Thompson SMG drum magazine in WWII?

[jmars]

I was watching a WWII documentary on PBS recently, and clearly saw a marine fighting in the Pacific using a Thompson equipped with a drum magazine (and a Cutts compensator).

I didn't think drum magazines were issued to troops?

Comments, please?

 

[.455_Hunter]

Yes- on the early guns.

 

[CapnMac]

I didn't think drum magazines were issued to troops?

Navy Department bought a large number of the 1922 and later 1928 Thompsons to equip the Marines.
Both C and L drums were purchased, too.
There was a khaki carrier for drums that was issued with the drums.
Pouch for same:

The weapons stayed with their Regiments, and went forward with them off to war.

The less-ideal features of a drum magazine are what led to them being replaced by stick magazines when the M1 and M1A1 were developed & issued.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

Ive seen pictures of British Home Guard using them too.

 

[Carl N. Brown]

The L drum magazines were issued with Thompsons used by the Marines in WWII.
They weighed 2.6 pounds in an 11 or 12 pound Thompson. They were slow to swap out when empty compared to the 20 round XX stick magazine.
Eventually both the US Marines and the Brits got tired of them. After the 30 round Thompson stick magazine came out there the drums went away.

 

[entropy]

I was watching a WWII documentary on PBS recently, and clearly saw a marine fighting in the Pacific using a Thompson equipped with a drum magazine (and a Cutts compensator).

I didn't think drum magazines were issued to troops?

Comments, please?

First use of them in combat was by Marines in Nicaragua in 1927. There were some floating around the arms rooms of the Marines when WWII started.

 

[Ironicaintit]

Sticks are lighter and faster to change, as well as being less cumbersome.
I bet there were issues too, with troops losing the "3rd hand" that enabled drum use

 

[AlexanderA]

I bet there were issues too, with troops losing the "3rd hand" that enabled drum use

Whoa. The "3rd hand" is only relevant with semiautomatic (closed bolt) modern commercial Thompsons. All military-issue Thompsons fired from the open bolt, so there was no problem sliding the drum magazine in with the bolt retracted (on an M1928 or M1928A1). Bottom line: there was no "3rd hand" in WW2. Simply didn't exist.

 

[Ironicaintit]

Whoa. The "3rd hand" is only relevant with semiautomatic (closed bolt) modern commercial Thompsons. All military-issue Thompsons fired from the open bolt, so there was no problem sliding the drum magazine in with the bolt retracted (on an M1928 or M1928A1). Bottom line: there was no "3rd hand" in WW2. Simply didn't exist.

Oops, my ignorance is showing!
I should research more before I post.
I only knew of the 3rd hand because of the Thompson I got to play with as a kid.... I didn't think of the differences.
Good catch, my bad

 

[AlexanderA]

No problem. I've been educated here myself.

 

[Hoser]

Drum mags also lock in differently from stick mags. They come in from the side where sticks come in from the bottom. M1 and M1As dont have the notches for drums where 1921/28s do. I think... My knowledge in M1s is minimal, but enough to be dangerous.

 

[entropy]

You are correct. M1 Thompsons can only take stick mags.

 

[Zygodactyl]

My Dad was in an Army Aviation Engineer Bn during World War II. They built airstrips on Islands in the Pacific. He was stationed in Panama when the war started. They then sent them to the Galapagos' Islands to build air strips. His unit were issued with model 1928's and drum magazines. A General would make inspections of the various units and would draft my Dad to load drum magazines while he shot sharks from a boat. Later his unit was sent to New Guinea where they had to turn in the 1928's for Thompson M1's. He was not happy. When they were preparing for the invasion of the Philippines they started issuing grease guns.