Last nite they had the US Guns of WWII on the history channel.

One of the guns they profiled was the full auto .45 cal M3, affectionately known as the "grease Gun" Due to its similar appearnace to the garage tool.

Has anyone here ever owned or shot one???

Were they el cheapo junk guns, or kool toys????

I shot a open bolt semi M3 last year. Not impressed at all. The one I shot was inaccurate as all hell.

One thing I noticed was it was a lot bigger then I thought it would be.

Anyway...

[b][i]I ALWAYS READ ABOUT SOME SEEMINGLY ENDLESS Supply of m3 mags for like $10.00 each!!
I NEED SOME!?>! WHERE ARE THEY?!?!?![/B][/i]

I used one a M-3-A-1 without the cocking lever, in the service up to the mid 80's it ran good, was a bitch to load, so always left 27 rounds in the mags instead of the 30 cap, as not to set the mag springs. Close up and presonal it was great, but the 10 loaded mags were a bitch to hump with 230 grn rounds.

I currently own a Powder Springs M-10-45, modified with a mini-uzi side folder, double buffers, to use unmodified M-3 mags, full teflon, a sonics 2 stage can that is modified by AWC to wipeless and quieter tech. and yes I hump the loaded mags still! This MAC w/ can attached weighs about the same as the M-3-A-1, and I like it more than the M-3, or the MP-5, or any other sub-gun for that matter!!!!!

Had one back in the mid to late 80's. This one was sim to the build of a sten, stamped metal, finish was black paint. It had the hand crank on the side. I loved the safety... the dust cover blocked the bolt! The thing I found interesting was its rate of fire was not constant. If you dumped a 30 round clip, it would build up speed as it went. It was a brush gun for sure.

When I was in Korea in 1952, I carried two M3A1 sub machine guns. Developed quite an effective two gun technique with these. Could shoot effectively well over 1000 yards. Once used them while hanging upside down from the skids of a U.S. helicopter on a medevac flight. Fought our way in, made the rescue, but there was no room for me on the return flight, so I ordered them to leave without me. Held off a massed Chinese charge while providing cover fire. Only through my skillful use of evasion and survival training was I able to make it back south.

Excellent $15.00 weapon.

Hi McUzi; how are you doing today.

My cousin carried one for some time while in Vietnam.  I remember him saying the gun and spare mag/ammo was heavy as hell and to carry in the jungle.  His preference was the M2 Carbine.  

As an M60A3 armor crewman back in the 80s, the M3 grease gun was one of my issue weapons. It's a pretty crude but simple, effective close range weapon. Easy to field strip and maintain. Using non-corrosive ammunition, the thing probably never needs to be cleaned, just lubed every few decades. [:)]

As far as firing it, it has VERY crude sights, the wire stock is pretty flimsy, and it's best used at close range firing from the hip. That's how we were taught to fire it. We were basically instructed to hold it sideways and walk the automatic fire into the target. It's not a weapon that I would have felt the least bit comfortable engaging the enemy at even 100 yds with. I would feel much better armed with the M4 carbines that have since replaced the old grease guns.

A grease gun would be a pretty fun toy if they could be had for they are actually worth. But then again, so would any other automatic weapon.  

I was a tanker in the Cavalry from the mid 70's till '82. There were 2 M3A1's per tank. The loader, and driver had them in addition to thier M1911A1's, which were all the gunner and TC had. They can have a problem with the firing pin. It is fixed, and I have seen rounds go off before they are seated in the chamber. I was running a fam-fire at Ft. Hood, my loader was shooting his M3. A round went off, the brass blew back laying his cheek open to the bone. Generally, they were OK. A bitch to load, prone to rust. It was fun wile standing on line behind the shooter as safety watching the bullet go down range. Very slow rate of fire. I carried one while on the East German border with the 11th ACR with 6 mags of ammo-all unathourized of course. But a M1911A1 and 5 rounds in the mag pouch were just not enough for me to hold off the Russians while trying to break into the Mini ammo can and trying to get the M60 running.