Just curious how widely used was the American grease gun in WWII...not a gun expert by no means. I believe it was supposed to be an update to the Thompson submachine gun but I've read where it had problems and never really fit the bill well. Was the German version, I believe it was the MP42, better and did they have the concept before the Americans?
I don't think it was an "update" to the Thompson, but rather a low-cost alternative for use by men in vehicles and the like, due to his compact build. Anecdotal evidences against it. I have a good friend who declined carrying the M3 during the war because he said that it looked cheap and he did not trust it to function when it was most needed. He said it was hard to aim and hold on target.
While it is sometimes difficult to find former threads about specific "things", there is a pretty decent one on this smg from a while back. It covered many of its flaws as well as strengths. The most attractive part of the M3 was its low cost, and ease of manufacture. It remained in service for many years post war, and I believe (I could be wrong) it is still available to certain sections of the American military. For that old thread, Goto: http://www.ww2f.com/small-arms-edged-weapons/32527-m3a1-grease-gun.html#top
Thanks for the info...I am family practice doc and I have a patient who was one of the "bastards" of Bastogne and he told me it wasn't very accurate..fired high so you had to "walk" the fire into the target. I am fascinated by the stories of the WW II vets and the hardship they overcame. I retired from Army 6 years ago and spent 4 months as doc in Iraq and can only imagine what it must have been like in the WW II years to serve 2 or 3 years as your tour of duty! I salute all the WWII vets here and everywhere!
i have fired a post war grease gun as my battalion's service battery had several in their weapons room, it sucked trying to keep it on a target at 25 meters.
