. But all of the weapons I qualified with were fun to shoot. It was a long list.
I am a grease gun fan. Nothing is better than settling in with a bourbon, and seeing that the story posted 30 minutes ago. I can only add, that removing the stock can be used to wrench open the barrel assembly. Also, there is a bent metal piece, also on the stock, that can be used in loading magazines. Let me also add, that I am currently recovering from a stroke, and the fact that I can remember details? Yay. Thanks!
Here's something cool. In 1861, Colt sold nearly 26,000 revolvers to the Union Army for $25 each. That included a bunch of accessories like a powder measure and flask, a mold, a nipple wrench/spring vise, and holster. Later contracts, they had to lower their price to $15 each to stay competitive with Remington's revolver. The Grease gun was an absolute bargain! :)
Thats a fun fact i didnt think i needed, thanks.
except in 1861 $15 is a lot more than $15 in 1940s
Heh, heh, heh... He said "nipple wrench..."
🍈🍈+🔧
😮
@@squidwardo7074 It wasn't as big a difference as between the 40s and today. Inflation was basically flat from the start of the country to WW1 and prices had only about doubled by WW2. $15 in 1861 was roughly worth $30 in 1943.
I love how they are so damn simple. That could almost be a hardware store project.
Remarkable resemblance to the Luty, but even a guy making a gun from literal hardware store parts wasn't stingy enough to forego a charging handle.
But sadly government does not trust use with our freedoms
I am almost ready to start working on either a Sten gun, easier to make at home, or one of these.... These will be a bit more complicated and I'll have to find designs to make it a bolt closed version, which could offer some complications. Maybe I'll just figure out how to do a Sten gun in .45 hmmmmm
one of the homemade gun design pdfs thats been floating around for a while is very similar in design to this, probably isn't too hard to build. believe it's by professor parabellum
Ya need to remove the "almost"
I think you should remember that these were not just used for WWII. In the first gulf war in ‘91. I was in an artillery unit and the mechanics were issued grease guns to use because of their short length they could be manipulated while in the armored vehicle used to tow other armored vehicles. Outside of being able to look and sound cool, they were not considered a desirable weapon because you couldn’t shoot them accurately over a great distance. Since were we in the desert and you could see for miles in all directions, it felt a bit apprehensive being issued one because you knew everyone could shoot serval hundred yards except you. Once it was clear no such firefights would happen because of the dynamics of that war people liked them again because of the cool factor. Today, though I never had one issued to me personally, I’m just nostalgic to have served in combat with a weapon with such provenance.
My father served in WWII he was a MP in Europe, he did not call the M3A1 a grease gun and claimed he never heard it called that until way after the war, but the resemblance is there. His units nick name was a Stove Pipe. Because it resembled a stove exhaust pipe from the 30's and 40's , when the stove pipe rusted it was replaced, the same for these guns my dad said, you replaced the barrel after alot of use as they warped, also there were suppressed barrels for commandos. Just a tidbit of history for you.
That's neat!
I heard they were called a grease gun because they came completely covered in grease in the crates?
@@travisdoe4663it’s because they looked like the old grease guns, the same kind that tankers would have for maintenance
I've heard the Bazooka called the Stove Pipe, because that's basically what it *was* , just with a couple of extra bits stuck to it to tell the rocket to start flying, but never the Grease Gun.
This gun should be considered a staple for any collection. What a gem!
The fact that Tankers still had this SMG even during Desert Storm supposedly really does make this the longest serving SMG
The PPSh-41 is still in service to this day
@@zachfrancisco8185
Not by choice, though. Russia kind of has to use it.
@@ratgobbler but hey, if it’s not broken, why fix it?
@@NguyenMinh-vs1vm
They already did that with the AK-12.
M60 tanks, and the M88 recovery vehicle.
The M88 is still in service, but has been rebuilt so it may not have the old Grease Gun brackets.
Had m3a1 in Nam. Absolutely loved that beast. Reliable and deadly, especially against the smaller Vietnamese.
🎉😂❤
When I was in the Army, I was in Korea in '91-'92. They were phasing the grease gun out. But I carried one that was made circa 1943-44 by the Campbell's Soup Company. Interesting piece of history.
Thank you for your service sir
@@marcosramos3829 thank you for your support.
A soup company smg? There's a joke in there somewhere. Thanks for your service.
I can't help but imagine a soldier walking past me with a "Campbells Cream of Bullet" stamped on the side of his firearm.
@@792slayer maybe the joke was "hosing Nazis is mmm mmm good? Thanks for your support!
