Thompson submachine gun

The Thompson, also known as the "Tommy Gun", was a family of American submachine guns that became infamous during the Prohibition era. It was a common sight in gangster films of the time, being used both by criminals and law enforcement officers. The Thompson was also known as the "Chicago Typewriter" and "Chicago Piano", due to the popular association between the city and gangsters. The weapon was favored for its compactness, its hard-hitting .45 caliber power and its high volume of automatic fire.

History and service

The Thompson submachine gun was developed between 1917 and 1919, under supervision of General John Taliaferro Thompson, who coordinated the project's materialization efforts. The Thompson would first enter major production in 1921, quickly gaining notoriety in the hands of gangsters and popularity in Hollywood films. One of the weapon's first military uses was in the late stages of the Irish War of Independence and in the Irish Civil War. These Thompsons were imported from the United States by the Irish Republican Army, and remained in use by the organization until the 1970s.

In 1938, Thompson models were adopted by the U.S. military, serving during World War II and later into the Korean War, as well as early stages of the Vietnam War. Modifications to simplify production and reduce cost were commonly carried by both non-commissioned officers and commissioned officers, resulting in the M1 and M1A1 models.

Also in the United States, the Thompson was used by law enforcement, most prominently by the FBI, until 1976, when it was declared obsolete. All Thompsons in U.S. government possession were destroyed, except for a few token museum pieces and training models.

A Swedish variant of the M1928A1, called Kulsprutepistol m/40 ("Submachine Gun m/40"), served in the Swedish Army between 1940 and 1951.

Compared to more modern submachine guns, the Thompson has a slightly slower rate of fire, which makes it more controllable in its fully-automatic mode. Its larger .45 ACP caliber makes it more effective at short range than 9 mm submachine guns. Even by modern standards, the Thompson remains a very effective submachine gun.

Due to its gangster-era and World War II connections, Thompsons are highly sought as collector's items. An original M1928 gun in working condition can easily fetch 20,000 USD or more. Semi-automatic replicas are currently produced by Auto-Ordnance Company, a division of Kahr Firearms. Approximately 1,700,000 of these weapons were produced by Auto-Ordnance, Savage Arms and Colt, with 1,387,134 of them being the simplified World War II variant M1.

Variants

Persuader & Annihilator

There were two main models that preceded major production. The Persuader was a belt-fed version worked on in 1918, and the Annihilator was fed from a 20-round box magazine, which was an improved model worked on in 1918 and 1919. Additionally, the 50 and 100-round drum magazines were developed.

M1921

The first major production model. Fifteen thousand guns were produced by Colt. In its original design, it is fashioned more like a sporting weapon. It was quite expensive to manufacture, with the original retail cost around $225 (equal to roughly 2,100 USD in 2005), with high-quality wood furnishings and finely-machined parts. Some saw military use with the U.S. Marine Corps in Nicaragua, but not type-classified.

M1923

The Model 1923 was demonstrated for the U.S. Army. It fired the .45 Remington-Thompson cartridge from a 14-inch barrel, with greater range and power than the .45 ACP. It introduced a horizontal forearm, sling, bipod and bayonet lug. The M1923 was projected to fill the role of the Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) M1918, but the Army was satisfied with the rifle. The model did not go into production.

M1927

The M1927 was the semi-automatic-only version of the M1921.

M1928

The M1928 was famous throughout its career with police and criminals and in motion pictures. It was the first type widely used by military forces, with the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps as major buyers through the 1930s. With the start of World War II, major contracts from Britain and France saved the manufacturer from bankruptcy. This model had an official adoption, with a name also resulting M1928 abrev. the same as the original name. The Prohibition era retail price of the M1928 was about $800.

