Error creating thumbnail: File missing Join our Discord!
If you have been locked out of your account you can request a password reset here.

Thompson Submachine Gun

From Internet Movie Firearms Database - Guns in Movies, TV and Video Games
Revision as of 12:47, 28 June 2009 by Orca1 9904 (talk | contribs)
Jump to navigation Jump to search

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 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, and video games used by the following actors:

M1921 Thompson

Error creating thumbnail: File missing
Colt 1921A Thompson with 20-round magazine - .45 ACP
Error creating thumbnail: File missing
Colt 1921A Thompson with 50-round drum magazine - .45 ACP
Error creating thumbnail: File missing
M1921 Thompson with 50-round drum magazine .45 ACP

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
Public Enemies Johnny Depp John Dillinger with 50-round drum and 30-round box magazines 2009
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Ray Winstone Mac With M1928A1 handguard 2008
Mobsters With 50-round drum magazines 1991
Dick Tracy 1990
Moonwalker 1988
Dillinger 1973
The FBI Story With 50-round drum and 30-round box magazines 1959
Sahara Humphrey Bogart Sgt. Joe Gunn 1943
Sahara Rex Ingram Sgt. Major Tambul With 50-round 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 M1928A1 handguards 1945
Bataan 1943
Each Dawn I Die Prison Guard With 50-round drum magazine 1939
Angels With Dirty Faces Police officers With 50-round drum magazines 1938
San Quentin Prison Guard With 50-round drum magazine 1937
Bullets or Ballots Police Officers With 50-round drum magazines 1936
G Men James Cagney Brick Davis With 50-round drum magazine 1935
G Men Robert Armstrong Jeff McCord with 50-round drum magazine 1935
Little Caesar With 50-round drum magazines 1931
The Untouchables With 50-round drum magazines 1987

Television

Actor Character Show Title / Episode Note Air Date
Todd Stashwick Myron Stark / T-888 Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles 2008 - 2009
The Untouchables 1959 - 1963
The Untouchables 1993 - 1994
Sam Neill Reilly Reilly: Ace of Spies 1983

Video Games

Game Title Mods Passwords Release Date
Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth 2005
No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy In HARM's Way As the "M1921-A1", with 50-round drum magazine 2002
Contract J.A.C.K. As the "M1921-A1" 2003
Medal of Honor: Airborne "Upgrade" from M1A1 Thompson, with 50-round drum magazine 2007
Bioshock As the "Machine Gun", with 40-round drum magazine 2007
Silent Storm With 50-round drum magazine 2003

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.

Error creating thumbnail: File missing
M1928 "Tommy Gun" .45 ACP with 50-round drum magazine, made famous through countless classic gangster movies
Error creating thumbnail: File missing
M1928A1 Thompson with 30-round magazine and early 'simplified' rear sight that would be adopted for the M1 Thompson - .45 ACP
Error creating thumbnail: File missing
M1928A1 Thompson with 50-round drum magazine - .45 ACP

Film

Title Actor Character Note Date
Public Enemies M1928A1 2009
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
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom Ric Young Kao Kan With 50-round drum magazine 1984
Road to Perdition Tom Hanks Michael Sullivan 2002
Road to Perdition Mobsters 2002
Star Trek: First Contact Patrick Stewart Captain Jean-Luc Picard 1996
King Kong S.S. Venture crew With 50-round drum magazines 2005
The Shadow Tim Curry Farley Claymore M1928A1 1994
Dawn of the Dead Larry Varia Biker with 50-round drum and 30-round box magazines 1978
The Inglorious Bastards Bo Svenson Lt. Robert Yeager 1978
Bonnie and Clyde Warren Beatty Clyde Barrow With 50-round drum magazine 1967
Bonnie and Clyde Faye Dunaway Bonnie Parker With 50-round drum magazine 1967
Home Alone Johnny With 50-round drum magazine 1990
Scarface Police 1934
Scarface Gangsters 1934
The Rocketeer FBI Special Agents 1991
The Rocketeer Gangsters 1991
Last Man Standing Christopher Walken Hickey 1996
Assault on Precinct 13]] With 50-round drum magazine 2005
The Matrix Reloaded Henchman With 50-round drum magazine 2003
The Mummy Returns Oded Fehr Ardeth Bay With 50-round drum magazine 2001
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor Brendan Fraser Rick O'Connell With "25"-round box and 50-round drum magazines 2008
The Godfather Barzini hitmen With 50-round drum magazines 1972
Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia Gangsters 1974
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Soviet soldiers M1928A1 2008
Them! Soldiers 1954
Them! Police 1954
The Untouchables Mobsters 1987
The Untouchables Police 1987
The Untouchables Federal Agents 1987
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
Pearl Harbor U.S. military personnel M1928A1, with 50-round drum and 30-round box magazines 2001
Miller's Crossing With 50-round drum magazines 1990
The Big Red One M1928A1 1980
Too Late the Hero Michael Caine Pvt. Tosh Hearne M1928A1 1970
Too Late the Hero Ian Benn Pvt. Jock Thornton M1928A1 1970
The Bridge at Remagen M1928A1 1969
Jet Pilot U.S. Air Force personnel M1928A1 1957
To Hell and Back Audie Murphy Himself M1928A1 1955
The Enforcer 1951
The Story of G.I. Joe Robert Mitchum Lt. Bill Walker M1928A1 1945
A Walk In The Sun M1928A1 1945
Patton U.S. Army soldiers M1928A1 1970
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian Mobsters 2009
Blown Away IRA terrorists M1928A1 1994