Great video as always, Brandon. I was a tank commander/platoon sergeant in the late 70s and early 80s and on the M60 series of tanks, two M3A1s were standard issue items. We had to qualify with these little subguns during Armor School, and I use the term "qualify" loosely. What we were actually told is that we were firing them for "familiarization" as they were so incredibly inaccurate that qualifying in the conventional sense of the word was impossible. I have no idea what vintage ours were, but I would guess they were originally manufactured/issued somewhere around the Korean War era so the remaining rifling in the barrel was pretty sparse. The are a hoot to shoot but unless you are spitting distance from the target, ours were very much a 'spray and pray' proposition. Regarding cost, a loader in my unit lost one in the deep snow whilst answering the call of nature in West Germany one dark night, and if I recall correctly had to sign a statement of charges for about $17.50... Those were the days.
The 2 that were issued with my M48A3 in Nam were like brand new, still wrapped in cosmoline protective wrapping and never before issued. That was in 1970 though. I was in Vietnam with the 77th Armor of the 1st Bde, 5th Mech Inf on the DMZ. I tested it for reliability by dropping it in mud with the ejection port cover open. I then scooped out most of the mud from the chamber with my little finger and did a mag dump with it. As it fired, big clods of mud would come flying out of the ejection port along with the empty cartridge cases. The stock also served as a magazine loading tool, cleaning rod, and as a wrench to remove/tighten the barrel and to remove the trigger guard so you could remove/replace the ejector housing. Very controllable, compact and reliable, and surprisingly accurate out to 100+ yards owing to it's controllability. Perhaps the best SMG of it's type ever designed.
Hey I know it's a little off topic but I'd like to take the chance of asking you, an actual armour veteran, if it is worth joining? I'm British so it'd be with our army rather than the US but I thought they'd be similiar enough to ask.
Thanks
@@McC.444 Personally, I'd never trade my time in the Army for anything. I learned a great deal about myself, people, the world and how to be an effective leader, but that was a long time ago and it was a different world then. I have nothing but respect for anyone who makes the very serious decision to put their life on the line for their country and their fellow man, but that choice and the sacrifices it will bring are very personal.
@@Hoplophile1 This is what I tell people. I'm glad to see somebody else saying it. (Responding to your statement regarding time in.)
As a German I have to ask: Do you know where exactly he lost the gun? Coordiates are appreciated. I'm going geo-caching this weekend anyway... ;-)
This gun is just such a marvel of engineering to me, especially when compared to the gun it was meant to replace, the Thompson. It's simple and cheap to produce; and easy to operate and disassemble, even for those not familiar with it, small and compact enough that it works well even for tankers who are at a premium for space, can easily be converted from .45 to 9mm in minutes, and more than durable enough for its job that it was still in service at least in some parts of the armed services by the time the Gulf War rolled around some fifty-ish years later. Slow rate of fire not only helps from a logistical/resupply standpoint but it also makes the gun safer, more controllable, more accurate. And then the already simple design was further streamlined, made more durable, cheaper, and using less materials to produce from the M3 to the M3A1 by _eliminating_ parts and material rather than adding them. Who needs a charging handle? Just cut out a big chunk of metal from the bolt and use your finger and eliminate that charging handle that could break off in the field or snag on something at a critical moment! And they cut another 2/10ths of a pound off the weight of the gun in the process, weight which from what I've heard really adds up for the infantryman that has to lug it around all day every day. You don't even need tools to disassemble it; one of the tools for disassembly is another part of the same gun, and that same part even serves as a reloading tool for the magazines. How amazing and unique is that. This gun is the embodiment of good design; it's basically like the American version of the AK-47 in that respect. It would have been very interesting to be a fly on the wall there at the design meetings for the creation and subsequent improvement of this gun.
how does it help reloading?
@@azmanabdula There's a tab on the stock of the M3A1 for that. Looks backwards L-shaped from the side.
bcs instead of putting all the money into machining each gun they put it into the the machinery to stamp em out thus gaining the economies of scale which made final product for 90+% off the TG
Not only did it replace the M1, it replaced its direct predecessor the M2 before it even entered mass production.
They were in US Army service well into the 90s.
glad to see you single firing it. Dad said you could feel the bolt move so you could let go of the trigger after a single round. Interesting enough, that is how I single fired my M60 machine gun in Germany which is how I fired expert. We used a tripod that day and they gave us a device that clipped to the 60 and to the tripod with which you could increment the weapon. We had an L shaped pattern to shoot at. I fired three single rounds to zero in the weapon, then put the other 97 rounds in the pattern. Yeah, I'm bragging.
It continues to surprise me how freaking simple submachine guns are.
Same! when I got interested in how firearms work, I watched a video on the sten smg that is when I learned what an open bolt is i was very surprised to see how simple they are!
Effectively, they are literally a semi-auto pistol with one specific piece *removed.*
you can literally build one from hardware store pieces. don't know lf it's still up but years back i watched a ytube video on the Luty sub gun.
