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89-572: The m/45 SMG was developed in 1944–45, with a design borrowing from and also improving on many design elements of earlier submachine guns. The sheet metal stamping techniques used in making the German MP 40 , the British Sten , and the Soviet PPSh-41 and PPS-43 were studied in detail. Two designs were tested in 1944, one from Carl Gustafs Stads Gevärsfaktori and one from Husqvarna Vapenfabriks and

178-450: 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

267-464: A 36-round box magazine. It is 808 mm (31.8 in) long with the stock extended, and 550 mm (22 in) long with the stock folded. The m/45 is an open bolt design with a fixed firing pin. The relatively slow cyclic rate of fire (550–600 rds/min) and low recoil of the bolt-mechanism actuation (straight blowback) makes it easy to control during full automatic fire. Single shots are also easy to achieve (with very little training) by letting go of

356-619: A better replacement for the M3A1. M3A1 submachine guns were retired from U.S. frontline service after 1959, but continued to be issued, for example as backup weapons for armored vehicle crews as late as the Gulf War (1990-1991). Many overseas US military bases continued to issue these for certain crews into the mid to late 1990s. In 1941, the U.S. Army Ordnance Board observed the effectiveness of submachine guns employed in Western Europe , particularly

445-543: A favorite among soldiers and popular in countries from various parts of the world after the war. The MP 40 was often called the "Schmeisser" by the Allies, after the weapon designer Hugo Schmeisser . Schmeisser had designed the MP 18 , which was the first mass-produced submachine gun. He did not, however, have anything to do with the design or development of the MP 40, although he held a patent on

534-425: A folding stock, and a faux- suppressor to meet barrel length import requirements. The 9mm variant is classified as a pistol and therefore does not ship with a folding stock. Both variants are closed-bolt , blowback-operated semi-automatic firearms that vary substantially from originally manufactured MP 40s in internal operation, making them more of an affordable cosmetic replica than a faithful reproduction. Neither of

623-463: A hard plastic Tenite cap designated T2 was adopted in November 1944 to fit over the feed lips of loaded magazines. These caps protected the feed lips while keeping out dirt, sand, and debris. Sometime during the 1960s the hard T2 plastic cap was replaced in service with one of pliant neoprene rubber, which could be removed with less noise. Unfortunately, during service in the humid climate of Vietnam it

712-496: A kit to convert the weapon's original .45 caliber to that of 9 mm Parabellum . The new designation for the 9 mm/.45 full-automatic-only weapon was the T20 . 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. In

801-437: 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. After new complaints were raised about accidental magazine releases and failure of

890-483: A replacement 9 mm Sten magazine of British manufacture. 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

979-404: 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

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1068-404: A small loop that were used to hold the bolt in the forward position. The MP 38 receiver was made of machined steel, but this was a time-consuming and expensive process. To save time and materials, and thus increase production, construction of the MP 40 receiver was simplified by using stamped steel and electro- spot welding as much as possible. The MP 38 also features longitudinal grooving on

1157-417: A smaller buttpad and shortened ejector. In 1941, Hugo Schmeisser designed the MP 41, which was, in reality, an MP 40 upper receiver with a lower receiver of an MP 28/II submachine gun. It saw limited service, however, and was issued only to SS and police units in 1944. The MP 41 was also supplied to Germany's Axis ally Romania. Later in 1941, rival company Erma Werke sued Haenel , at which Schmeisser

1246-508: A standard barrel out, the former made by Guide Lamp. It was also the initial submachine gun equipping the Delta Force (formed in 1977) who prized it for its impressively quiet performance when equipped with a suppressor. 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

1335-468: A standard cleaning kit containing a threaded cleaning rod, threaded jag and a container for the jag, lubricant and cleaning patches. The standard sling issued was made of leather, attached to the rear left receiver and left barrel-sleeve sling bars. The 36-round straight detachable staggered row box magazine is wider at the rear than at the front, the extra space allows the tapered 9mm Parabellum cartridges to feed more efficiently. The trapezium design makes

1424-452: A technical point of view: During World War II, the resistance and the Allies sometimes captured MP 40s to replace or supplement their own weapons. The MP 40 was used for several decades following World War II by many countries around the world in armed conflicts. Some found their way into guerrilla groups such as the Viet Cong or African guerrillas. Its operators have included: During

1513-437: 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. The benchmark for testing

1602-515: A weapon to rival the StG 44 which used an intermediate round . 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

1691-481: Is located between the magazine housing and the Margolit pistol grip. The barrel lacked any form of insulation, which often resulted in burns on the supporting hand if it was incorrectly positioned. The MP 40 also has a forward-folding metal stock, the first for a submachine gun, resulting in a shorter overall weapon when folded. However, this stock design was at times insufficiently durable for hard combat use. Although

