Thompson Submachine Gun

The Thompson sub-machine 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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Specifications

(1921 - Present)

Type: Sub-machine Gun

Caliber: .45 ACP

Capacity: 20, 30 round box magazine, 50, 100 round Drum magazine

Fire Modes: Semiautomatic/Full-Automatic (600-1200 RPM)

M1921 Thompson

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Colt M1921A Thompson with 20-round magazine - .45 ACP

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Colt M1921A Thompson with 50-round drum magazine - .45 ACP

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Colt M1921AC Thompson with 20-round magazine - .45 ACP.

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Colt M1921AC Thompson with 50-round drum magazine - .45 ACP.

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M1921AC Thompson with a horizontal fore grip and 30-round magazine - .45ACP

The M1921 is the original production version of the Thompson Submachine Gun, as manufactured by Colt Firearms in 1921. The M1921 is of the highest quality, fit, and along with a high polish blued finish, more like high 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.

Film

Title	Actor	Character	Note	Date
Inglourious Basterds	.	American soldier	.	2009
Public Enemies	Johnny Depp	John Dillinger	w/ 50-rd drum and 20-rd box magazines	2009
Watchmen	Unknown	Bank Robber	M1921AC w/ 50-rd drum	2009
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull	Ray Winstone	Mac	w/ M1928 Forend	2008
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow	.	Police Officers	w/ 50-rd drum magazines	2004
O Brother, Where Art Thou?	Michael Badalucco	Baby Face Nelson	w/ 50-rd drum magazines	2000
Road to Perdition	Tom Hanks	Michael Sullivan, Sr.	.	2002
Legends of the Fall	.	police officers	.	1994
Mobsters	Nicholas Sadler	Vincent "Mad Dog" Coll	w/ 50-rd drum magazines	1991
Mobsters	Christian Slater	Lucky Luciano	w/ 50-rd drum magazines	1991
Dick Tracy	William Forsythe	Flattop	.	1990
Moonwalker	Michael Jackson	.	.	1988
The Untouchables	.	.	w/ 50-rd drum magazines	1987
Romancing the Stone	.	.	.	1984
Dawn of the Dead	Larry Vaira	Biker	w/ 50-rd drum and 30-rd box magazines	1978
Big Bad Mama	Tom Skerritt	Fred Diller	.	1974
Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia	Gig Young	Johnny Quill	Minus rifle stock.	1974
Dillinger	.	.	.	1973
The FBI Story	.	.	w/ 50-rd drum and 30-rd box magazines	1959
The Desperate Hours	Various	Police	.	1955
Sahara	Humphrey Bogart	Sgt. Joe Gunn	.	1943
Sahara	Rex Ingram	Sgt. Major Tambul	w/ 50-rd drum magazine	1943
Sahara	Bruce Bennett	Waco Hoyt	.	1943
The Story of G.I. Joe	Freddie Steele	Sgt. Steve Warnicki	.	1945
They Were Expendable	.	.	With 1928 Forend	1945
Back to Bataan	Anthony Quinn	Captain Bonifacio	.	1945
Back to Bataan	John Wayne	Col. John Madden	.	1945
Bataan	.	.	U.S. forces	1943
The Canterville Ghost (1943 Film)	.	American Soldiers	.	1943
Each Dawn I Die	.	Prison Guard	w/ 50-rd drum magazine	1939
Angels With Dirty Faces	.	Police officers	w/ 50-rd drum magazines	1938
San Quentin	.	Prison Guard	w/ 50-rd drum magazine	1937
Bullets or Ballots	.	Police Officers	w/ 50-rd drum magazines	1936
G Men	James Cagney	Brick Davis	w/ 50-rd drum magazine	1935
G Men	Robert Armstrong	Jeff McCord	w/ 50-rd drum magazine	1935
Scarface	.	Police	.	1934
Scarface	.	Gangsters	.	1934
Little Caesar	.	.	w/ 50-rd drum magazines	1931

Television

Show Title / Episode	Actor	Character	Notes	Air Date
Guns	.	.	.	2008
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles	Todd Stashwick	Myron Stark / T-888	.	2008 - 2009
The Untouchables	.	.	.	1993 - 1994
Rafferty	Armen Dzhigarkhanyan	Tommy Farrichetty	Buttstock removed	1980
Dad's Army	.	.	.	1968 - 1977
Reilly: Ace of Spies	Sam Neill	Reilly	.	1983
The Untouchables	.	.	.	1959 - 1963

Video Games

Game Title	Appears as	Mods	Release Date
Bioshock	Machine Gun	With 40-round drum magazine	2007
Medal of Honor: Airborne		"Upgrade" from M1928 Thompson, with 50-rd drum	2007
Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth	.	.	2005
Contract J.A.C.K.	M1921-A1	.	2003
Silent Storm	.	With 50-round drum magazine	2003
No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy In HARM's Way	M1921-A1	With 50-round drum magazine	2002
Company of Heroes	Thompson SMG Upgrade		2008
Bioshock 2	Machine Gun	fires .50 Cal rounds	2010

M1928/M1928A1 Thompson

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 "1928" over 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.

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M1928 "Tommy Gun" or "Chicago typewriter" with 50-round drum magazine - .45 ACP, made famous through countless classic gangster movies.

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M1928A1 Thompson with 30-round magazine and early 'simplified' rear sight that would be adopted for the M1 Thompson - .45 ACP

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M1928A1 Thompson with 30-round magazine - .45 ACP

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M1928A1 Thompson with 50-round drum magazine - .45 ACP

Film

Title	Actor	Character	Note	Date
Kokoda		Australian Soldiers		2010
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian		Mobsters		2009
Public Enemies			M1928A1	2009
Guerrilla	Santiago Cabrera	Camilo Cienfuegos		2008
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull		Soviet soldiers	M1928A1	2008
Miracle at St. Anna	Derek Luke	Staff Sgt. Aubrey Stamps	M1928A1	2008
Miracle at St. Anna	Michael Ealy	Sgt. Bishop Cummings	M1928A1	2008
Miracle at St. Anna	Laz Alonzo	Cpl. Hector Negron	M1928A1	2008
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor	Brendan Fraser	Rick O'Connell	w/ 20-rd box and 50-rd drum magazines	2008
Kokoda	Luke Ford	Burke	w/ 20-rd box magazines	2006
Assault on Precinct 13			w/ 50-rd drum magazine	2005
King Kong		S.S. Venture crew	w/ 50-rd drum magazines	2005
King Kong	Jack Black	Carl Denham	w/ 50-rd drum magazine	2005
King Kong	Kyle Chandler	Bruce Baxter	w/ 50-rd drum magazine	2005
King Kong	Thomas Kretschmann	Captain Englehorn	w/ 50-rd drum magazine	2005
King Kong	Evan Parke	Ben Hayes	w/ 50-rd drum magazine	2005
Kung Fu Hustle	Various	Axe Gang members	w/ 50-rd drum magazine	2004
The Matrix Reloaded	.	Henchman	w/ 50-rd drum magazine	2003
Road to Perdition	Tom Hanks	Michael Sullivan	.	2002
Road to Perdition	.	Mobsters	.	2002
The Mummy Returns	Oded Fehr	Ardeth Bay	w/ 50-rd drum magazine	2001
Pearl Harbor	.	U.S. military personnel	w/ 50-rd drum and 30-rd box magazines	2001
Half a Chance	Alain Delon	Julien	.	1998
Mulholland Falls	.	U.S. Army soldiers	.	1996
Last Man Standing	Christopher Walken	Hickey	.	1996
Star Trek: First Contact	Patrick Stewart	Captain Jean-Luc Picard	w/ 50-rd drum magazine	1996
Forrest Gump	Gary Sinise	One of Lt. Dan Taylor's ancestors	M1928A1 w/ 30-rd box magazine and without Cutts compensator	1994
Blown Away	.	IRA terrorists	M1928A1	1994
The Shadow	Tim Curry	Farley Claymore	M1928A1	1994
The Rocketeer	.	FBI Special Agents	.	1991
