PA3-DM
- Category
- Submachine Gun
- Barrel
- 290 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.80 kg
- Introduced
- 1970
About
What it is, and why it matters
The PA3-DM is a 9x19mm Parabellum submachine gun designed in the late 1960s by Magín Almará and produced from 1970 by the Argentine state arms factory Fábrica Militar de Armas Portátiles "Domingo Matheu" (FMAP-DM) in Rosario. Modeled heavily on the Israeli Uzi, it is an open-bolt, blowback-operated weapon using a telescoping (wraparound) bolt that encloses much of the barrel to keep the overall length compact. The magazine feeds through the pistol grip, which incorporates a grip safety. The design used stamped sheet-steel construction and was offered with either a fixed plastic stock (FMK 4) or a retractable wire stock (FMK 3 / PA3-DM).
Argentina sought an indigenous submachine gun to replace its license-built copies of the American M3A1 "Grease Gun". The Product Engineering Department of FMAP-DM, led by designer Magín Almará, drew on the proven Uzi layout to create the PA3-DM, which saw service with Argentine forces during the 1982 Falklands War.
DATA-INTEGRITY NOTE: The requested record framed this as a Chilean FAMAE weapon, but research across militaryfactory.com, thefirearmblog.com and corroborating sources shows the PA3-DM is an ARGENTINE design by FMAP-DM ("Domingo Matheu", hence the -DM suffix), not a product of Chile's FAMAE. The id/name/filename were retained as specified, but the manufacturer, country_of_origin and history reflect the factual Argentine attribution. The PA3-DM lineage was standardized as the FMK 3 (retractable wire stock) and FMK 4 (fixed plastic stock); roughly 15,000 were produced 1970-1978.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Fábrica Militar de Armas Portátiles "Domingo Matheu" (FMAP-DM)
- Category
- Submachine Gun
- Country
- Argentina
- Status
- Discontinued
- Produced
- 1970 to 1978
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 290 mm
- Overall length
- 690 mm
- Sight radius
- 320 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.80 kg
- Weight, loaded
- 4.30 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Blowback
- Firing mechanism
- Open bolt
- Capacity
- 40
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Slide
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Steel
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 396 m/s
- Effective range
- 100 m
- Rate of fire
- 650 rpm
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Telescoping bolt
Wraparound bolt
Magazine in pistol grip
Retractable stock
Stamped steel construction
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 201 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 3.80 kg | 3.18 kg | Heavier than about 80% |
| Overall lengthAmong 200 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 690 mm | 723 mm | Shorter than about 60% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 202 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 290 mm | 213 mm | Longer than about 90% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 204 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 40 | 32 | Holds more rounds than about 90% |
Answers
Questions about the PA3-DM
How much does the PA3-DM weigh?
The PA3-DM weighs 3.80 kg (8.38 lb) empty and 4.30 kg (9.48 lb) loaded.
What caliber is the PA3-DM?
The PA3-DM is chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum.
How many rounds does the PA3-DM hold?
The PA3-DM holds 40 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the PA3-DM?
The PA3-DM is 690 mm (27.2 in) long overall, with a 290 mm (11.42 in) barrel.
Who makes the PA3-DM?
The PA3-DM is made by Fábrica Militar de Armas Portátiles "Domingo Matheu" (FMAP-DM) (Argentina). It was designed by Magín Almará.
When was the PA3-DM introduced?
The PA3-DM was introduced in 1970 and discontinued in 1978.
How does the PA3-DM operate?
The PA3-DM uses a blowback action, and its firing mechanism is open bolt.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- Argentine Army
- 1970
- Argentine Federal Police
- Argentina
Provenance
Confidence in this record
70%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/famae-pa3dm' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "famae-pa3dm", "name": "PA3-DM", "manufacturer": { "id": "fmap-dm", "name": "Fábrica Militar de Armas Portátiles \"Domingo Matheu\" (FMAP-DM)", "countryCode": "AR", "foundedYear": null, "website": null, "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-06-21 23:00:46", "updatedAt": "2026-06-21 23:00:46", "version": "5ded6a2a96dcaff73f78a05307c610251ca8083476ecb2ac69f7a306ee96d300" }, "category": { "id": "submachine-gun", "name": "Submachine Gun", "description": "Automatic firearms chambered in pistol calibers" }, "country_of_origin": "AR", "year_introduced": 1970, "barrel_length_mm": 290, "weight_empty_g": 3800, "action_type": "blowback"}