@@jessestreet2549 you mean Brandons Luty video?
Almost everything non German in the -1950's where simple little bro
Great break down of the M3. You missed some cool features though. The stock with the metal right angle at the back was used to push down the bullets in the mag to help load the last round. Also, you remove the stock and it was used as a cleaning rod and you could use it as pliers to help remove a tight barrel. It's a genius little weapon.
100% correct.
The Grease gun was still in use up into the 80's for Tankers. What a badass weapon. Seriously. They were still in service and working just fine.
They were still present in that role in the '91 Gulf War, but I've seen no evidence that they were actually fired.
We had them in the Berlin Brigade for armored vehicle crewmen. Had one while I was a lowly M113 driver in addition to my rifle. That was 1986-1990.
Still had them on the books in 93-94
@@jic1 Really never used, I know some tankers used them to plink for fun. They were mostly there just in case. Just like the Thompsons in Vietnam war tanks.
I was a tanker who got out in 93. We had to fire it once a year, a highly inaccurate weapon. You would just walk the weapon up on the target and pretty much use the entire 30 rounds up by that time.
New subscriber and I am really enjoying the channel. Being 73 years old and growing up with these all over television there is no gun on earth you could give me I would want to fire more than the grease gun. I know MP-5's and Uzi's and all the rest get the glory but I saw one of these new in the cosmoline and nothing else comes close. One of these days I want to go to a machine gun shoot just to fire one. I am looking at the Valkyrie Arms one as the full autos are far beyond my means. My dad was combat engineers in WW2 in Europe.
The grease gun and the sten are my two favourite ww2 smg's. I love the rustic and rugged look of them
Love all of these ww2 open bolt sub guns of desperation.
Toob
STEN would not even make it on the list for me in a war with MP38s & Suomis.
@@gratefulguy4130 But it did work did it not? It was later replaced by a much more refined design, but it was cheap and did the job when it was needed. Certainly more than the Mp38 and Suomi
The M3 is actually a better gun than the MP5, hilariously enough. More controllable, more powerful cartridge, and a lot quicker to reload. Sure, it's not "sexy", but it's actually the better weapon.
Fun fact: Even though it was phased out in 1958, it was still favored by tankers and special forces in the US Military as late as the early 90’s, just before the M4 was introduced. There was even a tactical variant with a picatinny rail made by the Philippians in 2004.
They were still in use when I got to Germany with the Army in 1983.
One evening I drove in through the back gate of our Kaserne and the gate guard had an M3.
He was part of a Mechanized Infantry unit that, at that time, was using the M113 APC.
I jokingly asked him if he got the grease gun from a museum.
Tactical grease gun-so you can grease even more effectively and accurately
The Phillipians used slings😅
Philippians?
Tankers used them in the Gulf War
The urge for me to move to the US, get a concealed carry licence and then CC a grease gun for the memes is getting out of hand
Good luck getting one lmao, not just anyone can get a full auto weapon
I'll do you one better, tell the government to f off from our rights, no more license requirements so that free men can once again buy guns and explosives at the corner store.
Do it brother
@@zeldaglitchman I’m not sure if it’s the correct time period but machine guns made before a certain year don’t require a permit, I believe.
do it.
My dad was an MP in the early 50's and they carried Grease guns. He really liked it. Their jeep had a Ma Deuce, which he also loved.
Used to work with a Korean War vet. He always talked fondly of his grease gun, said it put 'em down and they stayed down. R.I.P. Bill.
Just crazy how we went from fighting the japs and germans to fighting in korea only a few years after ww2
One of my scoutmasters said it was a great gun for shooting around corners.
Brandon: “There is no bolt handle. But there _is_ a notch in the bolt. So how do you charge the gun you ask?”
Scott from Kentucky Ballistics: *heavy breathing*
"There is no bolt handle" until the guys in the shop break out the drills and taps....
@@dr.burtgummerfan439 “These people are purists, and we don’t talk to them.”
-Brandon Herrera
Unfortunately, many people coming up wouldn’t understand what a grease gun actually is, much less the sub-machine gun.
@@danieldoesdumbstuff people do want to work, just not for survival-only wages. If employers are offering such wonderful opportunities they need to be upfront about how much the position will actually pay.
@@danieldoesdumbstuff where the fuck did that come from
@@danieldoesdumbstuff No one wants to work a full-time job and still barely get by financially, FTFY
@@danieldoesdumbstuffabsolute L take from sombody with no economical or political knowledge.
@@danieldoesdumbstuff "Just work harder"
I really liked the M3A1 because I could control the gun in full automatic. I was issued one by a Special Forces B team, near Chu Lai in Vietnam. I was a combat cameraman and was going to film the Navy Seabees moving a Special Forces Camp from one side of a valley to another. The Officer in Charge of the B Team asked me what weapon I carried. When I told him that I used the Colt 1911, he said that I might need a bit more fire power and gave me the M3A1 a box of ammo and four magazines.