The Rocketeer	.	Gangsters	.	1991
Home Alone	Ralph Foody	Johnny	w/ 50-rd drum magazine	1990
Miller's Crossing	.	.	w/ 50-rd drum magazines	1990
Deja Vu	Vladimir Golovin	Mikita Nechyporuk (Mik Nich)	.	1988
Deja Vu	Nikolai Karachentsov	Mishka Yaponchik	.	1988
Deja Vu	Jerzy Stuhr	Johnny Pollack	.	1988
The Red Spectacles	.	noodle-stand guard	.	1987
The Untouchables	.	Mobsters	.	1987
The Untouchables	.	Police	.	1987
The Untouchables	.	Federal Agents	.	1987
Big Trouble in Little China	.	Wing Kong member	w/ 50-rd drum magazine	1986
The Stuff	Various	Militia		1985
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom	Ric Young	Kao Kan	w/ 50-rd drum magazine	1984
Copper Angel (Medny angel)	.	Gangsters	.	1984
Teheran 43	Armen Dzhigarkhanyan	Max Richard	.	1981
Teheran 43	.	German agents (1943), hijackers (1980)	.	1981
The Big Red One	.	.	M1928A1	1980
The Inglorious Bastards	Bo Svenson	Lt. Robert Yeager		1978
The Inglorious Bastards	Fred Williamson	Private Fred Canfield		1978
The Inglorious Bastards	Peter Hooten	Tony		1978
The Inglorious Bastards	Michael Pergolani	Nick		1978
The Inglorious Bastards	Jackie Basehart	Berle		1978
The Inglorious Bastards	Raimund Harmstorf	Adolf		1978
The Inglorious Bastards	Joshua Sinclair	The Sergeant		1978
The Inglorious Bastards		American troops		1978
Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia	Gig Young	Johnny Quill	rifle stock removed	1974
The Laughing Policeman	.	S.F.P.D. SWAT	.	1973
Battle for the Planet of the Apes	Claude Akins	Aldo	.	1973
The Godfather	.	Barzini hitmen	w/ 50-rd drum magazines	1972
Shaft (1971)	Christopher St. John	Ben Buford		1971
Shaft (1971)	.	Extras	.	1971
Too Late the Hero	Michael Caine	Pvt. Tosh Hearne	M1928A1	1970
Too Late the Hero	Ian Bannen	Pvt. Jock Thornton	M1928A1	1970
Patton	.	U.S. Army soldiers	M1928A1	1970
The Bridge at Remagen	.	.	M1928A1	1969
The Devil's Brigade	William Holden	Col. Robert T. Frederick	M1928A1	1968
The Devil's Brigade	Cliff Robertson	Major Alan Crown	M1928A1	1968
The Devil's Brigade	.	U.S. Army soldiers	M1928A1	1968
Diabolik	Various	Police officers	.	1968
Bonnie and Clyde	Warren Beatty	Clyde Barrow	w/ 50-rd drum magazine	1967
Bonnie and Clyde	Faye Dunaway	Bonnie Parker	w/ 50-rd drum magazine	1967
Merrill's Marauders	Claude Akins	Plt. Sgt. Kolowicz	.	1962
Jet Pilot	.	U.S. Air Force personnel	M1928A1	1957
Bridge on the River Kwai, The		Japanese guards	M1928A1	1957
To Hell and Back	Audie Murphy	Himself	M1928A1	1955
Them!	.	Police	.	1954
Them!	.	Soldiers	.	1954
Desert Rats, The		Australian commandos	smooth barreled version	1953
Desert Rats, The	Richard Burton	Capt. 'Tammy' MacRoberts	smooth barreled version	1953
Desert Rats, The		German Troops	smooth barreled version	1953
The Enforcer	.	.	.	1951
Gun Crazy	.	Police Officers	M1928A1	1949
Battleground	James Whitmore	Sgt Kinnie	M1928A1	1949
A Walk In The Sun	.	Soldiers	M1A1 / M1928A1	1948
Out of the Past	.	Police Officer	M1928A1	1947
The Story of G.I. Joe	Robert Mitchum	Lt. Bill Walker	M1928A1	1945
The Story of G.I. Joe	Freddie Steele	Sgt. Steve Warniki	M1928A1	1945
The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp	.	British Infantrymen	M1928A1	1943

