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Thompson Submachine Gun
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:
Specifications
- Weight: 10.8 lb (4.9 kg) empty (M1928A1)
- 10.6 lb (4.8 kg) empty (M1A1)
- Length: 33.5 in (851 mm) (M1928A1)
- 32 in (813 mm) (M1/A1)
- barrel 10.5 in (267 mm)
- barrel with optional Cutts Compensator 12 in (305 mm)
- Cartridge: .45 ACP (11.43 × 23 mm)
- Action: Blowback
- Rate of fire: 600-1200 rpm, depending upon model
- Muzzle velocity: 920 ft/s (280 m/s)
- Feed system: 20-round stick/box magazine
- 30-round stick/box magazine
- 50-round drum magazine
- 100-round drum magazine
- (M1 and M1A1 models do not accept drum magazines)
M1921 Thompson
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 | 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 |
| Mobsters | w/ 50-rd drum magazines | 1991 | ||
| Dick Tracy | 1990 | |||
| Moonwalker | 1988 | |||
| The Untouchables | w/ 50-rd drum magazines | 1987 | ||
| Romancing the Stone | 1984 | |||
| Dillinger | 1973 | |||
| The FBI Story | w/ 50-rd drum and 30-rd box magazines | 1959 | ||
| 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 | ||
| Bataan | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles | Todd Stashwick | Myron Stark / T-888 | 2008 - 2009 | |
| The Untouchables | 1993 - 1994 | |||
| Dads 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 M1A1 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 |
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.
Film
| Title | Actor | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 | |
| Last Man Standing | Christopher Walken | Hickey | 1996 | |
| Star Trek: First Contact | Patrick Stewart | Captain Jean-Luc Picard | w/ 50-rd drum magazine | 1996 |
| 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 | Johnny | w/ 50-rd drum magazine | 1990 | |
| Miller's Crossing | w/ 50-rd drum magazines | 1990 | ||
| The Untouchables | Mobsters | 1987 | ||
| The Untouchables | Police | 1987 | ||
| The Untouchables | Federal Agents | 1987 | ||
| Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom | Ric Young | Kao Kan | w/ 50-rd drum magazine | 1984 |
| The Big Red One | M1928A1 | 1980 | ||
| Dawn of the Dead | Larry Vaira | Biker | w/ 50-rd drum and 30-rd box magazines | 1978 |
| The Inglorious Bastards | Bo Svenson | Lt. Robert Yeager | 1978 | |
| Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia | Gangsters | 1974 | ||
| Too Late the Hero | Michael Caine | Pvt. Tosh Hearne | M1928A1 | 1970 |
| Too Late the Hero | Ian Benn | Pvt. Jock Thornton | M1928A1 | 1970 |
| The Godfather | Barzini hitmen | w/ 50-rd drum magazines | 1972 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 |
| Jet Pilot | U.S. Air Force personnel | M1928A1 | 1957 | |
| To Hell and Back | Audie Murphy | Himself | M1928A1 | 1955 |
| Them! | Police | 1954 | ||
| Them! | Soldiers | 1954 | ||
| The Enforcer | 1951 | |||
| A Walk In The Sun | Police Officer | M1928A1 | 1948 | |
| The Story of G.I. Joe | Robert Mitchum | Lt. Bill Walker | M1928A1 | 1945 |
| A Walk In The Sun | M1928A1 | 1945 |
Television
| Show Title / Episode | Actor | Character | Note | Air Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman / That Old Gang of Mine | Gangsters | w/ 50-rd drum magazine | 1993 - 1997 | |
| 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. 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 |
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 | ||
| Timesplitters 2 | Tommy Gun | 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 | ||
| Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater | Tommy gun | With 50-round drum and apparently formed out of bees | 2004 |
| Timesplitters | Tommy Gun | 2000 |
M1 Thompson
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
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.
Film
| Title | Actor | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band of Brothers | U.S. Army soldiers | 2001 | ||
| Saving Private Ryan | Tom Hanks | Captain John H. Miller | 1998 | |
| Saving Private Ryan | Ted Danson | Captain Fred Hamill | 1998 | |
| Forrest Gump | Gary Sinise | One of Lt. Dan Taylor's ancestors | 1994 | |
| 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 | ||
| A Walk in the Sun | 1945 |
Television
- Reanactor on Mail Call.
Video Games
| Game Title | Appears as | Mods | Notes | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | |||
| 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 | |||
| 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 |