Thompson Submachine Gun

[Jim K]

The semi-auto WH guns have a big disadvantage. Without advance primer ignition, it takes two men and three small boys to cock them for the first shot.

Jim

 

[Jim Watson]

It is not possible for me to hold to the high road and express myself fully about the emasculated semiautomatic toys sold to repressed subjects whose masters do not trust them with serious weapons.

 

[Tommygunn]

It is not possible for me to hold to the high road and express myself fully about the emasculated semiautomatic toys sold to repressed subjects whose masters do not trust them with serious weapons.

A feeling that has run through my heart & mind too.

 

[AlexanderA]

Actually, in most situations, semiautomatic fire is more effective than full-automatic fire. Therefore, in terms of civilian ownership, the "toy" appellation is more properly applied to the full-automatic guns than to their semiautomatic counterparts.

It's a little-known fact that in the 1920's, after the Army's experience with the BAR in WWI, there was a serious proposal within the Army to convert the inventory of BARs to fire semiautomatic only. (On the ground of effectiveness, ammunition consumption, etc.) This was sidetracked mainly because of the development of lighter semiautomatic rifles, eventually leading up to the Garand.

I would guess that if we didn't have the restrictions of the National Firearms Act, there wouldn't be nearly as much interest in fully-automatic weapons among civilians as there is now. Call it the "forbidden fruit" factor.

 

[Jim Watson]

Strange, considering that what the Army actually did was to eliminate semiauto altogether and set the BAR 1918A2 up for "slow" and "fast" full auto. A light touch on the trigger would deliver single shots in slow mode. But read 'Ordnance Went Up Front' to see what gunsmith Roy Dunlap and the outfits he maintained guns for thought about that gimmick.

 

[leadcounsel]

Having had ample experience in both full and semi-auto, here's my thoughts:
1. As a free nation and free men, we 'should' be able to own both with very little restriction.
2. For practical applications, full auto is only useful for either suppressive fire or mowing down a lot of people or perhaps against moving targets, like aircraft or vehicles. Neither are of much use to civilians.
3. I agree that for the serious civilian use, semi-auto is where it's at, and full auto is the 'toy.' Given the massive ammo consumption, most civilians can't feed full auto for very long.

 

[NavyEngineer]

I am trying to figure out what I want my first NFA purchase to be, as was discussed in another thread. I would probably only shoot the gun intermittently. I don't plan on needing one I can accessorize with red dots or other add ons.

So I am now wondering about the Thompson. I think it would be very cool to have a WWII Thompson for the historical value, in addition to being able to shoot it full auto when I wanted.

But I know little about them. What is a good source of info on them? What are the upsides and downsides of ownership? Can they be repaired if a part fails?

The best reference on the military Thompsons is American Thunder II by Frank Iannamico. Unfortunately, it is now out of print, but sometimes available at gun shows, etc. As already mentioned, you can learn a lot on the Thompson forum at machinegunboards.com I own and frequently shoot a Savage-built former USGI M1 Thompson. I enjoy shooting historical military firearms, and the Thompson is a lot of fun. Due to it's weight (over 10 pounds), it is very controllable in full auto when short bursts (3 rounds or so) are fired. I purchased a complete spare parts kit (except for the receiver), but would be surprised to ever need it. During military trials, they fired 10,000 rounds through test specimens without breaking any parts. I reload for mine, and would say that it's almost required if you plan to shoot it regularly, unless you are wealthy. .22 conversion kits are available and function relatively well, with the right ammo. I would pass on the West Hurley manufactured models, unless you have the opportunity to shoot it to verify it functions properly. I have seen USGI M1 and M1A1 Thompsons for sale for around $16-17,000 within the past few months.
Best of luck with your quest for a Thompson!