Home Defense | Thompson 1927A-1 vs AR15

[ddc]

 

[Bazoo]

I say keep the Thompson after you figure out it’s reliable. The AR is better for a fighting weapon. Same as a glock is better than a single action. That don’t mean the single action isn’t sufficient. But, we ain’t talking bout kickin in doors and clearing houses. We are talking bout holed up and defending yourself. The advantage is the caliber and that you already have it, and plan on loading for it. . Ease of loading and how inexpensive cast or plated bullets will reload for lots of practice is a major advantage.

 

[md7]

If it were me, I’d probably keep the Thompson and buy myself a solid AR.

And also a big ole pile of mags, a quick adjust two point sling, an aimpoint, a light, and as much ammo as I could afford plus a little more.

Later….. duplicate. Because 2 is 1 and all that.

 

[someguy2800]

View attachment 1066539

1.....2.....10!

 

[zaitcev]

If you want a rifle or carbine why not a .45 ACP PCC as @armedwalleye mentioned?

The selection of PCCs in .45 is very poor.

First of course is the "Thompson" reproduction by Auto Ordnance, mentioned by OP.

Then, CMMG Resolute (or Banshee if you're ok with a braced pistol).

And... That's about it. Everything else is either blowback (Cx4), or a HiPoint, or super-expensive kit like LWRC SMG-45. Kriss? Oh please. B&T APC-45? Unobtanium.

So, CMMG. But it's is not cheap either. The rifle version was $1,600 MSRP even before Bidenflation started for real.

 

[Pat Riot]

The selection of PCCs in .45 is very poor.

First of course is the "Thompson" reproduction by Auto Ordnance, mentioned by OP.

Then, CMMG Resolute (or Banshee if you're ok with a braced pistol).

And... That's about it. Everything else is either blowback (Cx4), or a HiPoint, or super-expensive kit like LWRC SMG-45. Kriss? Oh please. B&T APC-45? Unobtanium.

So, CMMG. But it's is not cheap either. The rifle version was $1,600 MSRP even before Bidenflation started for real.

Wow! You are right. For some reason I had it in my head that the Ruger PC Carbine was available in .45. Well, there is the…dare I say it? Hi-Point

I was thinking .45 ACP mostly for convenience (he already has .45 ammo), power (hard to argue .45 ACP isn’t a good HD round) and noise (easier on the ears indoors than many other pistol rounds).

 

[Alex Clayton]

Wow! You are right. For some reason I had it in my head that the Ruger PC Carbine was available in .45. Well, there is the…dare I say it? Hi-Point

I was thinking .45 ACP mostly for convenience (he already has .45 ammo), power (hard to argue .45 ACP isn’t a good HD round) and noise (easier on the ears indoors than many other pistol rounds).

If they ever offer the Ruger in .45 I will be an early buyer
Same if they ever build one in 10mm. The great thing about PCC's in any caliber is the ease of shooting. Pretty much anyone can soon put multiple rounds into a target at even the furthest range that will be found in the average home. Few shooters can do this with any handgun without a LOT of time on the range.

 

[AlexanderA]

I have fired a .45 ACP indoors with no hearing protection. It’s loud but not painful. There is no way in hell I would ever want to have to fire an AR-15 indoors. Not with standard 5.56 or .223 ammo. No way. My hearing s jacked as it is.

It's not as if you would be making a regular practice of self-defense shooting indoors. I think your hearing would survive a once-in-a-lifetime event. (If you have to shoot people on more than one occasion in your home, perhaps your lifestyle needs examining.)

 

[bigmike45]

As much as I trust & enjoy shooting my AR's, I would choose the Thompson any day. The .45acp is a proven man stopper, in the 1911. In the longer barreled semi-auto it is devestating. I have shot both the semi auto and the full auto versions. A buddy of mine hung up a feral hog he killed with a rifle and we shot it with the Thompson and it destroyed the hog, almost cutting it in half. The full auto version is a hand full to shoot. I am 6'4" & 295lbs and I had to lean into it to keep it on target. Extremely fun to shoot but a hand full to hold onto.

 

[Choctaw]

I have fired a .45 ACP indoors with no hearing protection. It’s loud but not painful. There is no way in hell I would ever want to have to fire an AR-15 indoors. Not with standard 5.56 or .223 ammo. No way. My hearing s jacked as it is.

If you want a rifle or carbine why not a .45 ACP PCC as @armedwalleye mentioned?