Television

Show Title / Episode	Actor	Character	Note	Air Date
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles	.	Rumrunners	.	1992-1993
Charmed / Charmed Noir		1930's Gangsters	w/ 50-rd drum magazines	1998 - 2004
Star Trek: Voyager / The Killing Game	Tim Russ	Tuvok	M1928A1	1995 - 2001
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman / That Old Gang of Mine		Gangsters	w/ 50-rd drum magazine	1993 - 1997
State Border: Film 8, The		U.S. commandos	M1928 and M1928A1	1988
Star Trek: The Next Generation / Manhunt		Holographic gangster		1987 - 1994
Star Trek / A Piece of the Action	William Shatner	Captain James T. Kirk	w/ 50-rd drum magazines	1966 - 1969
Star Trek / A Piece of the Action	Leonard Nimoy	Lt. Cmdr Spock	w/ 50-rd drum magazines	1966 - 1969
Star Trek / A Piece of the Action	DeForest Kelley	Dr. Leonard H. McCoy	w/ 50-rd drum magazines	1966 - 1969
Star Trek / A Piece of the Action		Sigma Iotia II natives	w/ 50-rd drum magazines	1966 - 1969
Combat!		U.S. Army soldiers	M1928A1	1962 - 1967
The Pacific	Henry Nixon	Lt. Hugh Corrigan	.	2010
The Pacific	Jon Bernthal	Sgt. Manuel 'Manny' Rodriguez	.	2010
Sanctuary / Normandy	Peter Wingfield	James Watson	M1928A1 w/ 30-rd magazine	2011
Sanctuary / Normandy		US Soldiers	M1928A1 w/ 30-rd magazine	2011
Dad's Army	Arthur Lowe	Captain George Mainwaring	M1928A1 w/ 30-rd and 50-rd magazine	1968-1977
Dad's Army	John Le Mesurier	Sergeant Arthur Wilson	M1928A1 w/ 30-rd and 50-rd magazine	1968-1977
Dad's Army	Ian Lavender	Private Frank Pike	M1928A1 w/ 30-rd and 50-rd magazine	1968-1977

Anime

Title	Character	Note	Date
Batman: Gotham Knight	Maroni's thugs		2008
Baccano!			2007
Mad Bull 34	Maury Edward's henchmen		1990

Video Games

Game Title	Appears as	Mods	Release Date
Call of Duty: World at War		M1928A1, box art only	2008
Call of Duty: World at War: Final Fronts		M1928A1, box art only	2008
Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven		With 50-round drum magazine
Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault		With 30-round box and 50-round drum magazine	2004
Medal of Honor: Vanguard			2007
Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie		With 50-round drum magazine	2005
Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb			2003
Fallout 2	Tommy Gun		1998
Fallout Tactics	Tommy Gun		2001
Timesplitters 2	Tommy Gun		2002
Turning Point: Fall of Liberty		M1928A1	2008
Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway			2008
Call of Duty: United Offensive		M1928A1, box art only	2004
Blood			1997
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater	Tommy gun	With 50-round drum and apparently formed out of bees	2004
Serious Sam video game series	M1-A2	With drum magazine, No reloading required	2001
Timesplitters	Tommy Gun		2000
The Royal Marines Commando	Thompson	With drum magazine	2008
Counter-Strike Online	Thompson Chaiago	Gold finish	2010
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker			2010
Mafia II		With 50-round drum	2010
World War II Online: Battleground Europe		With 30-round stick mag	2010
Serious Sam Double D	Tommy Gun	With 50-round drum, no butt-stock	2011

Animation

Film/TV Show	Actor	Character	Note	Date
Who Framed Roger Rabbit	June Foray	Wheezy		1988

M1 Thompson

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M1 Thompson with 20-round magazine - .45 ACP

The M1/M1A1 were versions of the M1928A1 Thompson that were streamlined and simplified for manufacture during World War 2. 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 actuator was also moved from the top to the right side of the receiver, with some models having the actuator on either left or right side. 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 "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.

Film

Title	Actor	Character	Note	Date
Hot Fuzz			Seen in evidence room	2007
Reign of Fire		British Refugee		2002
Magnum Force		Thug		1973
Kelly's Heroes	Clint Eastwood	Pvt. Kelly		1970
Kelly's Heroes	Telly Savalas	Master Sgt. Big Joe		1970
Kelly's Heroes	Don Rickles	Staff Sgt. Crapgame		1970
The Longest Day		Allied soldiers		1963

Television

Show Title / Episode	Actor	Character	Note	Air Date
Sanctuary / Normandy	Amanda Tapping	Dr. Helen Magnus	w/ 30-rd magazine	2011
Sanctuary / Normandy	Peter Wingfield	James Watson	w/ 30-rd magazine	2011
Sanctuary / Normandy	Erin Lacourciere	Jeanette Anaise	w/ 30-rd magazine	2011
Sanctuary / Normandy	Robin Dunne	Captain Jack Zimmerman	w/ 30-rd magazine	2011
Sanctuary / Normandy		US Soldiers	w/ 30-rd magazine	2011

Anime

Title	Character	Note	Date
Mad Bull 34	Don Enrico's thugs, N.Y.P.D. S.W.A.T. officers		1990

Video Games

Game Title	Mods	Passwords	Release Date
Silent Storm	With 20-round magazine		2003
WWII G.I.	With 20-round magazine		1999

M1A1 Thompson

Basically the same as the M1 but with a few more improvements such as the noted rear sight guard.