However, what I did not like was the weight of ammunition and magazines. The loaded thirty round magazine seemed to weigh a ton and, unless you were judicious in firing, you could easily empty a magazine in no time. However, I could pickle off short bursts. I only carried this weapon when I was not tromping the boonies. It was great for static defense situations.
A story - I was filming the Navy Preventive Medicine Unit in Danang. The skipper came into their improvised club and was laughing. When asked how his day went - he said, "Great! Our jeep was ambushed and I was shooting my grease gun and the Chaplain was throwing grenades!"
Personally, I think that if this weapon was made in 9mm, the weight would have been more manageable. I know it could be converted to 9mm fairly easily but, I have never seen a converted model or a magazine for the 9mm caliber.
An even better idea would have been if the .30 M1 or M2 carbine had been produced in the .357 magnum caliber. I loved the little carbine and had a civilian mail order folding stock. A problem with the oild and worn out M2 carbines is that the bannana mag would drop out of the weapon on full auto - especially when two mags were taped together.
When I was a fresh boot private at Ft. Hood, my roommate was the unit armorer, and he told me he found two M-3 sub guns in the armory. I sat up and said "We need to get them to the range!" He sighed and said, unfortunately no, he had already let the CO know, and they were going to a base museum.
Well at least they didn't get scraped. Small mercies.
Should have asked the CO if you could shoot them one last time before sending them off.
I remember reading in Eric L. Haney’s autobiography of his time in the Unit that the M3A1 Grease Gun was one of the first weapons that Delta had in its arsenal. Apparently they were given to the Unit by the CIA which had a warehouse full of them somewhere.
I remember that book, he went through selection with it if I recall correctly.
My personal favorite part of the Grease Gun is how the original version had a proper charging handle then they looked at it and thought, "we can make it cheaper!"
They made the ejection port and dust cover bigger at the same time
And get rid of a part that's easy to lose
It really is an engineering marvel. They told the car factory to make the cheapest most reliable SMG they could with what's on hand and they did.
to be fair, i think the engineering marvel goes to the sten, the grease gun is just americas version of the sten
@@matthew4107 actually yeah, it's more impressive from like a manufacturing perspective. Retooling fast for guns on a large scale is just like... Does it get me put on a list to say it's what every machinist dreams of doing at night?
@@babygorilla4233 im not sure about the grease gun, but the sten was designed to have as little machined parts as possible, i think only 2 parts required skilled machining and those were inside the gun itself. everything else was just stamped metal essentially. each sten could be made in a few hours of production time.
This is one of the coolest guns I have ever seen. The fact that it was so cheap in its time period makes it fascinating to me.
What I admire is that it was simple cheap and effective. Normally it is a "pick 2" thing.
Adjusting for inflation it was around $255.
The M3 grease gun also was shipped with a 9 mm adapted barrel as well so you can switch out to the German 9 mm when you ran out of 45
And that's how you use the enemies ammo against themselves, rad.
By far the most important thing about the Grease gun was how cheap it was so they could print it out and hand them out like candy on Halloween. Big army needs lots of guns and if you can do it cheap, reliable and on demand in a sudden world wide conflict? No wonder it got as far as it did.
@Andy, they may have to do just that if the ccp or nk goes much farther. It's getting crazy over there. Maybe even start producing them now so US can have them ready at a moment's notice. Stay safe.
Throw away gun. No repair parts were made initially, only later in production were some parts available.
@@allanfranklin9615 technician time might have been spent elsewhere instead of ensuring that a single new part works with other, worn parts?
Umm. Substitute 'Grease' for 'StEn' - or PPS 43
When I trained as a tank crewman in 1970 we found that the two personal weapons tank crewman had were M45 handgun and the M3 grease gun. The M3s we fired had a tendency to raise at the front end during firing. If held side side-wise they would fire to the side. Also, the grease gun replaced the Thompson machine gun (Chicago typewriter) because they were cheaper, the soldiers that lost their Thompsons were not happy with the replacement, many refused them and asked for the M1 Gerand instead. This from actually talking to WW2 vets. I was lucky enough to have a WW2 vet as a father and many of his friends had experience with the Thompson and its replacement.
There's something so mystical about the relationship between a soldier and his weapon. Brings a tear to my eye. The tool that kept your grandad safe.
the tool that kept other grandad's in danger. War is funny like that
I think he said great grandfather.
@@tj36b6 more like a great grandfather, you are right.
If Brandon was cool he'd have a great Garand father.
My grandfather was issued one as a radio man in Korea, they only gave him two magazines and only one magazine had ammunition in it. He fortunately never had the Chicoms come through the bunker door when the shelling stopped.