Caliber: .45 ACP
Mass (empty): 4.9 kg (10.8 lb)
Length: 852 mm (33.5 in)
Rate of fire: 700 round/min
Capacity: 20 or 30-round box magazine; 50 or 100-round drum magazine

M1928A1

This variant entered mass production before the attack on Pearl Harbor, as on-hand stocks of the M1928 ran out. Changes included a horizontal forearm in place of the distinctive vertical foregrip and a provision for a military sling. With new U.S. contracts for Lend-Lease shipments abroad and the needs of American armed forces, two factories supplied M1928A1 Thompsons during the early years of WWII. The weapon was mostly used in the U.S. military by the Marines, who supplied it to units in the Pacific Theater of Operations. It was faster and cheaper to manufacture than the M1928. Though the weapon could use both the 50-round drum and the 20 or 30-round magazines, active service showed the drums were more prone to jamming and the bullets inside rattled. 562,511 of these guns were made.

Caliber: .45 ACP
Mass (empty): 4.9 kg (10.8 lb)
Length: 852 mm (33.5 in)
Rate of fire: 800 round/min
Capacity: 20 or 30-round box magazine; 50-round drum magazine

M1

The M1, formally adopted as the United States Submachine Gun, Cal. .45, M1, was a result of further simplification. It utilized a simple blowback system of operation and the charging handle was moved to the side. It also could be fired semi-automatically.

Removed were the slots adjoining the magazine well that allowed use of the drum magazines, the Cutts compensator at the muzzle that limited "rise" when firing, the flip-up and adjustable rear sight (which was replaced with a fixed peep hole rear sight), the characteristic cooling fins on the barrel and the Blish lock feature of the bolt also disappeared.

The less expensive and easily manufactured "stick" magazines were used exclusively in this version, with a new 30-round version joining the familiar 20-round type. According to Stephen Ambrose's book D-Day, the fully-loaded 30-round magazines were so heavy that they would occasionally fall off the weapon, although it is uncertain how often this would happen. To avoid this problem, soldiers would sometimes load the magazines with no more than 25 rounds.

The M1 also has a permanently attached buttstock, and was first issued in 1943.

Caliber: .45 ACP
Mass (empty): 4.8 kg (10.6 lb)
Length: 811 mm (32 in)
Rate of fire: 700 round/min
Capacity: 20 or 30-round box magazine

M1A1

The multi-piece firing pin of the M1 was supplanted by a simplified firing pin machined into the face of the bolt. The 30-round magazine was very common.

The M1A1, formally adopted as the United States Submachine Gun, Cal. .45, M1A1, could be produced in half the time of the M1928A1, and at a much lower cost. In 1939, Thompsons cost the government $209 (2,742 USD in 2005) a piece. By Spring of 1942, cost reduction design changes had brought this down to $70 (878 USD in 2005). In February of 1944, the M1A1 reached a low price of $45 (480 USD in 2005) each, including accessories and spare parts. But by the end of 1944, the M1A1 was replaced with the even lower-costing M3 "Grease Gun".

Caliber: .45 ACP
Mass (empty): 4.8 kg (10.6 lb)
Length: 811 mm (32 in)
Rate of fire: 700 round/min
Capacity: 20 or 30-round box magazine

Civilian ownership in the United States

Due to the perceived popularity of the Thompson with gangsters in the 1920s and 1930s as well as their effectiveness in any hands (among other reasons), Congress passed the National Firearms Act in 1934. Among its provisions, all owners of any fully-automatic firearm (including the Thompson) must register them with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and agree to be subject to severe restrictions on the use, transfer and transport of the weapons, and all prospective buyers must likewise register with the government (registration also carries with it a $200 tax per item, per transfer). This includes submitting to fingerprinting and a thorough background check upon declaration of intent to purchase. Furthermore, after the purchase has been cleared (a process that normally takes at least four months), the owner is forbidden to move the gun out of his or her state of residence without notifying the ATF. The Thompson, as well as all other kinds of automatic weapons, are under a legal ban in at least nine states and the District of Columbia.

Popular culture

Thompson submachine guns have been used throughout the decades on American cinema and television, as well as a number of songs throughout the world. They also appear in gangster and World War II-themed computer and video games.

For examples, see List of firearms in films and List of firearms in video games.

References

Smith, Charles H. A brief story of Auto-Ordnance Company.
Olive, Ronaldo. Guia Internacional de Submetralhadoras. Editora Magnum Ltda., 1996.

External links

Submachine guns | World War II American infantry weapons | World War II firearms of the United States | World War II submachine guns

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