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“Grease Gun”

Here are the similarities Between the Valkyrie Arms M3A1 carbine and M3A1 submachine gun.

1. Rugged construction, no alloys or plastic here, the M3A1 carbine is all steel and is a tough customer.

2. Blow back operation, this simple mechanism allows for a minimum of parts and operation similar to the M3A1 submachine gun open bolt design.

3. Simple operation, the safety is located on the left side of the receiver, the bolt retracts with the finger cut out in the bolt. This cocking procedure takes getting used to and requires average finger strength.

4. Same G.I. front and rear sights, fixed and welded into place just like the M3A1 submachine gun. A front single blade with no ears, the rear is a 1/8th inch aperture.

5. Same “feel” as the M3A1 submachine gun. The balance and handling characteristics are almost the same. The 16” barrel is not as awkward as it looks. Uses the same excellent and rugged 30 round magazines. Each carbine comes with three 30 round magazines; G.I. surplus magazines can be had for about $10 apiece from a variety of sources.

6. An optional fake suppressor barrel gives the look and feel of the suppressed M3A1 submachine Gun. This is nice to have as an accessory as it gives the carbine an authentic look. An 8” inch dummy (display) barrel is available from Valkyrie Arms.

7. The same time proven 45 ACP cartridge, 230 gr. round nose FMJ.

The same G.I. sights are used on the carbine as on the submachine gun. The front is a post with no protective ears. The rear is a 1/8th inch aperture. These are non-adjustable and welded on the receiver.

How does it shoot?
There were two malfunctions in 250 rounds fired, BOTH WERE SHOOTER INDUCED. I failed to seat the magazine far enough in the well and the bolt just made contact with the top cartridge, causing it to jam. This occurred with both types of ammunition tested. As the magazines broke in, this did not happen again.

Immediate action was simple, remove the magazine and insert finger into the cut out on the bolt and pull it to the rear. The jammed cartridge falls away, reinsert the magazine, let the bolt go forward and the carbine is ready to fire. As with any blow back design, the bolt is heavy and the springs are strong. Any cartridge or empty case that jams usually gets crushed.

Ammunition for the test was 230 gr. FMJ from Winchester, and 230 gr. FMJ CCI Blazer. Surprisingly, the carbine fired the blazer without a hitch. I didn’t try hollow point or hand loaded ammunition. This carbine was clearly designed to emulate the M3A1 Submachine Gun so I used service type 230 gr. FMJ loads. I was disappointed that some Wolf 230 grain steel cased 45 ACP ammunition did not arrive in time for the review. I thought Blazer might give problems but that was not the case. Empty cases ejected to the right rear. The carbine was reliable from the start. Except for the magazines, it did not require a break in period.

The magazine change was difficult. Magazines were difficult to insert and remove from the carbine requiring significant force for each operation. As time went on three magazines “broke in” and were much easier to insert and remove. Others will require the use of some fine sand paper to polish up some surfaces to work properly. This is not an AR-15, the magazines must be pulled out, and they do not drop free. Also 4 to 6 loaded magazines are heavy to carry around. That’s 120 to 180 rounds of 45. ACP cartridges.

At 25 meters, the carbine hits about 3 inches below the point of aim. This could be easily corrected by filing the front sight. On man size targets this did not create a problem. The trigger pull was excellent for this type of weapon. I expected a horrible trigger pull, but the M3A1 carbine was a joy. It was much lighter, and while not crisp, better than I expected. Offhand groups of “2.5 inches were common. I was shooting on an overcast, blustery day. Given the conditions, this was good accuracy. I was impressed by the amount of aimed rapid fire the carbine would produce.

The good trigger pull made rapid-fire strings easy to control and accurate. Needless to say the recoil and muzzle blast are almost nonexistent. It’s easy to empty magazines with the carbine. The carbine does not have a bolt hold open device after the last shot. The shooter knows the M3A1 carbine is empty when he hears a click. I really don’t like that is a serious weapon, but it’s not uncommon, the AK and HK series rifles don’t have bolt hold open devices either.

The 30 round magazine acts as a monopod when firing from the prone position of the bench. That really didn’t bother me as the .45 carbine is really a weapon that one doesn’t fire for accuracy from a bench or prone. It seems to excel when it is fired kneeling from behind a tree or some other cover. For those who enjoy such things, the carbine points well from the hip and is easy to fire in that mode. Make no mistake; this carbine is fun to shoot.

It also attracts a lot of attention at the range. Since it has not been widely advertised or publicized, many shooters are curious about the carbine. Its lines were recognizable by weapons buffs and former servicemen.

The carbine is field stripped into its major components.

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