Thompson Submachine Gun: Difference between revisions
Thompson Submachine Gun: Difference between revisions - Internet Movie Firearms Database - Guns in Movies, TV and Video Games
Thompson Submachine Gun: Difference between revisions
[[Image:Persuader.jpg|thumb|right|400px|Belt-fed Thompson "Persuader" prototype - .45 ACP. Ammunition was supplied from an attached box.]]
The legendary '''Thompson Submachine Gun''' is an American SMG developed in the late 1910s by General John T Thompson. Initially envisioning an "auto rifle" to replace bolt-action rifles in American service while using an operating system less expensive than recoil or gas, Thompson acquired a patent issued to John Bell Blish for what turned out to be a friction-delayed blowback action. However, since the only cartridge in US military service that would work with the Blish action was the .45 ACP pistol round, Thompson changed his goal to a "one-man, hand-held machine gun," imagining it being used as a "trench broom."
The legendary '''Thompson Submachine Gun''' is an American SMG developed in the late 1910s by General John T Thompson. Initially envisioning an "auto rifle" to replace bolt-action rifles in American service while using an operating system less expensive than recoil or gas, Thompson acquired a patent issued to John Bell Blish for what turned out to be a friction-delayed blowback action. However, since the only cartridge in US military service that would work with the Blish action was the .45 ACP pistol round, Thompson changed his goal to a "one-man, hand-held machine gun," imagining it being used as a "trench broom."
The earliest design from 1917 was a bizarre belt-fed weapon called the "Persuader." This morphed into the magazine-fed "Annihilator" in 1919, which boasted a staggering fire rate of up to 1,500 RPM, rendering the weapon virtually uncontrollable in fullauto. A pattern gun with no stock or sights was presented to Colt later on in 1919 to be redesigned for production. This became the M1921 and was marketed as a "submachine gun:" while not the first weapon of the type, it was the first to actually use the name.
The earliest design from 1917 was a bizarre belt-fed weapon called the "Persuader." This morphed into the magazine-fed "Annihilator" in 1918-1919, which boasted a staggering fire rate of up to 1,500 RPM, rendering the weapon virtually uncontrollable in fullauto. A pattern gun with no stock or sights was presented to Colt later on in 1919 to be redesigned for production. This became the M1921 and was marketed as a "submachine gun:" while not the first weapon of the type, it was the first to actually use the name.
The Thompson is inescapably associated with gangsters during America's prohibition era as "the gun that made the twenties roar," though this is largely a media myth: the gun was far too expensive for an average thug (costing $200 with a single 20-round magazine, equivalent to about $2,800 in modern money) as well as heavy and hard to conceal, and the most common weapons for such criminals were revolvers or sawed-off shotguns. The Thompson's infamy instead stems from a few high-profile users such as John Dillinger, George "Machine Gun" Kelly and especially Al Capone.
The Thompson is inescapably associated with gangsters during America's prohibition era as "the gun that made the twenties roar," though this is largely a media myth: the gun was far too expensive for an average thug (costing $200 with a single 20-round magazine, equivalent to about $2,800 in modern money) as well as heavy and hard to conceal, and the most common weapons for such criminals were revolvers or sawed-off shotguns. The Thompson's infamy instead stems from a few high-profile users such as John Dillinger, George "Machine Gun" Kelly and especially Al Capone.
'''Note:''' The M1921 Thompson and the M1928 Thompson are nearly identical from a distance. The M1921 has a very fine high blued polish finish and has a very fast rate of fire (faster than an [[Uzi]] but slower than a [[MAC-10]]). The M1928 has a more matte blued finish (or a black paint finish) and it has a much slower rate of fire (like an M3 Grease Gun). Since sound effects are so often 'foleyed' after the fact and since sound engineers can place the wrong sound effect for a gun, one can never be 100% sure of the fire rate of a weapon. However, if the rate of fire seems fast or the gun is obviously a high polished blued finish, then the weapon should go into the M1921 Category, not the M1928.
'''Note:''' The M1921 Thompson and the M1928 Thompson are nearly identical from a distance. The M1921 has a very fine high blued polish finish and has a very fast rate of fire (faster than an [[Uzi]] but slower than a [[MAC-10]]). The M1928 has a more matte blued finish (or a black paint finish) and it has a much slower rate of fire (like an [[M3 Grease Gun]]). Since sound effects are so often 'foleyed' after the fact and since sound engineers can place the wrong sound effect for a gun, one can never be 100% sure of the fire rate of a weapon. However, if the rate of fire seems fast or the gun is obviously a high polished blued finish, then the weapon should go into the M1921 Category, not the M1928.
'''The Thompson submachine gun, or "Tommy Gun", has appeared in the following films, television series, anime, and video games used by the following actors:'''
'''The Thompson submachine gun, or "Tommy Gun", has appeared in the following films, television series, anime, and video games used by the following actors:'''
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==M1919 Thompson==
==M1919 Thompson==
[[File:Annihilator.jpg|thumb|right|400px|M1919 Thompson "Annihilator I" (serial number one) with 20-round magazine - .45 ACP (colorized photo)]]
[[File:Annihilator.jpg|thumb|right|400px|M1918/1919 Thompson "Annihilator I" (serial number one) with 20-round magazine - .45 ACP (colorized photo). Originally built as belt-feed in 1918, it received an adapter towards the end of the year to use the new box magazines.]]
