Grease was the Word – the M3 Grease Gun

Am Shooting Journal ^ | 9/15/2017 | R Reed

[yarddog]

That guy just plain out looks tough.

Having read the info, he was one heck of a soldier.

[archy]

A Swedish K if I remember correctly. L

Not quite. The Swedism m/45b *k'pist* didn't appear on the world's scene until 1945, per its design nomenclature, and didn't get its first real use in combat until Swedish UN *peacekeeping* troops had a few rounds fired their way in Africa during the Congo and other assorted uprisings.

Mr. Häyhä used the excellent little Tikkakoska m/31, which made such an impression on the Soviet recipients of its affection that their leaders included elements of its dfesign in the specifications for Shpagin's PPSh-41, the notorious *burp gun* of the Korean War, aka *kugelspritz [bullet hose] to the Germans on its receiving end on the Eastern Front. The 71-round drums used by both likely had a lot to do with their popularity; changing magazines of 30 rounds or thereabouts every four or five seconds is no fun task, and at night the muzzle flash can very easily get a grenmade pictched your way. Usually called a *Suomi* in this country, the name simply means *Finnish,* in Finnish. Finnish shooters, my late pal Pete Kekkonen among them, sometimes called the kp/31 The Tikkakoski mowing machine.* In the US, we'd say *The Reaper.*

Simo Häyhä is the little guy with the Finnish M28-30 rifle with the German Ajack scope; his pals are carrying a couple of PPSh smgs that their previous owners didn't need any more.

[archy]

Carried one for a while. Damned boat anchor when carrying six mags. Good brush chopper and never had a failure.

As a tanker, I carried fifteen. Used a stateside buttpack with all the dangle straps cut off it, and a carry sling clipped onto the gromets where the suspender straps were supposed to go.

Mine worked, always, even in monsoon constant drizzle when lube oil wouldn't stay on a rifle for more than an hour or two. Worst problems I ever had was ripping the sling swivel off one carrying it by the sling [same as an M1 carbine sling] on a parachute jump; after that I taped it across the top of my reserve chute. The other little *problem* was that the riveted-on stud on the ejection port cover that blocked the bolt and thereby served as a safety could shear off, and folks got sorta nervous about a fella who carried his M3A1 with the cover open all the time.

[archy]

Hah, I forgot about loading the mags. That would give you a blister on your thumb in no time.

There's a loader built onto the stock on ban M3A1 to save your thumb. Works just fine.

You push that little L-shaped hook just forward of the *buttplate* down on the top round in a mag, and it presses the top round down just enough to drop in another. And it saves your thumb.

The stock can be useful for other things too: it serves as a wrench for the barrel if it's carbon-frozen onto the receiver. And it can be used in other ways, too, ask Skip.

[archy]

Something which I always wondered about is Simo Hayha the Finnish sniper’s favorite gun was a Swedish made submachine gun. That guy was the Lauri Törni aka Larry Thorne.

The late Captain Thorne was notorious for throwing on an NCO's field jacket and giving the troops getting foreign weapons familiarization training the session on the Russian PPS-43 *Sudayev* SMG. Mostly, but not entirely, in English.*German and Danish, with a working knowledge of English...* about 2:00 minutes in] author Robin Moore, who happily recounted several of CPT Thorne's war stories in the book and passed 'em along in the movie, with CPT Thorne rena med *Sven Kornie.*

[x1stcav]

I don’t remember that l-shaped adapter on mine. Got to find some of the old photos. That would’ve taken a lot of the drama out of recharging the mags.

[Lurker]

I can always count on you for facts.

Thank you!

L

[Viiksitimali]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yv04zcD7hlo&t=1m17s
Phantom Fighters. USA Special Forces training.

This “Big Picture” feature was produced 1962 and runs for about 28 minutes. It was filmed with members of the 10th Special Forces Group, then stationed in Bad Toelz, Germany. Featured in the film is then 1st Lieutenant Larry Thorne, a native of Finland who had fought against the Soviets during World War II.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yv04zcD7hlo&t=1m17s

[archy]

I don’t remember that l-shaped adapter on mine. Got to find some of the old photos. That would’ve taken a lot of the drama out of recharging the mags.

The earlier WWII production M3 versions [with the crank cocking handle] didn't have it, it was added to the new and improved version around 1945. We had both types in our platoon, tried to standard at least inside each tank, and whenever we sent a gun back to ordnance for rebuild, the newer barrel and stock came off and went on one of our older guns.

[archy]

Featured in the film is then 1st Lieutenant Larry Thorne, a native of Finland who had fought against the Soviets during World War II.

Kitti, kaveri!

A brief bio from a while back *here*

Last known pic of CPT Thorne on ops before his last helicopter ride. He's the one on the left, apparently carrying an M1903 Springfield rifle, sometimes used by indig troops and tribesmen on our side.

There's a story about him hauling an M1 Garand and a couple of bandoliers of blank ammo during a field exercise, then turning in all the ammo he'd been issued except four rounds. Don't like to clean your rifle, asked the armory sergeant. Nah, replied then enlisted rifleman PFC Thorne. I only saw four guys....