1780-618: Is locked in place in the bolt-forward position by pushing the cocking handle inwards, engaging a hole in the lower left receiver wall. The Swedish Army list price of the Carl Gustaf m/45 in the late 1970s was around 600 Swedish kronor . The Carl Gustaf m/45 was replaced as main infantry weapon in the Swedish Armed Forces during the mid-1960s with the 7.62mm Automatkarbin 4 battle rifle, but remained in use for auxiliary troops like artillery gun crews, supply- and engineering troops and

1869-606: The 9×19mm Parabellum cartridge. It was developed in Nazi Germany and used extensively by the Axis powers during World War II . Designed in 1938 by Heinrich Vollmer with inspiration from its predecessor the MP 38, it was heavily used by infantrymen (particularly platoon and squad leaders), and by paratroopers , on the Eastern and Western Fronts as well as armoured fighting vehicle crews. Its advanced and modern features made it

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1958-654: The Allied occupation of Germany starting in 1945, U.S. servicemen shipped home thousands of captured firearms as war trophies , including MP 40s. This practice required proper registration of automatic weapons in accordance with the National Firearms Act before they could be imported, but this was curtailed later in the occupation, meaning a relatively small number of civilian-transferable original German MP 40s remain in circulation and are valued at around $ 20,000-37,500 as of 2021, with some selling for almost $ 50,000. After

2047-551: The Firearm Owners Protection Act in 1986. There are several semi-automatic variants and cosmetic replicas of the MP 40 available for civilian ownership in the U.S. Beginning in 2014, American Tactical Imports began importing an MP 40 replica manufactured by German Sporting Guns GmbH chambered in .22LR , and since 2016 has also imported a pistol variant chambered in 9mm . The .22LR variant features an all-metal construction with period-accurate Bakelite furniture,

2136-559: The German Army . It took design elements from Heinrich Vollmer 's VPM 1930 and EMP . Vollmer then worked on Berthold Geipel's MP 36 and in 1938 submitted a prototype to answer a request from the Heereswaffenamt (Army Weapons Office) for a new submachine gun, which was adopted as MP 38. The MP 38 was a simplification of the MP 36, and the MP 40 was a further simplification of the MP 38, with certain cost-saving alterations, most notably in

2225-651: The High Standard Firearms Company produced the internal components and assembled the weapon. The Bell Laboratories suppressor was estimated to be only 80% as efficient as the British suppressed STEN Mk IIS . 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. As such, replacement parts, weapon-specific tools, and sub-assemblies were not made available to unit-, depot-, or ordnance-level commands at

2314-570: The Port Said and the Akaba . The tooling needed for production, as well as technical assistance, was sold by Sweden to Egypt during the 1950s. The Port Said looks and functions exactly as the m/45 (first version while the Akaba is a modified and simplified version). The Akaba has no barrel jacket and a slightly shorter barrel and the folding butt stock has been replaced by a telescoping wire butt stock similar to

2403-601: The Revolutionary Coordinating Junta , a Cuban-backed far-left internationalist organization, established a clandestine military factory in Buenos Aires . Although it was easy to produce explosives, there was a severe lack of materials to make firearms. In order to revert this, a Bolivian engineer, nicknamed "Comrade N", aiming to design "a submachine gun with the characteristics of an Uzi , but easier to build and disassemble and using 9mm ammunition" came out with

2492-719: The Argentine Army during the Falkland Islands War with the United Kingdom in 1982, and captured examples were tested by British military forces. The Type 36 is a direct clone of the M3A1, manufactured in 1947 at the Shenyang Arsenal in Mukden. 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. Its parts are not interchangeable with

2581-547: 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. Though 25,000 kits were originally requested for procurement, this

2670-604: The GSG-manufactured variants are compatible with originally manufactured MP 40 parts and magazines. M3 submachine gun The M3 is an American .45-caliber submachine gun adopted by the U.S. Army on 12 December 1942, as the United States Submachine Gun, Cal. .45, M3 . 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

2759-818: 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 1942. 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 . 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

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2848-572: The Germans found themselves out-gunned in short range urban combat which caused a shift in their tactics, and by the end of the war the MP 40 and its derivatives were sometimes issued to entire assault platoons. Starting in 1943, the German military moved to replace both the Karabiner 98k rifle and MP 40 with the new, revolutionary StG 44 . By the end of World War II in 1945, an estimated 1.1 million MP 40s had been produced of all variants. During and after

2937-521: 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. Prototype chambered in .30 Carbine. The idea for the T29 was driven by logistical reasons and for