[[File:M1919 Thompson.jpg|thumb|right|400px|M1919 Thompson serial number 17 as it appears in early sales literature, with 50-round drum magazine (20-round box and 100-round drum beside) - .45 ACP]]
[[File:M1919 Thompson.jpg|thumb|right|400px|M1919 Thompson serial number 17 as it appears in early sales literature, with 50-round drum magazine (20-round box and 100-round drum beside) - .45 ACP]]
The M1919 is a family of various Thompson submachine gun prototypes, all slightly different from each other. Around 40 prototypes were believed to have been made, and only 11 exist today. The earliest M1919 Thompsons (after the "Persuader" prototype) are also known as "Annihilators". The earliest Annihilators needed an adaptor to use straight magazines.
The M1919 is a family of various Thompson submachine gun prototypes, all slightly different from each other. Around 40 prototypes were believed to have been made, and only 11 exist today. The earliest M1919 Thompsons (after the "Persuader" prototype) are also known as "Annihilators". The earliest Annihilator I needed an adaptor to use straight magazines.
The SMGs appear in various configurations, with different attachments, and some lacking sights and buttstocks.
The SMGs appear in various configurations, with different attachments, and some lacking sights and buttstocks.
Contrary to popular myth, the "Annihilators" were never intended to be shipped to WWI-time Europe, if only because at the time of 1918 there was only one exemplar of the Annihilator, and was still in the stage of testing the magazine-fed. With a few exceptions, later in 1920, the Thompson guns will try to propose for ordering, for the Polish and anti-Bolshevik forces, but intense hostilities will interrupt these plans. The "WWI-myth" itself stems from the 1921 confiscation of a M1921 batch destined for RIA from the New York docks.
The legendary Thompson Submachine Gun is an American SMG developed in the late 1910s by General John T Thompson. Initially envisioning an "auto rifle" to replace bolt-action rifles in American service while using an operating system less expensive than recoil or gas, Thompson acquired a patent issued to John Bell Blish for what turned out to be a friction-delayed blowback action. However, since the only cartridge in US military service that would work with the Blish action was the .45 ACP pistol round, Thompson changed his goal to a "one-man, hand-held machine gun," imagining it being used as a "trench broom."
The earliest design from 1917 was a bizarre belt-fed weapon called the "Persuader." This morphed into the magazine-fed "Annihilator" in 1918-1919, which boasted a staggering fire rate of up to 1,500 RPM, rendering the weapon virtually uncontrollable in fullauto. A pattern gun with no stock or sights was presented to Colt later on in 1919 to be redesigned for production. This became the M1921 and was marketed as a "submachine gun:" while not the first weapon of the type, it was the first to actually use the name.
The Thompson is inescapably associated with gangsters during America's prohibition era as "the gun that made the twenties roar," though this is largely a media myth: the gun was far too expensive for an average thug (costing $200 with a single 20-round magazine, equivalent to about $2,800 in modern money) as well as heavy and hard to conceal, and the most common weapons for such criminals were revolvers or sawed-off shotguns. The Thompson's infamy instead stems from a few high-profile users such as John Dillinger, George "Machine Gun" Kelly and especially Al Capone.
Note: The M1921 Thompson and the M1928 Thompson are nearly identical from a distance. The M1921 has a very fine high blued polish finish and has a very fast rate of fire (faster than an Uzi but slower than a MAC-10). The M1928 has a more matte blued finish (or a black paint finish) and it has a much slower rate of fire (like an M3 Grease Gun). Since sound effects are so often 'foleyed' after the fact and since sound engineers can place the wrong sound effect for a gun, one can never be 100% sure of the fire rate of a weapon. However, if the rate of fire seems fast or the gun is obviously a high polished blued finish, then the weapon should go into the M1921 Category, not the M1928.
The Thompson submachine gun, or "Tommy Gun", has appeared in the following films, television series, anime, and video games used by the following actors:
M1919 prototypes: (1919 - 1920)
Serial production: (1921 - Present)
Type: Submachine gun
Caliber: .45 ACP
Capacity: 20, 30 round straight box magazine, 50, 100 round drum magazine (not compatible with M1 or M1A1), belt feed ("Persuader" prototype)
Fire Modes: Semi-auto / full-auto (600-725 RPM, 1,500 RPM on "Annihilator I" prototype and 800 on "Annihilator II")
M1919 Thompson
Error creating thumbnail: File missingM1918/1919 Thompson "Annihilator I" (serial number one) with 20-round magazine - .45 ACP (colorized photo). Originally built as belt-feed in 1918, it received an adapter towards the end of the year to use the new box magazines.Error creating thumbnail: File missingM1919 Thompson serial number 17 as it appears in early sales literature, with 50-round drum magazine (20-round box and 100-round drum beside) - .45 ACP
The M1919 is a family of various Thompson submachine gun prototypes, all slightly different from each other. Around 40 prototypes were believed to have been made, and only 11 exist today. The earliest M1919 Thompsons (after the "Persuader" prototype) are also known as "Annihilators". The earliest Annihilator I needed an adaptor to use straight magazines.
