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CODE – 02-132-944

NAME – 9mm M3

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN – USA

DATE OF MANUFACTURE – 1944

CALIBER – 9x19mm

OVERALL LENGTH – 57.9 cm (22.8 in) Stock closed), 75.7 cm (29.8 in) Stock extended

BARREL LENGTH – 20.3 cm (8 in)

RIFLING (TYPE & TWIST) – 4 Grooves, Right hand twist 1 turn in

BULLET DIAMETER – 9.02 mm (0.355 in)

BULLET WEIGHT – 7.45 g (115 gr)

MUZZLE VELOCITY – 396 m/s (1300 fps)

MUZZLE ENERGY – 585 j (432 ft/lbs)

WEIGHT (EMPTY) – 3.63 kg (8 lbs)

WEIGHT (LOADED) – 4.23 kg (9 lbs 5.3 oz)

SIGHTS – Front sight – Blade, Rear sight – Peep, Set to 91 m (100 yds)

EFFECTIVE RANGE – 91 m (100 yds)

OPERATION – Blowback, fires from open bolt

TYPE OF FIRE – Full automatic

RATE OF FIRE – 96 rpm

CYCLIC ROF – 400 rpm

FEED DEVICE – 32 round box magazine, Double column, Single feed

FEED DEVICE WEIGHT (EMPTY) – 0.26 kg (9 oz)

FEED DEVICE WEIGHT (LOADED) – 0.60 kg (1 lb 5.2 oz)

BASIC LOAD – 6 magazines (192 rounds)

LOAD WT – 3.6 kg (7 lbs 15 oz)

MANUFACTURER – General Motors, Guide Lamp Division, Anderson, Indiana

STATUS – Obsolete

SERVICE – Produced for use by the OSS

     One of the requirements for what became the M3 submachinegun was that the design could be easily converted to fire 9x19mm ammunition, such as was being used by Great Britain and Germany. The actual conversion of the M3 to 9mm involved changing the bolt, inserting a magazine adapter, and changing the barrel assembly, Though the use of the magazine well adapter, the 9mm M3 utilized British Sten magazines.

     During initial production of the M3, approximately 1,000 weapons were produced chambered for the 9x19mm round. They were marked as such on the left side of the magazine well. To convert existing .45 Caliber M3 submachineguns to the 9mm version, a conversion kit was developed. Originally, 25,000 kits were ordered. Within a short time, that order was rescinded and only about 500 kits were actually produced in 1944.

The 9mm Conversion Kit Components were:

Bolt assembly C153425, 0.91 kg (2 lb)

Barrel Assembly C153435, 0.65 kg (1 lb 7 oz)

Adapter C153430.  Weight 0.03 kg (1.0 oz)

Adapter was made of 0.8 mm (0.030 in) thick spring steel and was inserted into the magazine well of the weapon. It allowed the use of the standard magazine release button and no other modifications were required to convert the M3 other than changing the bolt and the barrel assembly.

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