The M3 "Grease Gun" (Weapon, 46)

Influenced by the German MP 40 and the British Sten, the .45­caliber M3 “Grease Gun" served as the primary U.S. submachine gun for almost a half century. Designed to replace the expensive Thompson SMG, the M3 was issued to airborne troops thanks to its compact design with sliding wire stock, also being favored by armored crews right up to 1991's Operation Desert Storm.

In Korea and Vietnam, reconnaissance troops and special-operations forces were at times armed with the M3A1--also available in a suppressed version--and it was the first SMG issued to the US counter-terrorist unit Delta Force. Featuring full-color artwork, firsthand accounts, and archive and close-up photographs, this is the engaging story of the M3 submachine gun.