Thompson submachine gun
The Thompson submachine gun, also known as the Tommy Gun, was an American submachine gun (SMG) that became infamous during the Prohibition era. It was a common sight in gangster films of the time, being used both by criminals and by law enforcement officers. The "Tommy Gun" was also known as the "Chicago Typewriter" and "Chicago Piano", and was favored for its compact size and then high volume of automatic fire.
Service
In the United States, it 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.
Thompsons were also used extensively by the U.S. military during World War II, but with modifications to simplify production and reduce cost. These were commonly carried by both non-commissioned officers and commissioned officers.
The Thompson's career continued into the Korean War and also into the early stages of the Vietnam War.
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 and 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 or more. Semi-automatic replicas are currently produced by the Auto-Ordnance Company (a division of Kahr Firearms).
Approximately 1,700,000 of these weapons were produced, with 1,387,134 of them being the simplified WWII M1 variant.
 |
Due to the popularity of the Thompson with gangsters in the 1920s and 1930s as well as their unquestioned lethality, Congress passed the National Firearms Act in 1934. Under its provisions, all owners of Thompson machine guns must register them with the Bureau of Tobacco, Alcohol and Firearms 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. This includes submitting to fingerprinting and a thorough background check upon declaration of intent to purchase. Further, after the purchase has been cleared (a process that normally takes up to four months), the owner is forbidden to move the gun out of his or her state of residence without notifying the BATF. Further the Thompson and all other machine guns are under a legal ban in at least nine states and the District of Columbia.
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. Also the 50 and 100-round magazines were developed.
===M1921===
The first major production model. Fifteen thousand guns were produced by Colt Firearms. 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 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 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.
- Caliber: .45 ACP
- Mass (empty): 4.9 kg (10.8 lb)
- Length: 852 mm (33.5 in)
- Rate of fire: 700 rounds/min
- Capacity: 20 or 30-round box magazine; 50 or 100-round drum magazine
M1928A1
This variant entered mass production before 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. Armed Forces 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 or the 100-round drum as well as the 20 or 30-round magazines, active service showed the drums were more prone to jamming. 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 rounds/min
- Capacity: 20 or 30-round box magazine; 50 or 100-round drum magazine
M1
The M1 was a result of further simplification. It utilized a simple blowback system of operation and the cocking 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. It 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 rounds/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 could be produced in half the time of the M1928A1, and at a much lower cost. In 1939, Thompsons cost the government $209 ($2742 in 2005) a piece. By Spring of 1942, cost reduction design changes had brought this down to $70 ($878 in 2005). In February of 1944, the M1A1 reached a low price of $45 ($480 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 rounds/min
- Capacity: 20 or 30-round box magazine
Popular culture
Thompson submachine guns, especially those with drum magazines, have been used throughout decades of American cinema. They also appear in video games and TV series set in the 1930s (mostly gangster games) and 1940s (mostly WWII games). Here are recent films, games and TV shows featuring the "Tommy Gun":
Films and TV series
- Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
- Dick Tracy (1990)
- The Mask (1994)
- Star Trek: First Contact (1996)
- Saving Private Ryan (1998)
- Band of Brothers (TV mini-series) (2001)
- Chicago (2002)
- King Kong (2005)
Games
- Battlefield 1942
- Call of Duty series
- Day of Defeat
- Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven
- Medal of Honor series
- Resident Evil 4 (as Chicago Typewriter)
- Return to Castle Wolfenstein
- Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory