Tommy Guns are Heavy!

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Kamicosmos

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Local Cabela's had a 1927A1 Auto Ordnance Thompson. It was what I think of as the 'Gangster' version, with the forward pistol grip and (10 round) drum mag.

Anyway, I was surprised at how heavy that thing is!! I'm sure its a joy to shoot felt-recoil wise, but man. Were the real things that heavy?! I'd hate to have to hump one of those around in combat. How about carrying it around discretely under a trench coat? Perhaps they doubled as tank-traps? :neener:
 
First generation of SMG. What did you expect from a 1920's design? Discrete they ain't. Mind you, criminals then didn't care much about the law any more than current criminals do.
 
When I first went to work for the USTD our agency had given the last of the Thompsons to the FBI. Some were 1927 with overstamp 1928. Those would be worth a pretty penny now. At one time i had a list of the ones our agency had all over the country. We even had one in The Dallas, Oregon!

It became my lot during a TDY to our office at Fort Knox, Ky. to tell the folks there to turn in their Thompsons as excess. I got to fire one first and it was a great experience. At one time we had the 50 round drums for them.

We had replaced the Thompsons with the Uzi equipped with the folding stock. I had to carry an Uzi on a 20 hour mission that included a trip in a C5A from SFO to a ANG Base near Denver. I was certainly glad I was carrying an Uzi and not the Thompson!

I saw a few Thompson's in Vietnam but more M3A1 SMG's. I even bought a M3A1 for my personal use while there. One lieutenant carried a Swedish K with one magazine, but I had 6 mags for my M3A1.
 
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When I was in Vegas I went to a gunstore and rented the Thompson.

I got for stick mags with the rental and the guy told me to carry those as he had to carry the gun into the range. Just the mags were heavy! Then when he gave me the gun I was shocked.

Someone got this duty in WW2 not only to carry 12? pounds of gun but probably 8-12 stick mags as well.

Tough S.O.B.s they were.
 
I've heard the Thompson and the BAR were a load to carry.
Here2Learn, yes, they were some tough,mean S.O.B.'s. Thanks to those soldiers and Marines, we have the right to keep and bear arms.
 
Yep, 1st generation SMGs weren't featherweights like the MP-5 in 9mm.
 
A Thompson weighs about the same as a Garand.

Having fired and handled a couple the weight and balance did not seem excessive.

I'm sure after a period of time one would get used to it.
 
Yeah, I know a little short guy in his late 70's who was a BAR man in Germany in WWII. He is short, stocky and stlll has muscles like a bull even today.

From what I know of him today and from what little I know about his activities with the BAR in Germany, I can certainly testify to the fact that he was a very bad man to have to deal with back then if you know what I mean.

God bless them all-and JMB!
 
Yeah...

It's one reason I haven't gotten one yet. I really dig carbine length guns for their handiness...and the Thompson just isn't something you can describe as handy. I haven't reached the point in my collection where I feel I can buy something just for the nostalgia yet. A nine-pound carbine just ins't in my 'needs' catagory yet. Not when I have my lovable little Marlin .357 Carbine. That gun defines Handy.

greg
 
yes, Tomphsons are heavey. In other news, scientists at UC Berkley have announced that water is, in fact, wet... :neener:

I had ONE chance to shoot a Thompson: I was at the range, and had just finished my on-hand supply of 45. Guy comes walking up from his truck, and sets a Tommy on the shooting bench... then walks back to his van for the rest of his supplies. I'm looking at it, and thinking "the barrel's too short. Oh... wait... can't be"...

He comes back, sticks a mag in. I start to say "That isn't what I think it is.." when he smailes, says "yep!", and lets out a long burst. I beg him to let me fire it. "Well... you can fire any 45 you've got through her if ya want" :banghead:

ALMOST had Spoon talked into letting me buy that gun when he sold it. But she insists I have to buy her an MP5 or a SOCOM before I can get myself any full auto...
 
We have one in our training inventory, and it's always enjoyable to shoot.

Heavy? Yep. Still requires some attention when it comes to controlling it on FA, too.

