Shot a Thompson Machine Gun, Man did that thing climb!

If you're firing an M-1 or M-1A1, without the vertical foregrip, don't grasp the foreend, simply let it rest in the palm of your hand. Then, lean well into it and let her rip. If I can keep a 20-round mag in a B-27 at 10 yards, anyone can do it.

With a gun with a foregrip, don't put a death-grip on it. Just hold it lightly, not even a firm handshake grip.

 

It climbed on you????

Hmm, I remember firing one a few years back, (when I was younger!) and I don't remember it climbing at all! Matter of fact, I figured i could write my name with it! Have fired M16's, a Stoner 63, Browning 1919A4, an M60E3, a P90, MP5, M2carbines, M14's, mini-uzis, Mac 10 & 11's, Mg34, Swedish K, and a crappy Reising. Might have forgotten a couple in there. The worst one for climbing was the carbine M2. Didn't have too much trouble with the M14, which was the next worst one. Oh, and a Steyr Aug, didn't like it much. The M14's were fantastic once you cut the barrel down to either 16 or 18 inches and put a compensator on the barrel, made them balanced and they just recoiled straight back as opposed to climbing. And, I'm a girl! Even got pictures of me with the M60 shooting from the hip.
Wish we'd bought a Thompson, it was fun to shoot! I liked the rate of fire on it, thought it was very controllable! Oh, yeah, I only weighed about 120 lbs at the time I shot it, and yes, I'm female! I love to shoot full auto, just can't afford it anymore! And, yes, I'm a good shot!

 

I fired one just a few months ago in Houston. If you didn't take control of it yeah, it would climb, a little. I had no problem holding it on target.

 

My grandfather carried a Thompson in WWII (and a very worn out 1911) and noted that he had to aim low and to one side (I forget which) to compensate for muzzle climb.


gp911

 

YMCA Camp

I have not shot a Thompson for about 45 years - I cannot remember if it climbed, probably not.

When I was 8 or 9 years old, I went to the local YMCA summer camp. One of the activities was firearms training - we learned safety and target shooting with .22 rifles. Local police officers came out and taught the firearms program. Then we had a shooting competition, and the winners not only won a ribbon, but got to "shoot" the department's Thompson and a .357 revolver! The actual shooting, of course, was with an officer helping you hold the gun, but what the heck! I was one of the top 3 so I got to shoot both! It is still quite a memory. When I got home, my father, who as a paratrooper in WWII carried a Thompson through much of the European campaign, was thrilled when I got home and told him. He admitted I was one up on him, as he had never fired a .357.

Wasn't YMCA camp, I don't know, just better all those years ago?

 

While at the Old Fort Gun Club rifle range I heard full auto shooting at the pistol range. My brother said nobody shoots full auto in our area. When I went to the pistol range an older gentleman did indeed have a Tommygun.

I asked about it and he offered to let me shoot a 30 round mag, I counteroffered to use my FMJ ammo but he only wanted to shoot lead only so not to wear the barrel. It did have a good amount of muzzle rise for a 45. It was great, even though he fired about 300 rounds it never failed once. He also called it a cheap Tommygun because it was a WWII M1 without a Cutts Compensator.

 

Did you have the chance to shoot a M14 on full auto while in the Army?

I never saw anyone, in the standing position, hold a M14 on target in full auto mode for all 20 rounds.

 

The talk about how to hold a Thompson reminded me of a scene in an old Jimmy Stewart movie IIRC titled The F.B.I. Story. In one scene there's a bunch of trainees at an indoor range shooting 1921 Thompsons with vertical foregrips; they were "cupping" the foregrip in their left hands. At the time I wondered if that was accurate, but according to some here it seems as though it was atleast possible ... hmmmmm.

 

I've never shot a MG (some day!) but I'm betting that the high bore axis relative to the shoulder stock on the Tommy gun has a lot to do with muzzle rise. M16s and Uzi all have an in-line recoil, so I'd imagine you get more of a push backwards rather than a rotation of the gun up around the shoulder.

 

where are her safety glasses?

 

" I don't want no teen age queen, all I wants my M14 !!

 

This is an uncompensated M1 thompson. the guy shooting it is big and had no problem keeping tight sustained groups at 25 yards. the M1 has a slow cycle rate and really doesn/t need the cutts.
When I tried to control the recoil, I would overcontrol and string the group up and down. I was able to do this with short bursts:'

 

To Gary P...m14

Well, on M14's, the original configuration is nearly impossible to hold standing up and shooting off a full 20 rd mag-BUT...we shortened ours to 18 inches, moved the front sight to the top of the gas cylinder, put a Fabian compensator on it, and I could hold a full magazine with no rise to the muzzle, it recoiled straight back! I also kept it to a small area of fire, at about 100 yards, the size of a basketball, on full auto, no stopping. For me, at the time, (I was about 27 or so, just started shooting) that was pretty good! Those Fabian comps were great! (we had to thread the comp to take the place of the gas cylinder retaining ring) Worked like a charm! Basically it looks like the Socom II now. (guess we should have patented it )
We were really happy with them.

 

I was able to shoot a Tommy and MP5 not long ago while we were in Vegas. The Tommy did not have a compensator, and yes it does climb. I've shot plenty of guns in my entire life and know the difference. After a little practice and instruction I learned how to control the gun against what it wanted to do. I see posts on here that make it seem like you can hold it in one hand like a water pistol and it's not going anywhere. Yes, it is a heavy gun and yes, with a little practice and proper bursting you can hold it very reasonably on target. However, yes, it does rise and for a first timer it would be noticeable until you managed it.

BTW, the MP5 was the most fun you can have with clothes on. Talk about controllable. Four 30 round mags in a hole the size of a softball. What a dream.

 

M-14

There were two guys on my last ship (USS John Young DD-973) that could keep the M-14 in a tight (softball size) pattern in full auto for a 20 round mag. GMGC Cheeseman and CWO2 Abad. Both of these guys were big ol boys. The best I could do was short burst and keep it on a silhouette at 100 yards. Of course I wasn't a Gunners Mate either.

 

GaryP

Not my time for the M14 I entered in 1981. Retired in 2005

 

mec quoted

This Thompson is cycling fast, too fast. I know slow cycling and fast cycling. I can understand if it is cycling slow enough then the balance of the weapon will recover for the next round. The force of climb is just too great and seems to me dangerously fasteven for a three and four round burst. From the way the posters are replying I know that there is something wrong. BTW the stringing goes straight up. Dead vertical.

 

Thompsons have a couple of rates of fire. Some are as fast as a MAC. It depends on the bolt that is in the gun.

It really doesnt matter how fast the gun runs, the technique is still the same.

 

I just thought I'd say..
"Roland the headless thompson gunner! Time stands still 'till he evens up the score!"
Rest in peace Warren Zevon.