When I was in elementary school (early seventies when kids could still have fun) a Texas DPS trooper put on a shooting demonstration for grades K-12 in our auditorium. One of the guns he used was a Thompson. It was loud but SO cool! That guy ended up giving me my first speeding ticket when I turned 15.

The Thompson was a fighting tool back in the 20's through the 40's. In today's world I use an AR (various calibers) for just about everything including work and HD. With an AR you can totally customize it to exactly what you perceive the mission to be, whether it's as a truck gun, hunting rifle or for defending your home and family. I own nostalgic firearms but for serious work I utilize modern weapons with modern accessories.

 

[Ethan Verity]

When I was in elementary school (early seventies when kids could still have fun) a Texas DPS trooper put on a shooting demonstration for grades K-12 in our auditorium. One of the guns he used was a Thompson. It was loud but SO cool! That guy ended up giving me my first speeding ticket when I turned 15.

Wait...WHAT?? He was shooting guns in your school auditorium? What was the backstop, just popping them off into a wall?

 

[AlexanderA]

Wait...WHAT?? He was shooting guns in your school auditorium? What was the backstop, just popping them off into a wall?

Had to be blanks. (Blank-adapting a Thompson isn't easy. For one thing you need a special magazine with a spacer, and then some kind of bore restrictor.)

 

[Jim Watson]

I bought a very sweet Thompson 1927A-1 rifle in the beautiful case hardened color with 16" barrel. (I'll try to post a stock image below.) It's a ridiculously heavy beast, and it's a pain to rack, but I've read that these rifles shoot extremely accurate and are built like tanks for ultra reliability. (Mine is still NIB for the time being,

So shoot it and you tell us if it is suitable to defend your house.

I have shot the semiauto and a live legal M1A1. I rated them as novelty items, there are better gunfighting guns now.

 

[bannockburn]

ZenRooster

So my question is this: Should I simply keep the Thompson and get used to shooting such a heavy gun? (The upside is zero felt recoil, I'm told.) Or should I sell/trade it for something more practical, like an AR15, Galil ACE, etc?

In a word "No" to the idea of using the Thompson as a HD gun. There are many other decent choices out there like PCCs and M4 copies that are better suited for the task at hand. I would keep the Thompson as a fun gun to take to the range and look for something else that is more practical, lighter in weight, have the ability to mount various optics, flashlights, etc., and be a lot less expensive than the Thompson.

 

[.455_Hunter]

I rated them as novelty items, there are better gunfighting guns now.

Exactly how I view Glock and it's striker friends.

When I bought my Thompson, I did an initial cleaning and oiling, followed by a 30 round stick mag dump into a metal desktop computer cover- no jams, no FTE, 100% perfect.

I rate that above novelty capability, but to each-his own.

 

[ZenRooster]

Thanks for all the thoughts, everyone. Here are a few thoughts of my own.

Reliability and durability are certainly valid concerns. I prefer the concept of low maintenance and adequate performance.

Ooh. Yes, I forgot about low maintenance. That's important to me, as it goes hand-in-hand with reliability and durability (IMHO). In fact, low maintenance is the main reason that I was considering the Galil ACE as an alternative to the Thompson.

Ive heard a bit about reliability issues with that particular beast, so I'd definitely want to run it a bunch first, to check for reliability issues.

Me too. From my online reading, it seems that the older ones made in West Hurley NY were hit or miss on quality control (often referred to online as garbage), but the newer ones from Worchester MA are much better all around — quality, fit and finish, etc. Mine is a newer one made in Worchester MA, but still there's the following issue...

Now the gun might be reliable, but we don’t know if YOUR gun is reliable and the AR is generally a known quantity.

Exactly! And the only way to find out for sure is to...

try shooting it for awhile. see if you like it.

Unfortunately, I really don't wish to shoot it until I make the decision about keeping it. This particular firearm is more of a range toy / showpiece / safe queen for most people. That said, if I do decide to sell it, then I'd probably get more for it in its current NIB / unfired condition. On the other hand, I really REALLY want to shoot it!

I even bought a rifle barrel mount and green laser to make shooting from the hip (aka gangster style) much more practical for accuracy! LOL

The selection of PCCs in .45 is very poor.

First of course is the "Thompson" reproduction by Auto Ordnance, mentioned by OP.

Then, CMMG Resolute (or Banshee if you're ok with a braced pistol).