What was the second magazine for, to smack somebody with it or something? 😂
Did he not know how to load the second mag????
@@j.d.unlisted8668 wasn’t issued ammo for it, dipshit.
@@j.d.unlisted8668 can’t load a mag if they don’t give you any ammo.
*REMEMBER: If we had proper vending machines, we wouldn't need gun stores.*
I, too, am a Marcus Munitions enthusiast.
@@perfectstranger1152 Remember, no refunds.
Are you referencing the absolute rage induced by malfunctioning vending machines inciting extreme violence against those machines, or the obvious need for vending machines stocked with firearms/ammo? Because I'm down with both scenarios, I just wanna know what it is I'm rooting for. "I'd like a nestles Bmg with extra crunchy D.U. sprinkles, please... 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
@@VidhurCaveat emptor!
gmod moment
One thing you didn't mention was the loading assist near the wire buttstock. That little "C" shaped flat metal piece could be used to quickly load the stick magazine and save wear and tear on you thumb. I picked up a "souvenir" M3 in Viet Nam and while not in the best shape, it did a good job of helping me provide security for the Corpman when he went out to treat the locals in the villages in our AO. That and a cut down M2 carbine.
I carried one of those in Desert Storm. Always liked the simplicity and ease of assembly/disassembly and close up it was a beast. Not much use after about 50yds though but it was designed to be a tankers weapon and worked well for that.
What about those Italian guns from WW2 and other ancient stuff that was so common there .Iraq was a crazy place . Nowadays I'm seeing p90s , tavors and other guns that wouldn't see the light of day . I've even seen a few Scar rifles .
The Grease Gun really was the Hi-Point of WW2.
Nah, that would be zhe good old MP40
b.s. m1 carbine was the hi-point
Major Reginald V Shepherd and Mr Harold I Turpin would like a word...
I feel like the BAR was more of a Hi Point honestly. Most of the Japanese pistols were garbage too lol
@@Mr.InbetweenFX I have never heard of a good Asian weapon. The closest to being acceptable is chinese copies of Russian/ American guns
As I live in Sweden, a country where weapon laws are strict as fuck, channels like yours is no less than a blessing. The breakdowns, the shooting, it's all enjoyable. Thanks, stay safe and take care👍.
Move to Czechia, Austria or Switzerland, you could be conceal carrying a semi auto open version of this (which would be illegal in the states) in about a month, if you start the paperwork the day you move (it's in the EU so no visas or anything). Or own as many cat c guns as you want in Austria after leaving there for three days (Austria doesn't even have licences for cat c guns).
Same.
yup same thing here in Norway unfortunately :(
@@davedavids57 Hah, but you'd have absolutely no need in those countries. I carry in the US, but you'd have to be a loon to do it in Austria; 1/10th the murder rate, and almost always domestic.
@@davedavids57 Not illegal in the states lol. You should at least bother to do a modicum of research on something before talking about it. You cannot own full-auto weapons in any of those countries without a license. Whereas in the U.S. you can buy a full-auto M3 grease gun without any license whatsoever, as long as it was made and registered before 1986 (which a good number were.) This makes it a transferable machine gun, the requirements for owning such a weapon is no different than owning a regular, semi-auto gun gun. (No convictions of felonies, domestic abuse, and not deemed mentally ill by a court of law.) If it was made after 1986 or not registered before then, it is not a transferable machine gun, and will require an FFL or SOT to own. An FFL is not that difficult to get in the U.S., however you have to have a business pertaining to firearms to get approved. Whether you have a firearms business or are planning on becoming a dealer, you have to be selling guns, you can’t just get one for the sole purpose of owning lots of machine guns.
I didn't see anyone else say it, but if you have trouble unthreading the barrel, the stock is actually designed to fit across the two notches on the base of the barrel for leverage to unscrew it. Served with one for 3 years in the 80s. Loved it.
I miss that gun. Carried one as a track mechanic in the National Guard. We still used them as assigned weapons for the M88 crews in the late 90's. I'm glad that you got one Brandon. I always figured I had a better chance of getting an old Ferrari than one of those. Glad someone else loves them as much as I do. Never thought I'd see you do a video one one. Made my morning.
We had these in CARNG armor units as late as 2002. I know because I cleaned at least 20 of them one drill weekend.
Tank mechanics carried two of them on our M88A1 recovery vehicle back in the 80s. A lot of fun on ammo expenditure day at the tank range.