3026-570: The JCR-1. It was presented by the Argentinian People's Revolutionary Army through its newspaper Estrella Roja as a lightweight and concealable weapon. Approximately 5,000 units were manufactured, though only a few hundred could be assembled until the Argentine Army dismantled the factory in late 1975. MP 40 The MP 40 ( Maschinenpistole 40 ) is a submachine gun chambered for

3115-483: The Korean War. 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. In 1945,

3204-442: The M3 receiver was stamped in two halves that were then welded together. 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

3293-486: The M3's performance would be the M1928A1 Thompson. 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 1942 were altered to remove the semi-automatic fire function, as well as to permit installation of

3382-637: The M3A1 performed better with a suppressor than the MP5. Delta Force M3A1s were fitted with thumb safeties . During the Troubles, some of the M3A1s captured from the Provisional Irish Republican Army by British forces were equipped with suppressors. 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,

3471-415: The M3A1 was slightly lighter than the M3, at 8.15 pounds empty, primarily due to the simplified cocking mechanism. The M3A1 was formally approved for production on 21 December 1944. 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

3560-467: The MP 40 was generally reliable, a major weakness was its 32-round magazine. Unlike the double-column, staggered-feed magazine found on the Thompson M1921/1928 variants , the MP 40 uses a double-column, single-feed version. The single-feed insert resulted in increased friction against the remaining cartridges moving upwards towards the feed lips, occasionally resulting in feed failures; this problem

3649-403: The P.A.M. 1 was in essence a 7/8-scale replica of the U.S. weapon in 9 mm Parabellum caliber, but was lighter and had a higher rate of fire. This was due to an incomplete transfer of all details to Argentina. 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

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3738-564: The Thompson continued until February 1944. The M3 first entered combat service in the summer of 1944. 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

3827-423: The bolt on early MP 38s, but on late-production MP 38s and MP 40s, the bolt handle was made as a separate part. It also serves as a safety by pushing the head of the handle into one of two separate notches above the main opening; this action locks the bolt in either the cocked (rear) or uncocked (forward) position. The absence of this feature on early MP 38s resulted in field expedients such as leather harnesses with

3916-507: 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. The gun used metal stamping and pressing , spot welding and seam welding extensively in its construction, reducing

4005-494: The cocking handle/bolt retraction mechanism on some weapons. Similar reports later came from U.S. forces in Britain who were issued the M3. 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. As a result, several product improvements were incorporated into all new M3 production, including

4094-589: The commercial importation of complete machine guns was banned by the Gun Control Act of 1968 , MP 40 parts kits (the disassembled parts of the gun excluding the receiver tube) were imported and reassembled onto receivers manufactured in the United States by Charles Erb, Wilson Arms, and others. These remanufactured legally transferable machine guns, colloquially called "tube guns", are (depending on quality of construction and condition) generally valued at 50-75% of

4183-442: The end of World War II, and an additional 33,200 during the Korean War. 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

4272-634: The end of World War II, many MP 40s were captured or surrendered (upwards of 200,000) to the Allies and were then redistributed to the paramilitary and irregular forces of some developing countries. The Norwegian army withdrew the MP 38 from use in 1975 but used the MP 40 for some years more. In particular, the Territorials ( Heimevernet ) used it until about 1990, when it was replaced by the Heckler & Koch MP5 . The MP 40/I (sometimes erroneously called MP 40/II )

4361-657: The endurance test, the test weapon fired more than 5,000 rounds of brass-case ammunition, with only two failures to feed. 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. All four branches reported malfunctions caused by

4450-469: The event of dust, sand or mud ingress. The M3 features a spring-loaded extractor which is housed inside the bolt head, while the ejector is located in the trigger group. Like the British Sten, time and expense was saved by cold- swaging the M3's barrel. 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

4539-462: The expense of accuracy. The M3 was commonly referred to as the " Grease Gun " or simply " the Greaser ," owing to its visual similarity to the mechanic's tool . The M3 was intended as a replacement for the Thompson, and began to enter frontline service in mid-1944. By late-1944, the M3A1 variant was introduced, which also saw use in the Korean War and later conflicts. The M14 rifle , adopted in 1959,

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4628-522: The feed end of the magazine to keep out dust and other debris. Inland started development of the dust caps in May 1944, and they were formally adopted in November 1944. In December 1944, 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: At 7.95 pounds empty,

4717-404: The fixed day sights (f: protected post, r: L-type), a brass catcher for collecting spent cartridges (peacetime use only, for reloading and recycling), a quick-detachable (by attached cord) ejection port cover (painted bright red) for guard duty which secures the bolt from accidental firing, and a magazine loader that loads a magazine from a cartridge tray in seconds. The m/45 was also issued with