The SMGs appear in various configurations, with different attachments, and some lacking sights and buttstocks.
Contrary to popular myth, the "Annihilators" were never intended to be shipped to WWI-time Europe, if only because at the time of 1918 there was only one exemplar of the Annihilator, and was still in the stage of testing the magazine-fed. With a few exceptions, later in 1920, the Thompson guns will try to propose for ordering, for the Polish and anti-Bolshevik forces, but intense hostilities will interrupt these plans. The "WWI-myth" itself stems from the 1921 confiscation of a M1921 batch destined for RIA from the New York docks.
The M1921 is the original production version of the Thompson Submachine Gun, as manufactured by Colt Firearms in 1921 under contract from Auto-Ordnance. The M1921 is of the highest quality, fit, and along with a high polish blued finish, more like high a grade sporting arm, than a military weapon. Standard features of the M1921 are the finned barrels, some sent with Cutts compensators, knurled lightweight bolt handles, Lyman Model 55B adjustable rear sights, push button detachable butt stocks, vertical fore grips and checkered fire control levers.
The Model 1928 was more of an modified version rather than an upgrade. They are visually the same as the M1921 except they were outfitted with heavy actuators and smaller less powerful recoil springs to reduce the rate of fire. The earliest of these were converted M1921 Thompson receivers that were merely re-stamped with an "8" over the last "1" in the original markings (hence the terminology "overstamp"). The M1928A1 was the military contract version of this weapon in 1928. It had a more crude military grade blued finish, a heavier actuator and the vertical foregrip was replaced with a horizontal handguard. Military buttstocks often received a reinforcing bolt. The British often moved the sling swivel to the top of the stock.
The M1928 is the variant most commonly associated with twenties gangsters, made famous through countless classic gangster movies. Nicknames such as "Tommy Gun" or "Chicago typewriter" were created as a result of the weapon's fame.
The M1/M1A1 were versions of the M1928A1 Thompson that were streamlined and simplified for manufacture during World War 2, first adopted in April 1942. Features include a non-finned barrel, simple fixed "L" style sights, no Cutts Compensators, and elimination of the knurling on actuators and fire select levers in later models. The bolt and receiver were simplified to eliminate the Blish lock "H" piece. The bolt actuator was also moved from the top to the right side of the receiver on most production, with a few having the actuator on the left. Also there are examples that were parkerized rather than blued that ended up in the hands of U.S. Soldiers.
The older style M1 Thompson had a more complex bolt design with a separate firing pin later simplified in the M1A1 Thompson which had the firing pin machined into the face of the bolt. The early M1 model rear "L type" sight was prone to bend if the weapon was dropped or dig into the soldier when in cramped conditions, so later models added triangular "ears" to protect it. The M1/M1A1 Thompson's could not accept the 50/100 round drum magazines used on the M1921/M1928A1 models so were limited to 20-round and 30-round box magazines.
The modern 1927 model was introduced by Auto Ordnance in the 1970s, capitalizing on the popularity of the submachine gun and satisfying the desire for a legal version by implementing a semi-automatic version with a longer barrel but the general appearance of the full-automatic versions. (Not to be confused with the original Model 1927 Thompsons which were made from Model 1921 with the selector disabled.)
Due to the popularity and iconic nature of the Thompson, there were a large number of "lookalike" weapons made by various companies. These have the general outline of a Thompson, but are completely different weapons usually of inferior quality and intended for civilian sale. They are normally chambered in .45 ACP to emulate the original, but some models can be found chambered in 9x19mm.
The Ingram Model 6 was a low cost alternative of the Thompson intended for law enforcement use. It can most easily be distinguished from the the Thompson by the design of the trigger group and the design of the wooden stock, and that overall it looks like an M3 Grease Gun with Thompson furniture haphazardly grafted onto it.Error creating thumbnail: File missingIngram Model 6 SMG - .45 ACP
The Spitfire Carbine is a civilian semi-automatic carbine which emulates the look of the Thompson and is one in a line of very similar weapons made by different manufacturers all based on one another. Although it has a 16" barrel as standard it can be found with a shortened barrel and converted to full-automatic. Note the tubular receiver and the fact that the "cooling fins" on the barrel are purely cosmetic and are part of the forward grip rather than the barrel itself.Error creating thumbnail: File missingSpitfire Carbine - .45 ACP
The original Volunteer Carbine was essentially a clone of the Spitfire but fitted with a straight wood handguard rather than a vertical grip. However, Volunteer Enterprises soon produced a version known as the Commando Mark III was a much closer match for the Thompson in that it had a more correct square receiver. The most obvious distinguishing features of the Commando Mark II from a genuine Thompson are the magazine well, the fact that the charging handle is on the left side of the gun, and the shape of the rear sight wings. It can be found with both a straight wood handguard or a vertical grip.Error creating thumbnail: File missingVolunteer Enterprises Commando Mark III - .45 ACP