My Uncle Bart Sogaard was in the US Army aircorp and also worked for OSS. One of his missions he parachuted alone at night into Czechoslovakia. He carried about 50 greaseguns and about 200 liberator guns in huge containers with their own parachutes to deliver to the underground. He said, that he never had more fun during WW2 than on that one mission. Bart was a certified bad ass. 6'5" viking. He was Norwegian. When the NAZI's invaded Norway. He fought them and when he was being hunted. He and a few other guys took a small boat and made it to Scottland. He joined the Norway/English volunteers and became a tailgunner in Lancasters, Then he was sent to Love Field in Texas and taught to become a tailgunner in B24s. OSS found out that he spoke German and Czech. Then he was taken back east and learned spy craft and how to jump out of planes. He survived the war. Moved to North Dakota and bought a bunch of Piper J3 Cubs and made living taking hunters out into the outback of Canada, Montana and Wyoming. Again, He was a bad ass....
very interesting
I used to make up stories and tell them to my nephew and niece too....always a good time.
@cornpopsrazor5375 difference is, he had photos and written orders and the medals to prove it. It's in the NDSU history department
You realise history is always written by the victors right??
You could claim any sh!t as long as your side won, it makes no difference and it becomes "true"......
there are many stories of "heroes" mostly embellished to glorify the victors, I smell bullsh!t.
Maybe you heard what you wanted to hear...... 🤦♂️🙄
@robgrt, Always someone in the crowd that thinks they know more than you do. I would have loved to have met him. Really interested in the montain man era. Not a good student in school, I was lazy. I love history. I read The Bible daily. A lot of good history and it even talks about times like now, Matthew chapter 24 & Mark 13, also the Book of Revelation. All the best and may God bless.
When I first enlisted in '91 we still had some of these in our unit armoury. They'd been there so long no one remembered why they were still in inventory, but since they were never issued officially (some of the guys took them out for fun) no one ever noticed or removed them while I was there. Nice bit of a trip through history doing armoury duty :D
I can only imagine how many guns are sitting in armories and warehouses for decades
I got to shoot WWII 911's when I was in the USMC. Same story as yours. People just forgot they were in the armory and they weren't issued to anyone.
I respect who you are, what you do and what you have seen. Keep up the good work brother!
We had two of these M3's on an M60 Tank in Germany in 1968; one assigned to the driver and the other to the loader. Each also came with a bag of sixteen thirty round magazines. We were told the build cost was $6.00. We were never allowed to shoot them but were issued boxes of 45ACP when Russia invaded Czechoslovakia for these and our 1911's..
My dad and his crews still had these in their M60A3 tanks in West Germany in the early 1980's. He speaks fondly of these for sure.
An old Vietnam vet friend of mine, was issued one of these during his time in the war. He told me several times, they were so controllable he'd, cut trees down with it. RIP Jon, you were like an additional Grandpa.
A guy I know that went to Vietnam as Army Ranger told me his lieutenant had one suppressed. Said Lt. shot a mean water Buffalo and he imitated the sound and said you could hear the bullets hitting.
$15 SMG, still a better gun the MP5. MP5 jumps quite a bit, and the HK charging system is a bit slower since you have to reach way out front and break your support hand grip. It's honestly true that we never had a notably better SMG until the 21st century; SMGs really peaked during WW2. The MP5 is sexy, and that's about it. In the last 20 years or so we've finally had some advances like the KRISS Vector that make a real difference, but until then the Grease Gun was one of the best, if not _the_ best, SMG in actual performance.
The MPL was the best SMG of the old era.
Was he issued .45" or 9mm? .45" would allow for supply simplicity to match M1911's but 9mm is the better cartridge. The M3 was made & sometimes issued with a conversion kit in WW2, presumably for Paratroopers & partisans.
My father carried the Grease Gun in Vietnam as a USMC Artillery Battery Commander. He never fired it in anger, but it's nice to know that family were familiar with that weapon. I wish I could own one of my own.
A salute to your grandfather. A simple but effective sub machine gun.
my grandpa was a combat engineer in WW2. when i told him i was joining the army he told me a war story. he said "when we didnt have any bridges to blow up. we would hang claymores from trees at head level for German patrols. that way when we blew them up the gear was still intact. thats how i got this luger." RIP grandpa you mad lad.
old man knew how to get good loot
good guy
No claymores in WW2.
@@aueku that’s crazy because a quick google search shows there were claymores.
@@skoorb8994 claymore's came into service in 1960. That's what a Google search reveals to me. As world war II ended in 1945, claymore's were still 15 years away from being issued out.
I served in the Army National Guard in Texas from 93 to 01 and my unit still had these in our Armory. We were a mechanized infantry unit using the Bradley.
Cool Avatar.
"i felt like it had to do that it was just sitting too nice" had me crying lmfaoo
2:04 it's also impolite to ask Henry Ford what medals he received from an Austrian painter during the same era
Henry Ford and Charles Lindbergh both knew what was up. I mean after all, look up how dodge brothers sued ford in 1918 and look at their logo 😉
I was a combat engineer from 96-99, and while stationed in Korea I was unit armorer. Was extremely surprised to see that we still had these in our arms room and that they were issued to the AVLB, CEV, and ACE drivers as primary weapons but were issued Berretta M9s for side arms. There is nothing like having to keep two different pistol calibers on you when out on a mission.