4806-402: The improved M3A1 configuration using additional new production parts. During the conversion, armorers frequently removed the M3 cocking handle, leaving the rest of the now-redundant cocking mechanism inside the subframe. 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

4895-447: The initial firing trials, no changes were made to the M3 magazine. Around one thousand M3 submachine guns in caliber 9 mm Parabellum were built by Guide Lamp. 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 1944. The 9mm M3 was also supplied to

4984-550: The like until starting in 1986 being replaced with the 5.56mm Ak 5 assault rifle. On 2 April 2007 the kpist m/45 was officially declared obsolete when it was retired from the Home Guard who were the last users in the Swedish Armed Forces. In addition to Sweden, several other countries have used the weapon, with versions of the weapon being produced in Egypt and the United States. The m/45 has been manufactured under license in Egypt as

5073-503: The m/45 magazine was also used for the magazines of the Czech model 23 and model 25 and the French MAS submachine guns. The m/45 has no safety switch. Instead the m/45 is put in "safe" by sliding the cocking handle into a short side-slot above the main (lock) slot. In the example US Army photograph, this short safety side-slot is visible behind the rear L-sight. When the m/45 is unloaded the bolt

5162-406: The magazine very reliable in dusty environments and sub-zero temperatures, because magazines of parallel-side design are more likely to jam under adverse conditions. The magazine was used post-war by Finland in the m/31 Suomi under the designation m/54, a distinguishing feature of the variation m/55 (made by Lapua) is a steel wire carrying loop mounted at the bottom front edge. The basic design idea of

5251-537: The magazine, mostly attributed to defective or jammed magazine followers. The T20 was formally approved by U.S. Army Ordnance for production at GM's Guide Lamp Division in Anderson, Indiana, in December 1942 as the U.S. Submachine Gun, Caliber .45, M3 . Guide Lamp produced 606,694 of the M3 variant submachine gun between 1943 and 1945. Although reports of malfunctions caused by the single-feed magazine design appeared during

5340-412: The magazine. The MP 40's variants included the MP 40/I and the MP 41. From 1940 to 1945, an estimated 1.1 million were produced by Erma Werke . The Maschinenpistole 40 ("Machine pistol 40") descended from its predecessor the MP 38, which was in turn based on the MP 36 , a prototype made of machined steel . The MP 36 was developed independently by Erma Werke 's Berthold Geipel with funding from

5429-421: The more extensive use of stamped steel rather than machined parts. The MP 40 submachine guns are open-bolt , blowback -operated automatic arms. The only mode of fire is automatic, but the relatively low rate of fire permits single shots with controlled trigger pulls. The bolt features a telescoping return spring guide which serves as a pneumatic recoil buffer. The cocking handle was permanently attached to

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5518-602: 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. A later production flash hider designated Hider, Flash M9

5607-639: The one used on the US M3A1 . The simplified sights of the Akaba were moved to the front (unprotected post) and back (protected peep) of the receiver. During the Vietnam War , the US Navy SEALs used the m/45 extensively. One of the gun's qualities which appealed to the US Navy was that the m/45 can fire almost immediately out of the water (over the beach). It also saw use by CIA operatives and advisers. In US service it

5696-401: The price of original German MP 40s, as they do not have their historical background. As such, they are commonly used for recreational range shooting and WW2 historical reenactments , because the associated wear and tear (within reasonable limits) will not significantly diminish their value, as it would on original collectible examples. Manufacture of new tube guns ceased following the passage of

5785-569: The prototype from Carl Gustafs Stads Gevärsfaktori was chosen for further development. The first production version was adopted in 1945 as the Kpist m/45. The Danish Hovea M/49 SMG , although similar in appearance, is not a version derived from the m/45. The Hovea was a development of the failed test contender (fm44) from Husqvarna. The standard m/45 is a fully-automatic-only weapon without any option for semi-automatic fire. It weighs 3.3 kg (7.3 lb) unloaded, and 4.2 kg (9.3 lb) loaded with

5874-434: 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. The M3's cocking handle assembly is located on the right-hand side of the receiver on the ejector housing, just forward and above

5963-498: The receiver and bolt, as well as a circular opening on the magazine housing. These features were eliminated on the MP 40. One feature found on most MP 38 and MP 40 submachine guns is an aluminum, steel, or Margolit (a variation of Bakelite ) resting bar under the barrel. This was used to steady the weapon when firing over the side of open-top armored personnel carriers such as the Sd.Kfz. 251 half-track . A handguard, also made of Margolit,