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M1A1 Thompson with 30-round magazine - .45 ACP

Film

Title	Actor	Character	Note	Date
Saving Private Ryan	Tom Hanks	Captain John H. Miller	.	1998
Saving Private Ryan	Ted Danson	Captain Fred Hamill	.	1998
Aliens	.	.	Mocked up as M41A Plse Rifles	1986
Diamonds Are Forever	.	CIA Agents	.	1971
The Omega Man	Paul Koslo	Dutch		1971
Kelly's Heroes	Clint Eastwood	Pvt. Kelly		1970
Kelly's Heroes	Telly Savalas	Master Sgt. Big Joe		1970
Kelly's Heroes	Don Rickles	Staff Sgt. Crapgame		1970
Pretty Boy Floyd	.	.	w/ vertical foregrips & fake Cutts comps	1960
The Young Lions	.	U.S. Army soldiers	.	1958
A Walk in the Sun	.	U.S. Army soldiers	.	1945
When Trumpets Fade	Ron Eldard	Pvt.Manning		1998
Black Book	.	.	.	2006
Kokoda	.	Australian soldiers	.	2010
New Kids Turbo	Ruud Matthijssen	Henk Snackbar		2010

Television

Title	Actor	Character	Note	Date
Mail Call		Re-enactor
Band of Brothers	.	U.S. Army soldiers	.	2001
My Name is Earl	John Amos	Joe		2008
The Pacific	Joseph Mazzello	Eugene Sledge	.	2010
The Pacific	James Badge Dale	Robert Leckie	.	2010
The Pacific	Gary Sweet	Gunnery Sgt. Elmo Haney	.	2010
The Pacific	Toby Leonard Moore	Sgt. Stone	.	2010
The Pacific	Rami Malek	PFC Merriell 'Snafu' Shelton	.	2010
The Pacific	Brendan Fletcher	Bill Leyden	.	2010
Sanctuary / Normandy	Robin Dunne	Captain Jack Zimmerman	w/ 30-rd magazine	2011

Video Games

Game Title	Appears as	Mods	Notes	Release Date
Return to Castle Wolfenstein				2001
Commandos 3: Destination Berlin			seen on cover	2003
Mafia II		With 20-round box magazine		2010
Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway				2008
Call of Duty: World at War		Aperture Sight, Suppressor, 40-round Drum Magazine		2008
Call of Duty: World at War: Final Fronts		With 20-round box magazine		2008
Call of Duty 3				2006
Medal of Honor: Heroes				2006
Commandos: Strike Force				2006
Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30				2005, 2008
Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood				2005
Call of Duty 2				2005
Call of Duty 2: Big Red One				2005
Resident Evil 4	Chicago Typewriter	w/ 50-rd drum magazine	Mafia costume required	2005
Call of Duty: Finest Hour				2004
Call of Duty: United Offensive				2004
Call of Duty				2003
Hour of Victory		With 30-round magazine		2007
Medal of Honor: Rising Sun				2003
Medal of Honor: Infiltrator				2003
Battlefield: 1942				2002
Medal of Honor: Allied Assault				2002
Medal of Honor: Frontline				2002
Vietcong				2003
World War II Online: Battleground Europe			Released with 1.34 update	2011
Hidden & Dangerous				1999
Battlefield Heroes	M1/Chicago Typewriter			2009

Auto Ordnance M1927 Thompson

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M1927 Thompson Auto-Ordnance with 50-round drum magazine - .45 ACP

The 1927 model was introduced by Auto Ordnance, capitalizing on the popularity of the sub-machine 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.

Video Games

Game Title	Appears as	Notes	Release Date
Batman: Arkham Asylum		not usable	2009

See Also

• Colt's Manufacturing Company - A list of all firearms manufactured by Colt.