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About The Thompson Submachinegun "Tommy Gun"

This is undoubtedly the most recognizable submachinegun ever, from it's use by prohibition era gangsters to later uses in WWII. This firearm was developed by Colonel (later Brigadier-General) J. T. Thompson during WWI but did not see any use during the war. Since a fully-automatic .45ACP bullet firing machinegun was a new product and the war had ended, this firearm did not see much use and the Auto-Ordnance Corporation had trouble keeping out of insolvency. The depression aided in sales, both to law-enforcement agencies as well as to those on the other side of the law. The M1928 model has been immortalized through it's use in the movies but the subsequent military version labeled the Thompson M1A1 was produced in higher numbers.

The Tommy gun uses a gas blowback system but does incorporate a delay device to keep the bolt from opening until the gas pressure in the barrel had dropped. Two square grooves in the sides of the bolt at 45° with the lower ends closer to the bolt face and an H-shaped bridge that fits into them effects this closure system. When the gas pressure is high the bridge is raised and this allows the bolt to go forward. In addition to being an additional safety mechanism, it also slowed down the cyclic rate.

The M1A1 was adopted by the United States military in 1938. The wartime models were more utilitarian and not as beautifully made as the civilian ones. The H-bridge was removed from the M1A1 model and a heavier bolt put in its place; the compensator was also dropped and the foregrip was removed. The M1A1 was designed to only accept magazines, unlike the M1928 which could load both magazines and 50-round drums. The M1A1 also had a fixed firing pin on the face of the bolt and delivered excellent service during the course of WWII. The Thompson Tommy gun is easily recognizable through it's use in movies from depression era gangster movies to WWII films.

Additional reading on the web can be found on the following pages:

• M1 M1A1 Thompson Tommy Gun descriptive page.
• Detailed text about the Thompson Sub-Machinegun
• The unofficial Tommy-gun Page
• Auto-Ordnance Thompson pages
• Auto-Ordnance
• Thompson Collectors News