My New M3

[jim/boston]

I finally got my Form 5 back from ATFE and took possession of my DEWAT M3. It was lightly DEWATTED with a couple of tack welds; shouldn't be too bad to REWAT. The finish is a bit rough showing plenty of use; the old guy I bought it from paid 29.99 for in 1961 and treated it as such. He told me it bounced around on his workbench for most of that time. The wire stock has a bend in it making it difficult to retract or push in...I saw a couple of posts looking for a stock..any leads as to where I might find a replacement? What are your thoughts about a refinish? Once I get my Form 4 back and can REWAT I'll have a better idea as to what I might need as far as parts go..right now I'm just trying to look ahead. I see IMA has parts kits for about 400.00; has anyone here bought one and have any feedback as to condition? thanks for your input. Jim

[jim c 351]

Jim,

I think you have a really nice M3. The rust doesn't look all that bad. Just surface rust. Once its sandblasted you will never see it. You could have it parkerized or just spray paint it flat black with rustoleum stove paint. This is what the British did

A person with a vise, lead hammer and a good eye should be able to straighten the stock.

Haven't bought a kit from IMA. Just call them and ask a lot of questions.

I bought most of my spare M3 parts on www.gunbroker.com. look under M3 grease gun.

Jim C

[emmagee1917]

Very nice . I don't know if I'd bother or leave it as is. I guess I'd wait and see how it looked after reactivation . Is that a flat I see on the bbl nut ? If so , that's a M3A1 bbl assmly. If so , I'd wait till I had a M3 bbl assmly to refinish and make it all match .

Chris

[Mike Hammer]

Jim: Are you certain IMA has greasegun kits? All I saw for sale was a dummy gun made out of resin. I would leave the finish as is. It's a little worn but it appears original. As Jim C. mentioned the wire stock with a little careful work can be made to fit. Replacement stocks are very hard to find nowadays. This is a fully-tranferable gun? If I might ask what kind of price were we looking at here?

 

Mike Hammer

[timkel]

Nice score!....

Rewat, sandblast and repark, it will look like new.

Try Sarco for the stock.

[Mike Hammer]

Sarco hasn't had M3 stocks for ages,they only have 1 part for the M3, a bolt. There was another member looking for a stock some months back and I don't believe he would of found one if I would not have sold him a spare that I had. If you do find one please let us know.

 

Mike Hammer

 

 

[timkel]

Sarco hasn't had M3 stocks for ages,they only have 1 part for the M3, a bolt. There was another member looking for a stock some months back and I don't believe he would of found one if I would not have sold him a spare that I had. If you do find one please let us know.

 

Mike Hammer

If they are that hard to find, just straighten the one you have.

[jim/boston]

Jim: Are you certain IMA has greasegun kits? All I saw for sale was a dummy gun made out of resin. I would leave the finish as is. It's a little worn but it appears original. As Jim C. mentioned the wire stock with a little careful work can be made to fit. Replacement stocks are very hard to find nowadays. This is a fully-tranferable gun? If I might ask what kind of price were we looking at here?

 

Mike Hammer

 

mike,

When I googled "m3 greasegun parts" it returned the IMA pages showing parts kits for 399.00. Upon going to their current website I don't see it either...it must have been an older web posting. Yes, my M3 it a fully transferable C&R submachinegun. The old fella I got it from was willing to give it to me to 'get it out of his house' but we managed to come to terms that were agreeable to both of us. I consider myself to be very lucky and the gentleman to be very generous. I did remove the wire stock and after a bit of gentle persuading it works much better with just a bit of binding. The barrel nut does have flats on it; I'll add it to my parts I'm searching for. Thanks to all for all your replies and assistance. jim

[AlexanderA]

The finish on yours doesn't look half bad. My M3 was a British Lend-Lease gun, and when I got it, it had that awful black paint finish. I had it stripped and reparkerized. Two worthwhile "improvements" from the M3A1, which are direct drop-in replacements, are the barrel (with the flats) and the wire stock (which has a built-in mag loader). The stock can be used on the barrel flats as a wrench. Obviously you should keep the original parts, for originality if you ever go to sell it. I notice your gun doesn't have the guard around the magazine release, another worthwhile addition.

[billatlanta]

I like it! Looks like a perfect shooter to me, trouble is that

when you get one restored to perfection - you'll be overly cautious

not to get the first scratch or rub on it. I purchased my M3 from Bob

Landies at Ohio Ordance in the late 80's, was an amnisty gun, looked

mint (may have been restored to perfection and nos parts.)

I let numerous people shoot it at events, and I enjoy it for it's

uniqueness, one of my favorites, still maybe 98%, and 100%

reliable, I preload about 25 mags and run them. hasn't misfired

or jammed yet. It's my buddy, so I sometimes take it for a ride

behind the front seat in my SUV.

I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

Bill

[nirvana]

From the pics, I don't see where it needs to be refinished at all. Nice find.

[Edo]

Greetings to all you guys who fancy the Grease gun, especially Timkel. I'm the lucky guy who got the M3 stock from you some time ago. I finished my project soon after you sent me that part and my wife (who really likes how the slow cycle runs) took many turns shooting it at the Knob Creek Shoot a few times ago. Without Tim's help I think I would still be looking for a stock. Now that I've got some sucessful projects under my belt I might just try to bend one up if the need arises. There are prints available out there (I just found mine rolled up on my work bench the other day. I would like to try my hand at building a .45 can Liberator and wonder if anyone out there has any bits and pieces for sale. Good luck on finding that stock. When I was looking for mine I called Machine Gun Dave and tried to talk him out of some parts off his company's one remaining complete Grease Gun. No go for that idea...

 

 

Edo

[smkummer]

I have an extra magazine guard somewhere around here. Its $5 shipped if I can find it. I am sure I didn't pay more than that at the creek for it. You will want that part as sometimes when firing the gun the mag will just fall out of the gun as the release can get bump when firing. Oh and congrats on a truely nice classic weapon. I also believe I have an extra extractor pin removal tool. This was the only special tool for the grease gun and allows the pin to be removed so the extractor can be removed for cleaning. I will have to look. Edited September 3, 2012 by smkummer

[Mike Hammer]

Gee Ed, you've forgotten already that it was I who sold you the Grease Gun stock, geez now you really hurt my feelings. come here Velda and make the Hammer feel better...

 

Mike Hammer

 

Edited March 5, 2023 by Mike Hammer