Are there really only 75 fully transferable M3 "Grease" guns?

[maxfaxdude]

Are there really only 75 fully transferable M3 "Grease" guns in the National Firearms Registation and Transfer Record???

 

Per the item description in a M3 grease Gunbroker auction here: https://www.gunbroker.com/item/936345346

 

That number seems too low, especially considering there are over 175,000 fully transferables in total.

 

And it's my understanding that even the ATF doesn't know the exact number of each "model" firearm in the registry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[John in IN]

Yeah I saw that and wondered the same thing. I don't know how many transferables there are , but I would think it's quite a bit higher than that.

Grease guns used to be so cheap to buy that I would have thought a lot of them would have been added to the registry.

 

John

[Blanksguy]

Number stated is low.......

[Rekraps]

I hope so! I own one.

 

Seriously, with about 175,000 transferable guns in GBs registry there had to be more.

[Got Uzi]

I'd love to know where these guys come up with their numbers as we have tried for years to get a soild count on Thompson's and what variation they are. I sold my last M3 and honestly don't miss it as I quit shooting it when it hit $25k in value (two years ago)

[Mike Hammer]

He must have just made up that number, obviously there are many more.

[Blanksguy]

......or possibly that "number" was bought with the gun (?).

 

Buyers sometimes take information when buying a gun as a "fact".......but possibly even BATF doesn't know (?).

[johnsonlmg41]

I've owned 5 over the years, so that number is way low. I've never seen the other 4 resurface publicly in over 15 years. I'd guess hundreds, but M3A1'S a lot less. Because of the "registry", no one will ever know.

[ppgcowboy]

Look, if I told you once, I have told you a million times, do not exaggerate.

[hawksnest]

Look, if I told you once, I have told you a million times, do not exaggerate.

 

 

Love it.

[Rekraps]

I just looked at the GB listing. EO dervif he meant only 75 M3's (not including M3A1's) in the registry. This still sounds odd.

 

Price up to $25K and if ever there was gun that is in used condition, this would be it.

[DZelenka]

I find it interesting that it is a 190k serial number but has not had the British magazine catch bar protector. Most, if not all of the M3s that I have seen in the 180k and 190k range have been Lend Lease guns. And yes, I saw the British proof stamp but that doesn't make it a lend lease. Only that it went through Britian at some point in its life.

 

Dan

[Blanksguy]

......or at least that barrel went through England (?).

[BRMCII]

Yes, in my experience, the M3s are by far the fewest of the two main transferable models of greasers in the NFRTR, and excluding Medea repops. Then there are the Ithaca's. Try finding a transferable registered Ithaca if you should want one. They are scarce.
No one that I know of has any idea of the actual numbers of these guns in the NFRTR, but maybe someday ATF/NFA will finish their MG type archive. They are working on it.

[John in IN]

M3 scarcer than M3A1? Not what I had thought from what I've seen come up for sale over the years.

 

John

[johnsonlmg41]

M3 scarcer than M3A1? Not what I had thought from what I've seen come up for sale over the years.

 

John

 

In my experience M3 transferables are at least 5:1 to M3A1's, maybe higher? Premay samples that number may be reversed? Lots more M3A1's I don't keep a mental note on Medea guns, but that may skew the numbers somewhat?

[John in IN]

That seems more in line with what I've noticed over the last few years. In my own case, when I was looking for an M3 it didn't take long to find one. When I wanted to add an M3A1 to the collection, it took a couple years to find one. That's for transferables, not pre-May's.

 

John

[maxfaxdude]

Always thought the fully transferable M3A1s were much rarer as well.

 

One source says:

M3: 606,694

M3A1: 48,669

Edited June 18, 2022 by maxfaxdude

[colt21a]

THERE ARE OVER 100 NOT reg.out there. wait maybe a 1,000.00 many outfits back when sold them for $50 to $100 bucks no receipts sometimes. and many put up with parts kits.no telling what came in from the 50's. early 60's. I remember the guy in Ill. who had hundreds of Thompsons buried on his prop. he went into Glock mags later. was a nice fella would do some ILLinois gun shows.

 

if we have 200 g on registry we have another 200 g not on it maybe more.

 

when ENGLAND AND AUSSIE LAND AND EVEN CANADA HAD THE GUN PROBLEMS,, what was destroyed and accounted for they had no idea. nobody has a clue what is out there in world, a guy says oh 75. that is it.

 

well 2 Ton Jones told me today he is sure its 146. we have played this numbers game now since 1934 right?

[BRMCII]

Yeah, not sure what to make of it with numbers of each type of greaser in the registry. In the 70s, 80s and later it seemed that there were hardly any transferable M3s since they just didn't show up. Lots of 3a1s though comparatively. They weren't particularly popular either until much later.
Production numbers really don't correlate especially with examples in the NFRTR. Good exmaple is Original AKs.
Although I don't know for sure, I believe greasers continue to be in reserve inventories for armor. This suggests that the greaser's in the NFRTR would mostly have had to have been bring backs.
There is no way to speculate with any accuracy how many of each are in the registry.
My guess that there are far fewer than people would estimate.

Medea's don't count. FWIW

[John in IN]

Just sold for $34,314. Good numbers for these things lately!

 

John

[Got Uzi]

Still less than he was trying for on Sturm. He should have gotten more since it was one of 75 lol

[michaelkih]

My good friend was actually the winner of that auction. He texted me right after he won. LOL

[Got Uzi]

Well if he needs any mags I still have some to sell

[yohuang]

The estimation of 75 is way too low. 750 M3 and M3A1 in the registry would make more sense. In comparison, maybe 7,500 Thompsons are in the registry.