Snow Wolf SW-06 M3A1 Grease Gun AEG; Full Metal

The Grease Gun entered service with the US Army in late 1942 but served through the Korean War and Vietnam right up until the 1991 Gulf War in the hands of tank crews who needed something more compact than a standard service rifle when bobbing in and out of tank hatches. Known for its relative reliability and favoured by Special Forces for the ease of suppressing the .45 ACP cartridge, the Grease Gun may be a stamped steel t00b gun, but it was far more well liked than its cousin across the pond, the STEN.

The M3A1 Grease Gun was named for its looks, mimicking the grease guns issued to tank crews in WWII thanks to its super simple utilitarian design, and though there may not be much thought put into ergonomics with this design the priority was to design an SMG that can be rapidly built in the millions for practically nothing compared to the SMG it replaced in service, the M1A1 Thompson.

Starting at the tip of the 8-inch alloy outer barrel we can find a smooth and straight barrel profile, leading back to the knurled barrel nut at the front of the receiver. The Grease Gun does not have a threaded barrel as the real steel suppressor for the Grease Gun attaches in place of the barrel itself.

Other than complete disassembly there is little reason to do it, but as a nod to realism the Snow Wolf Grease Gun barrel is removable in the exact same way the real one is; by pulling the steel retention tab at the front of the magazine well down and away from the knurled section of the barrel and unscrewing it. There are no aftermarket suppressors for the Grease Gun that we are aware of but using realistic barrel disassembly leaves options open for the more technically inclined.

At the front of the receiver, we are greeted with an authentic looking weld bead, adding to the overall look of the Grease Gun and avoiding tell-tale signs that this is a replica and not the real deal. The magazine well is positioned at the front of the receiver on the bottom, right where it should be (sorry STEN!). The magazine release is on the left side and sits right beneath the thumb if you grip the Grease Gun by the magazine well, making for easy reloads with little chance of accidentally dropping the magazine thanks to the mag release's protective fence.

The receiver itself is tubular as is the case with almost all generation 2 submachine guns, and has a pair of sling bars welded to the left side of the tube, ideally placed for an M1 Carbine/M3 Grease Gun replica sling, or any other two point sling if you are less concerned with authenticity. The top of the receiver features the Grease Gun's aperture iron sights which are fixed and welded in place.

The sights aren't the best, but for a weapon that is intended for close-range combat they are more than adequate, and the same goes for Airsoft simulated combat. The front sight is a straight blade which is unprotected but substantial in size to eliminate the chance of knocking the sights off if the gun is dropped or bumped against an obstacle. The rear sight is a fine aperture which is great for short to medium range, giving more instinctive aiming qualities than open sights found on earlier SMGs.

On the right side of the receiver tube we also have the mock ejection port, complete with a massive steel dust cover which can be opened by hand. With the dust cover open you can pull back the mock bolt using the recesses in its design, revealing the slider adjustable HOP-up unit inside. The slider is derived from the AK style HOP-up which is a great design, but the M3A1 HOP-up unit is unique to this SMG. The HOP-up rubber and nub are fully compatible with aftermarket alternatives for AEGs, which is great news for those who like to add range and accuracy upgrades.

The lower section of the receiver includes the pistol grip and steel trigger guard but is otherwise relatively featureless, save for the plate which covers the trigger mechanism in the real SMG. There is no semi-automatic function on the Grease Gun, and the same goes for the real thing which was limited to full auto fire to keep things simple. To make the SMG safe, close the hinged dust cover and to unleash heck on Jerry, open it up again. 

The pistol grip is part of the stamped steel body and has texture to give it some grip and keep the Grease Gun from slipping from your grasp in wet weather. The trigger guard is made from stamped sheet steel and provides plenty of room for gloved users, and the trigger is a solid wedge-style trigger, just like the real deal. The trigger has a nice feel thanks to the microswitch trigger internals which give a nice click when the trigger is pressed, making for a refreshing departure from the usual feeling-less AEG trigger. The microswitch also gives a cracking response, helps improve electrical efficiency and eliminates the corrosion which inevitably forms on conventional copper contacts from use, which should extend the lifespan of the Snow Wolf Grease Gun considerably.

At the base of the pistol grip, you will find a hexagonal nut with a knurled top which provides access to the battery compartment inside the pistol grip. The nut is in fact not a nut, it is instead a sliding catch disguised as a nut. To access the battery compartment you will need to pull this nut/catch rearward and the baseplate will come off, revealing the mini-Tamiya battery connector inside. The battery compartment is quite limited, but should fit small 7.4V LiPo stick batteries for PDW style M4 stocks, and should also fit 8.4V small NiMH block batteries. Depth-wise, you have slightly less than 11cm to work with.

Just above the pistol grip on the right side, we can find a protruding button which can be pressed to extend the steel sliding stock. Pressing the button and pulling the stock out will lock it into place, and just like the real thing, the stock has two adjustment positions; fully collapsed or extended. The stock also has a steel hook arrangement welded between the stock bars which functions as a loading tool for the real Grease Gun magazines which were reportedly very hard to load by hand. This won't be of much use for Airsoft purposes but is nonetheless an essential part of a realistic Grease Gun, signalling the "waste not, want not" design concept of the original SMG.

Internally, the Snow Wolf M3A1 has a unique gearbox shell style to facilitate its unconventional shape, but is compatible with M4 style nozzles, version 2/3 pistons and uses the long shaft motor type. The trigger is a microswitch type, meaning no need to worry about conventional contacts developing corrosion and requiring replacement. The HOP-up unit is also unique but is compatible with standard AEG inner barrels, HOP-up rubbers and nubs. The best internal feature of the Grease Gun is by far its electro-mechanical blowback system which cycles the mock bolt with each shot, giving off a metal on metal "clank clank clank" to drown out the distinctive AEG muzzle report. The EBB doesn't really provide much recoil but does make the Grease Gun a thrill to shoot, especially if you are accustomed to the usual AEG experience.

So, if you are a WWII reenactor or you have a taste for the classics, your collection is not complete without a Grease Gun! The Snow Wolf example is one of the best replicas on the market, and is considerately designed without the need for any weird stuff like battery in mag configurations, and doesn't stray so far from the usual AEG internal set up that it cannot be upgraded for those who seek the absolute best performance!

Features

• Full metal construction
• Micro-switch trigger system
• Slider adjustable HOP-up unit - Behind mock bolt
• Dust cover functions as a safety - Closed is safe, open is fire
• Steel sling bars on the left side of the receiver - Ready for replica M1 Carbine/Grease gun replica sling or two point
• 2 Position sliding stock - Adjustment button on the right side of the stock base
• Battery compartment inside the pistol grip - Push the nut rearward and the baseplate will pop off
• Battery space limited - Recommended battery 7.4V LiPo short stick type (under 10cm overall length)
• Knurled barrel nut with quick removable barrel - Pull the steel retention tab down and unscrew
• Magazine release on the left side of the magwell - Perfect for easy access using magwell grip
• Unique gearbox type - M4 AEG Nozzle, V2/V3 Piston, Long shaft motor
• Aperture iron sights - Low profile sights, detailed weld and mock weld beads
• Mock loading tool on the stock - Just like the real thing
• Spare magazines: 520rnd High-cap mag | 130rnd Mid-cap mag

Package Includes

• Snow Wolf M3A1 Grease Gun SMG AEG
• 450rnd High-capacity magazine
• User manual