It's quite a bit different from shooting a M2 .30 carbine, standard Uzi and a Mini-Uzi, too ... ;)
 
A Model 1928A1 Thompson with a loaded 50 round drum weighs almost exactly 15 pounds. With a loaded 100 round drum (never military issue) the weight comes up to almost 20 pounds.

Jim
 
The first time I shot a full auto it was a Thompson, I was 14. I shot a 42 out of 100 on the course of fire. I have been put off full auto ever since. Since then I have had the opportunity to shoot many subguns and the H&K's are nice, but in a real fight I think that I would prefer a shotgun.
 
Of course they're heavy. They're machined out of real steel abd built to last for ages.

Yes they do take some getting used to but then so did the M1 Garand.
I love shooting those old Thompsons though.

Yes A-O/Kahr is once again selling the L-Drum (50 round) to us mere mortals.
$284.00 MSRP
dtl_t12kt.jpg

They never stopped making them but they were LE only for lo those many years. A C-drum, (100 round) when you can find one will set you back over $1K. The C-drum is not always 100% dependable with the 1928 since it was designed for the 1921 which has a faster cyclic rate and as such the timing is a bit off.

The 1928 overstamps were originally 1921 Models (not 1927) and are called "1921/28 overstamp".

The 1927 was the short lived semi-auto only carbine version that was introduced in (you guessed it) 1927. There were very few of those made since the NFA34 declared them to be taboo.

The newer A-O 16" carbines are called 1927A1.

A-O/Kahr has reintroduced the 1927 but is calling it a T1SB Short Barreled Rifle. And yes it's still an NFA firearm so you'll need to jump through the hoops and pay the $200 Tax Stamp and wait.
t1sbrr.jpg



If the standard 1927A1 is a bit heavy for you they still make the Model 1927A1C lightweight model with the alloy frame. 9½ pounds as opposed to 13 pounds.
 
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Thompsons

Thompsom SMGs, heavy, yes. Accuracy on semi, yes. Looks, beautiful. Design and machining, excellent. One shot knockdown, very highly probable. Cost, too high in this day and age. Apetite for ammo on full auto, too hungry for my pocketbook.

Would I like to own one? YES, but..................
 
The Thompson is heavy, like other SMGs of the time.

The MP40 is like 11lbs loaded and that's a fairly lightweight gun for the time.

The Thompson loaded is like 13 or 14 lbs. Shooting offhand for extended periods isnt' terribly fun, even with the semi-only model (which I've shot, handled a fullauto) but braced from prone or against something it's not bad.
 
You can get close, at least if you are a collector. There is a guy in Colorado that will take your semi Kahr Thompson M1 and, if you have the NFA tax stamp, cut down the barrel to SMg length, rework the external metal to look more authentic, add a selector switch, and modify the mag release to use the old surplus mags (of which there are millions at $15 each).

It's not full auto, but looks exactly right if you like that sort of thing for a collection. With the availability the way it is, it's as close as you can get if you are trying to fill out a WWII firearm collection.
 
Why go through all of that trouble?
Why not just buy a new one?
m1sb.jpg


modify the mag release to use the old surplus mags
Click to expand...
What's there to modify? ALL Thompsons will accept the 20 & 30 round stick mags.
In fact the 30round mags that Kahr/A-O are currently selling are refurbished GI ones.

The M1s just won't accept any of the drums.


A-O is even making them as non-firing AFT classified "Non-Guns" for those who want to collect but not jump through hoops.
 
The 1927-A1 will NOT work with UNALTERED 20 or 30 round magazines.
The semi-auto frame and receiver is slightly different, and the box magazines won't lock in place.

To correct this there are the following options:
Alter the magazine by filing the catch hole "slightly" higher.
Alter the magazine catch.
Replace the magazine catch with one from a full-auto gun.
 
BluesBear: You are right of course about the 1921 with overstamp of 1928. My keyboard and i do not have a perfect symbiatic relationship yet. In other words i don't type very well. :)

I am just glad that I was not sent to melt the Tompsons. I did have to melt some old Colt .38 revolvers from the 30's and some Winchester 1898 shotguns one day at a foundry in Emeryville, Ca. That was not a good day for me. :fire:
 
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