Awesome bro, what vehicle were you "signed" for. I was ace and one the 9mm shooting team, ft stewart Ga 92-96. reassigned 63w korea 99-00 still 9mm. was only able to shoot m3 in basic T (full clip+three rounds) nostalgia, sweet🙂
@dominicbakken The M3s were assigned to the AVLB and CEV crewmen was I was at Camp Howze in Korea from 96-97. Then again, 90% of the mines and dynamite in our inventory were left overs from WWII and Vietnam. Crazy to see crates of AT mines and tie poppers dated from 1944 and dynamite crates dated 1967.
I was a combat engineer 12B in Germany who was a Company Commander's driver and was issued one of these and a M1911A1 instead of a M16A1 from 81 to 85. All our drivers was issued the M3A1's instead of M16A1's as we were a dump truck/bridging unit.
I was briefly attached to an engineer unit in 2006 and they had some grease guns in the arms room that weren't on the books. Once this became known, they no longer were in the arms room...
Why wouldn't they make the primary weapon and sidearm use the same ammunition? I'm not a history buff, but I believe there are pistols that use .45, so it'd make sense to have weapons that share ammunition types.
This was my issued weapon way back in 1990 during Desert Storm. The magazines didn’t like the sand though. Regular cleaning keep them feeding smooth.
Were you a tanker? In OIF I had M16, M249, 240 bravo and AT4 All issued to myself. Traveled all over Iraq as gunner in Humvee, would have liked that too to keep in back JIC
Nothing is impervious to sand.
@@smokingcrab2290 Found Anakin
I was in the army in the early 80's. These guns were still in the inventory at that time, I jumped into a M88 recovery vehicle one day, right by the hatch one was hanging with the 90 degree barrel next to it. The 19D carried them sometimes too.
M3 was a reliable, practical and somehow very accurate smg. The low cycling rate and push vs snap of 45acp meant you weren't necessarily having to spray and pray
I’m not sure about reliability or cost of production. But at my local range I’ve shot a sten mp40 grease gun and ppsh( they hated letting me fire it because apparently the rounds are corrosive?) out of all those that I fired that day the mp40 was by far the smoothest firing weapon I’ve ever shot. The Germans knew how to build a nice weapon.
@@BarrackObamnagood thing they don’t know how to win a war.
@@FerrariTeddythe thing is, they did. The allies just had good stamina and held out - not taking anything for granted. The Axis made a few fatal mistakes but almost did 'win'.
My great uncle was a tank driver in world war II in Germany the Battle of the bulge and brought home a grease gun he used to show it to me when I was a kid. Always had a fond memory of that machine gun. Great job Brandon Love those channel. Keep up the great work and contention
My grandpa was in a tank battalion, landed in Normandy and crossed France, he carried an M1 carbine and a Thompson, brought the M1 home, it's sitting in my closet right now, wish he had brought the Thompson lol
Do you know what happened to it?
@@crazywildegg54 I have no idea I wish I did
@@DuranDuran31 aw that sucks, alright. Thanks for answering regardless
That armor was actually impressive, I didn't think it would work that well.
Indeed. I can just imagine the force transfer would turn your ribs into shrapnel though.
@@rodnabors7364 you'd be 100% bruises from your nipples to your bellybutton to your spine. A friend of mine got shot with three rounds of 9mm hollowpoint at close range, he was wearing dragonscale. (bank security guard in Texas.) Broke five ribs and he was unable to leave his hospital bed for a week. Also shattered his teeth, but that was secondary.
@@captainmaim: Maybe, depends on the body mass, I had friends in Law Enforcement and Security Operation who that died, while wearing threat level body armor due blunt force trauma being shot in the breastplate, due to a ruptured the spleen, before paramedics arrived.
@@dwayneklien5308 I'm sorry to hear that. My point was to say that the armor can stop the penetration but all that kinetic force is still yours to absorb. My friend was "lucky" in that he got hit in three different parts of his torso which all had ribs behind them. Bullets are no joke.
@@captainmaimwould the same happen for steel armour as its placed over a large area? Its rigid for the most part I would've thought compared to soft armour
funny thing about the Grease gun for some of the gammers, this gun was actually the template model for the assault SMG for some of the quake games if I remember correctly, it evolved over time but the stock, barrel, and mag where the same, but in 4 it was just the stock pushed in that gave it the iconic CQC look
$15 in 1943 is the equivalent of almost $300 today.
Still cheap
Still good for a SMG
I’d gladly pay $300 for even a semi auto version of a grease gun.