And... That's about it. Everything else is either blowback (Cx4), or a HiPoint, or super-expensive kit like LWRC SMG-45. Kriss? Oh please. B&T APC-45? Unobtanium.

Agreed. My top choices were the Thompson, CMMG Banshee / Resolute, the B&T APC45 Pro, or the H&K USC.

I decided against the B&T APC45 Pro, because the barrel is short. I might as well save $2500 and just stick with my 1911 and an extra mag or two. The CMMG lines are good, but they just discontinued the previous models and changed a few things on the newer models, and I'd like to wait a few more months to read reviews on the newer models. And the H&K USC is just "meh," IMHO.

If I shy away from the 45 ACP platform, then I'll likely buy something in 300 AAC / Blackout, such as a new Wilson Combat, or I may splurge and buy a Q Honey Badger. Those just look super cool! But also super expensive (and probably not worth the coin)!

Thanks again, everyone.

Regards,
ZR

 

[CapnMac]

That said, if I do decide to sell it, then I'd probably get more for it in its current NIB / unfired condition.

Maybe, maybe not. Near as I can tell, nobody gets as much for "unfired" as a dealer does on first sale.

 

[FL-NC]

The 45 ACP PCC would be an ideal HD weapon, except- not the one YOU have, in my humble opinion. Heavy, VALUABLE (in view of keeping it accessible for use, or, heaven forbid- you lose it cause you needed to use it), and it doesn't loan itself well to mounting a light (which is very important to me in any HD gun). I think you would be better off with one of the Ruger 9mm carbines, that are compatible with modern accessories like red dot sights and white lights. Keltec even makes a small carbine that uses Beretta 92 mags- I never fired one, but I have heard that they are pretty decent.

 

[HPJeep]

Um, you're not going to be humping that Thompson all over creation in a home defense scenario. Shoot it, get used to it and make sure it's reliable. If not then get something else. Granted I wouldn't buy one as my first choice but you already own it so give it a whirl.

 

[Gordon]

The problem with the Tommy gun is it doesn't fire from open bolt that reliably strips long stick mags or drums into the chamber. Those are reliable.The conversation to closed bolt pretty much relagates it to a range gun rather than a battle tool. Also let's face it the .45 acp or even more the 9 mm puts less than half the energy of the 5.56 into the target . Put , say Winchester 64 grain PowerPoint ammo in it and an M4 sized weapon is devastating to 100 yards and way beyond. Up close in a home the penetration of an expanding bullet in a 5.56 makes it no more penetration of building structure than a 45 or 9 mm. A 10" to 16" M4 configuration Ar in 5.56 is about as effective as you can get for stopping someone.Its right up there with a rifle 12 ga. Slug up to 100 yards. On the wound tract the afore mentioned Winchester Power point give on bipeds.

 

[mokin]

I've wondered about a Tommy gun for home defense ever since I saw a guy use one in a 3 Gun match over a dozen years ago. The gun was plenty reliable and accurate. And it was .45 Auto. If you think you'll use it for home defense, see how it works with ammo other than ball.

ETA: We really like range reports with pictures.

 

[Goosey]

However, I feel that I probably could use a higher capacity, semi-automatic rifle or carbine for ... scenarios up to 100 yards out. And that's where I need the advice.

I think my greatest concerns ... are reliability, durability, and ammo availability.

If those situations are your main concerns then trade away the Thompson and get a .223 AR or a modern .45/9mm PCC like the CMMG Banshee. But if they are not, and you like the Thompson, then keep the Thompson.

 

[js8588]

You really want to shoot it.

So shoot it.

If it's not reliable, send it back under warranty, have them fix it, THEN sell it.

If it's reliable, well, you're good to go.

 

[Beck]

The Thompson is very cool to have... hang onto it. But get some sort of carbine for the kind of when SHTF you alluded to. You mentioned 100 yards. That eliminates the Thompson 1927A-1 as a suitable choice right off the bat.

Keep it simple... get a good AR-15, Mini-14, or Mini-30 and be happy. There are many other options, but those are the first line no brainers for what you're lacking in firepower. You'll have reliability, durability, and ammo availability in spades with all of the above. The M1 Carbine is also a contender if you can find one.

~Beck

 

[Jerry M]

I suggest you shoot your 1927 and see how it is for reliability and accuracy. If it meets both requirements, keep it. If not get an AR. I think that a 230 gr. FMJ from a 16 inch barrel would be more than suffice self defense wise. It seem to be with 5 inch barrel from 1911.