6052-429: 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. 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. In an effort to improve reliability,

6141-425: The service life of the weapon. 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. Plastic ( Tenite ) dust caps were later issued to cover

6230-443: 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. 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

6319-596: 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 1963. Colloquially referred to as La Engrasadora (the Greaser), 47,688 P.A.M. 1 and P.A.M. 2 submachine guns were produced between 1955 and 1972. A number of P.A.M. 1 and P.A.M. 2 submachine guns were used by

6408-475: The time of the M3's introduction to service. In 1944, 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. After its introduction to service, reports of unserviceability of the M3 commenced in February 1944 with stateside units in training, who reported early failure of

6497-505: The trigger before another round is cycled. The m/45 is fairly accurate up to 200 meters. Accessories include a special sub-calibre barrel (painted silver) for firing blanks and low-powered gallery ammunition. When firing blanks, a cone shaped blank firing adapter must be attached to the threaded muzzle of the sub-calibre barrel (and secured by a clip) to ensure the mechanism has adequate pressure for its blowback operation . Other accessories include night sights (wartime use only) that attach to

6586-400: 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

6675-437: The trigger, and consists of nine parts. 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). With

6764-474: 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. The M3/M3A1's 30-round magazine was the source of complaints throughout

6853-507: The underside of the weapon or the magazine housing with the supporting hand to avoid feed malfunctions. At the outbreak of World War II, the majority of German soldiers carried either Karabiner 98k rifles or MP 40s, both of which were regarded as the standard weapons of choice for an infantryman. However, later confrontations with Soviet troops such as the Battle of Stalingrad , where entire enemy units were armed with PPSh-41 submachine guns,

6942-513: The war. The M3 and M3A1 were largely withdrawn from U.S. frontline service beginning in 1959. But it continued to be issued until at least the 1991 Gulf War as equipment aboard armored vehicles, in particular the M60 tank (which was used by some United States National Guard units until 1997). In the Vietnam War, suppressed versions were made with removable barrels that can be installed after taking

7031-451: 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 1944. 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. The M3 submachine gun was suitable for issue to tank crews, drivers, and paratroopers because of its compact design. The M3

7120-535: Was Chief Designer, for patent infringement. Production subsequently ceased on the MP 41. The MP 38 and MP 40 also directly influenced the design of later weapons, including the Spanish Star Z45 , the Yugoslavian Zastava M56 , and the semi-automatic German Selbstladebüchse BD 38 replica. Details of the MP 40 have also been adopted in other submachine guns, which otherwise differ significantly from

7209-526: Was a modified version of the standard MP 40 with a dual side-by-side magazine holder (for a theoretical ammunition total of 64 rounds), designed for special operations troops on the Eastern Front to compensate for the Soviet PPSh-41's larger magazine capacity. However, the design proved unsuccessful due to weight and reliability issues. Authentic versions, in addition to the dual mag magazine well, also have

7298-456: 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 1944 in response to field requests for further improvements to the basic M3 design; 15,469 were produced before

7387-487: Was changed to a recommendation by the Ordnance Committee in December 1943 that only 500 9 mm conversion kits be obtained. Procurement was authorized in February 1944, but it is believed that only a limited number of kits were actually produced. 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

7476-403: Was discovered that the rubber cap caused rust to form on the covered portion of the magazine, while causing loaded ammunition to corrode. 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. During the Korean War, existing M3 guns in service were converted to

7565-409: Was exacerbated by the presence of dirt or other debris. Another problem was that the magazine was also sometimes misused as a handhold. This could cause the weapon to malfunction when hand pressure on the magazine body caused the magazine lips to move out of the line of feed, since the magazine well did not keep the magazine firmly locked. German soldiers were trained to grasp either the handguard on

7654-587: Was intended to replace the M3A1 (as well as the M1 Garand , M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle and the M1 carbine ) 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 1964, and this weapon and its subsequent shorter iterations ( XM-177 )(firing the intermediate 5.56×45mm NATO cartridge) was

7743-606: Was largely known as the "Swedish-K" or "K-Rifle". The US Navy was so impressed by the m/45 that when Sweden embargoed the export of weapons to the United States in 1966, Smith & Wesson was given the task of producing a copy. This was designated the Smith & Wesson M76 . However, by the time the M76 was ready for combat deployment, the US Navy interest had largely evaporated. Many of the m/45s used by US forces and agencies were devoid of markings, implying clandestine use ("sanitized"). In 1975,

7832-462: Was lengthened for the .30 carbine round with the dust cover acting as a safety. In 1954, 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 ). Constructed of somewhat thinner-gauge steel than the U.S. M3A1,

7921-419: 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. Projecting to

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