Television

Actor Character Show Title / Episode Note Air Date
William Shatner Captain James T. Kirk Star Trek / A Piece of the Action With 50-round drum magazines 1966 - 1969
Leonard Nimoy Lt. Spock Star Trek / A Piece of the Action With 50-round drum magazines 1966 - 1969
DeForest Kelley Dr. Leonard H. McCoy Star Trek / A Piece of the Action With 50-round drum magazines 1966 - 1969
Sigma Iotia II natives Star Trek / A Piece of the Action With 50-round drum magazines 1966 - 1969
Holographic gangster Star Trek: The Next Generation / Manhunt 1987 - 1994
Tim Russ Tuvok Star Trek: Voyager / The Killing Game M1928A1 1995 - 2001
U.S. Army soldiers Combat! M1928A1 1962 - 1967
Gangsters Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman / That Old Gang of Mine With 50-round drum magazine 1993 - 1997

Video Games

Game Title Mods Passwords 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
Timesplitters 2 As the "Tommy Gun", can be dual-wielded 2002
Turning Point: Fall of Liberty 2008
Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway 2008
Call of Duty: United Offensive M1928A1, box art only 2004
Blood 1997

M1 Thompson

Error creating thumbnail: File missing
M1 Thompson with 20-round magainze - .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 no knurling on actuators, or fire select levers. 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 simple rear peep sights and a slightly more complex bolt design, which was simplified with the M1A1 Thompson and the sights were improved as the "L type" was prone to bend if the weapon was dropped or dig into the Soldier when in cramped conditions. It must be noted the M1/M1A1 Thompson's are not compatable with the 50/70 round drum magazines used on the M1921/M1928A1 models.

Film

Title Actor Character Note Date
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
Magnum Force Thug 1973
Reign of Fire British Refugee 2002
The Longest Day Allied soldiers 1963
Hot Fuzz Seen in evidence room 2007

Video Games

Game Title Mods Passwords Release Date
Silent Storm With 20-round magazine 2003

M1A1 Thompson

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

Error creating thumbnail: File missing
M1A1 Thompson with 30-round magazine .45 ACP

Film

Title Actor Character Note Date
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
Saving Private Ryan Tom Hanks Captain John H. Miller
Saving Private Ryan Ted Danson Captain Fred Hamill
Aliens Used as part of M41A Plse Rifles
The Omega Man Paul Koslo Dutch
Forrest Gump Gary Sinise One of Lt. Dan Taylor's ancestors
Diamonds Are Forever CIA Agents
Band of Brothers U.S. Army soldiers
Pretty Boy Floyd With vertical foregrips and fake Cutts compensators 1960
A Walk in the Sun 1945

Video Games

Game Title Mods Passwords Release Date
Battlefield: 1942 2002
Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 2005, 2008
Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood 2005
Medal of Honor: Frontline 2002
Medal of Honor: Heroes 2006
Medal of Honor: Rising Sun 2003
Medal of Honor: Infiltrator 2003
Medal of Honor: Allied Assault 2002
Call of Duty 2003
Call of Duty: United Offensive 2004
Call of Duty: Finest Hour 2004
Call of Duty 2 2005
Call of Duty 2: Big Red One 2005
Call of Duty: World at War 2008
Call of Duty: World at War: Final Fronts With 20-round box magazine 2008
Call of Duty 3 2006
Resident Evil 4 As the "Chicago Typewriter", with optional 50-round drum magazine and vertical foregrip Mafia costume required 2005
Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway 2008