Ahhh....the hidden tax of inflation.
Sad really that our money isn't worth anything anymore.
@@heathb4319 You can thank Nixon for that one.
As a tanker back in the early 80s I qualified with the M3a1 grease gun. It was a lot of fun to shoot and a absolute dream to clean as well. No lost parts when disassembled. 16:42
Still used those in '76-80. The pull out stock could be used as a wrench to unscrew the barrel, and as a speed loader for the 30 round mag. Defiantly a fun gun to fire.
Great video! You sound pretty surprised that they were built by GM, but during WWII everyone pitched in for the "War Effort." Singer Sewing Machine Co. was making 1911's, International Harvester was making M1 Garands and even after the war, General Electric made the M-61A1 20mm Vulcan Canon and later, the GAU-8A 30mm Avenger Canon found in the A-10.
Don't forget the General Motors TurboHydromatic Division.
International Harvester stated making M1 Garands after WWII (around 1950) in Indianapolis, IN (due to being out of Soviet Missile range at that time!).
One spins to make something clean, the other spins to make something disappear
You have that backwards. They made the A-10 for the GAU-8, and the 20 mm Vulcan was made for the F-14 tomcat.
Love the GM bit of trivia. Former Cdn Army Wpns Tech, here. The first weapon I learned how to service was a 7.62mm M1919 MG. It had "General Motors" stamped on it. Yes, we still had them in inventory in the early 90s...
The stock can be removed and used as a wrench to loosen the barrel. It also includes an integral magazine loader.
My father fought in WWII, as a member of the Rifle Brigade.
Later in 1944 new weapons began to turn up at the front in Italy and he got to try several UK and US-made weapons.
The STEN he didn't find safe to use, as simply bumping the stock on the ground could make it fire, the M3 was useful and handy, but did not replace his Thompson, no rifle was as good as his old pre-war P14, and the M1 carbine was handy and light but hard to get ammunition for.
Saw but did not use Axis weapons, except for the Mannlicher-Carcano rifle standard for Italian troops.
He didn't rate it, handling and working was awkward and slow, and it was so inaccurate, he was surprised Lee Harvey Oswald could hit a car, let alone a President...
My dad was in the army between WW2 and Korea. He guarded POWs in Italy and was allowed to try out the M3, the thompson, and the M2 carbine. He said he couldn't hit anything with the SMGs, but really liked the M2.
My Father was in the Air Force during the Korean war. He was a forward observer and was imbedded with a Marine unit, he called in air strikes for them. He carried the grease gun.
First fired the M3 as an Armor Crewman trainee at Knox in 71. Had it as a crew weapon on my M60/M60A3 tanks from 80-93. Loved firing that gun, both M3 and M3A1 were in our arms room.
One of the unfun things about it was after about 40 odd years, a few of the sears were kinda worn and wouldn't catch on the released trigger, which meant the gun would continue to fire until there were no more bullets in the magazine, no matter what ideas you were having. Best thing to do was just keep it pointed down range - at most you were going to fire 29 more bullets than you wanted out of that 30 round magazine.
Loading magazines wasn't that much fun either. Took a lot longer than emptying them at the range.
My uncle in 1944 was the leader of a band of partisans in the Alps in Italy. Greas guns were parachuted only to partisan formations that were not communist. When he was an officer in the Italian army he had a Beretta MAB 38 but he said that he fell in love with the M3 because it was light, it shot slowly and consumed few cartridges and at close range it did much more damage than the 9 Parabellum. With a short, light machine gun you carry more ammunition and escape faster when chased by German Alpine troops
In the early 90s our local NG unit (engineers) still had a bunch of them. According to one of the officers who ran the armory, most NG units in our general area still had them as well.
I saw them and Thompsons in guard uniform in Illinois too.
Thanks for covering the Greasegun. Many memories returned watching this video since as a tank crewmember of the M60A3 tank we were issued one of these. So basically, we had a colt .45 (the Lords caliber - that's great and I'm going to use it.) in a left shoulder holster and a greasegun for the most part loose. But there is a spring clip mount in the inside to store it. If I remember correctly we qualified shooting stationary in a standing position to a target 20yrds? We used to joke that it was really designed to just throw lead downrange to make someone duck long enough to run to safety. A side note: in disassembly a full day of shooting the barrel would tighten up being difficult to break loose by hand. we would remove the butt stock and use it as pliers in the square grooves to break the barrel loose. (field stripping style).
My great grandfather was in the Coast Guard during WW2 and Korea. Stationed up by Seattle, Washington. The man passed away a decade ago, and I still miss him. Knowing him is part of what inspired my love of firearms, as well as my interest in 20th century conflicts. Also he got me hooked on Root Beer, especially Barq's.
4:29 I was waiting for the Fury quote!