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Small arms1943–present
Submachine gun
M3 submachine gun is a submachine gun originating in United States. It was built by General Motors , others. Reported operators include Bolivia, Burundi, Cuba, Ecuador, Grenada, Guatemala, Haiti, Indonesia, North Korea, North Macedonia, Morocco, Paraguay, Philippines, Thailand, Turkey.
United StatesSubmachine gun
United States
1943–present
See Users
World War II Chinese Civil War Greek Civil War Indonesian National Revolution First Indochina War Korean War Cuban Revolution Algerian War Bay of Pigs Invasion Vietnam War The Troubles Laotian Civil War Malayan Emergency Sino-Indian War Communist insurgency in Malaysia (1968–1989) Papua Conflict Rhodesian Bush War Cambodian Civil War Turkish invasion of Cyprus Shaba II Cambodian–Vietnamese War Sino-Vietnamese War Nicaraguan Revolution Salvadoran Civil War Argentine Dirty War Falklands War Soviet–Afghan War Iran–Iraq War Persian Gulf War Moro conflict Burundi Civil War Kosovo War First Ambon riots War in Afghanistan Iraq War Syrian Civil War
George Hyde
1942
General Motors , others
Approx. US$ 20 (1943; equivalent to $279 in 2025)
1943–1945; early 1950s
Total: 655,363 M3: 606,694 M3A1: 48,669
M3A1 PAM1 PAM2 T29
M3 (empty): 8.15 lb (3.70 kg) M3A1 (empty): 7.95 lb (3.61 kg)
29.1 in (740 mm) stock extended / 21.9 in (556.3 mm) stock collapsed
8 in (203.2 mm)
.45 ACP (11.43×23 mm) 9×19mm Parabellum .30 Carbine (7.62×33mm)
Blowback , open bolt
450 rounds/min cyclic (= 7 1 ⁄ 2 / second)
900 ft/s (274 m/s)
Sights fixed to 100 yards (91 m)
30-round or 32-round detachable box magazines
Fixed rear peep sight and blade foresight, calibrated to 100 yards for caliber .45 M1911 ball ammunition
Bolivia
Burundi : Burundian rebels
Cuba
Ecuador
Grenada
Guatemala
Haiti
Indonesia : Obtained from Royal Netherlands East Indies Army after Indonesian independence.
North Korea : Used by spies infiltrating South Korea.
North Macedonia : 707 surplus M3 submachine guns were transferred to Macedonia in 1999.
Morocco : 1,472 surplus M3A1 submachine guns were transferred to Morocco in the 1990s.
Paraguay
Philippines : Had their M3 submachine guns released from reserve stockpiles by the Philippine Navy due to budget constraints. Modifications done on the refurbished weapons include an integral suppressor and a Picatinny rail . The weapon had been tested with a prototype in May 2004. They are known as M3 SpecOps Generation 2. Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) requisitioned M3 from the Philippine Navy has a Simmons red dot optical sight on picatinny rail, integral suppressor and a modified magazine to reduce jamming issues.
Thailand : Used by Royal Thai Air Force.
Turkey
Austria : 623 pieces used by the Austrian Armed Forces . Returned to the USA under the MAP agreement.
Brazil
People's Republic of China : Captured and used in the Korean War by Chinese PVA soldiers.
France : Used during World War II by the Free French forces and during the Indochina and Algerian War
Greece : Used by the Greek armed forces during World War II and the post-World War II period.
Italian Partisans : Supplied with .45 ACP and 9 mm versions.
Japan : Used by the JSDF until the adoption of the Minebea PM-9 . Known to be used by JGSDF tank crews as a personal defense weapon. All guns retired by 2011.
Kingdom of Laos : Received by the US Government during the Vietnam War 1955–1975.
Republic of China : Lend-Leased to the National Revolutionary Army , along with the Thompson, to replace the outdated Chinese copies of the MP 18 and MP 28 submachine guns used during the Second Sino-Japanese War and the early years of the Chinese Civil War . Copies made as the Type 36 and Type 37 which the number were named after the Chinese Republican Calendar
South Korea : The Army received 748 M3s before the Korean War . The M3 in service with the Army reached 4,565 (December 1950), 7,350 (December 1951), 23,311 (December 1952), and 39,626 (27 July 1953) units. Later used by Special Warfare Command until replaced by K1A SMG .
Iran : Used by the Iranian Imperial Guard.
North Vietnam : Used by Viet Cong and Viet Minh .
South Vietnam
Norway : 9 mm variant supplied to the Norwegian resistance during World War II by the OSS (along with the United Defense M42 submachine gun).
Soviet Union
United Kingdom : In use by British 78th Division after November 1944 and later used by soldiers of 41 Commando in Korea
Reference text from Wikipedia contributors, used under CC BY-SA 4.0.
True scale
Sourced dimensions beside a 1.75 m human reference.
Points represent sourced observations, including revisions. Revisions on the same effective date are not separate inventory events. Ranges appear in the table and are not plotted as exact points.
| Observation / report period | Value | Source | Claim state |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Oct 2026 | 0.74 m | Wikipedia contributors | superseded |
| 1 Oct 2026 | 0.74 m | Wikipedia contributors | approved |
M3 submachine gun equipment records. Variants, orders and quantities are shown as reported in each inventory source; coverage is incomplete.
Bolivia
Burundi
Cuba
Ecuador
Grenada
Guatemala
Haiti
Indonesia
Morocco
North Korea
North Macedonia
Paraguay
Philippines
Thailand
TürkiyeBolivia, Burundi, Cuba, Ecuador, Grenada, Guatemala, Haiti, Indonesia, North Korea, North Macedonia, Morocco, Paraguay, Philippines, Thailand, Turkey
Equipment reference ↗