![3-inch M3 anti-aircraft gun file photo [6399] 3-inch M3 anti-aircraft gun file photo [6399]](/images/weapon_3inm3_1.jpg)



3 in M3 Anti-Aircraft Gun
Country of Origin | United States |
Type | Anti-Aircraft Gun |
Weight | 5534.000 kg |
Ammunition Weight | 5.80 kg |
Ceiling | 8.504 km |
Muzzle Velocity | 853 m/s |
Contributor: C. Peter Chen
ww2dbaseThe 3-inch M1917 and 3-inch M1918 anti-aircraft guns were the United States' first dedicated anti-aircraft weapons. In the late 1920s, they were fitted with removable barrel liners and redesignated 3-inch M1, M2, or M3 guns, depending on the variant design that they were upgraded from; the M3 variant were the most numerous. Efforts to further upgrade the design took place in the 1930s, but ultimately these projects would be canceled in 1938 as the 90-millimeter M3 gun rendered this WW1-era design obsolete. Nevertheless, as war loomed near, the United States Army looked to bolster its forces any way it could, and these weapons remained in active service. In Sep 1940, a project was started to adapt the 3-inch M3 anti-aircraft guns into anti-tank weapons. This was achieved by marrying the T9 variant design of the 3-inch M3 weapons with the breech, recoil system, and carriage of the 105-millimeter M2 howitzer design. Accepted for service, they were re-designated the 90-millimeter M3 anti-tank guns and were mounted on various types of tanks and self-propelled guns. Many of the 3-inch M3 guns also remained in use during WW2 without conversion, deployed in forward areas mainly for anti-aircraft defense of bases and airfields.Source: Wikipedia. ww2dbase
Last Major Revision: Jul 2010
3 in M3 Anti-Aircraft Gun Interactive Map
Photographs
![]() | ![]() |
Please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 per month will go a long way! Thank you. Please help us spread the word: Stay updated with WW2DB: |
Search WW2DB

News
- » US State Lawmaker John Winter Caught Using Racial Slur "Jap" Before Visiting Internment Camp Site (11 Jun 2025)
- » Köln/Cologne Evacuated After Discovery of WW2 Bombs (4 Jun 2025)
- » US Women's Army Corps "Six Triple Eight" Awarded with Congressional Gold Medal (30 Apr 2025)
- » Race, Holocaust, and African-American WW2 Histories Removed from the US Naval Academy Library (7 Apr 2025)
- » US Government Plans to Purge WW2 Information (17 Mar 2025)
- » See all news
Current Site Statistics
- » 1,173 biographies
- » 337 events
- » 44,917 timeline entries
- » 1,245 ships
- » 350 aircraft models
- » 207 vehicle models
- » 376 weapon models
- » 123 historical documents
- » 261 facilities
- » 470 book reviews
- » 28,480 photos
- » 365 maps
Famous WW2 Quote
"You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word. It is victory. Victory at all costs. Victory in spite of all terrors. Victory, however long and hard the road may be, for without victory there is no survival."Winston Churchill
Support Us

Please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 a month will go a long way. Thank you!

Or, please support us by purchasing some WW2DB merchandise at TeeSpring, Thank you!