General John T. Thompson and his famous Tommy gun

In 1942, the Thompson submachine gun reentered production and came back as a new, improved model. It was adopted after the recent technologies and this time it had an affordable price. Two models were introduced on the market, the M1 and the M1A1 being used mostly by officers. A special model was released, the M1928A1, especially for the military and it was one of the most innovative submachine guns of its times. It had a 20/30 round box magazine, a modern cooling system on the barrel and the cocking handle on the receiver. The gun was especially welcomed by the Marine soldiers as opposed to the M1A1, which was known as the army gun. It had a plain barrel, the same cooling mechanism but the cocking handle was this time on the side of the receiver. Thompson had meant for his gun to be the perfect weapon for destroying enemies and soon it was going to achieve his goals.

During the Second World War, it was used both by the American forces and the Allied troops. Commando units from Britain and Canada started to utilize it as well, plus the US paratroops and commando army units. The Swiss invented their own version of the Thompson submachine gun, making it especially for the Swedish Army and using it extensively between 1940 and 1950. The Soviet Union purchased a fair amount of Thompson submachine guns but they were no well received. As for other fronts where the weapon was used, Australia and the Pacific are just two examples. They were used in jungle patrols and ambuscades, being especially appreciated for their incredible fire rate. The US Marines also used it for island military defensives but their popularity didn’t last too long. The main reason for their lack of popularity was that the 45 ACP bullet used wasn’t suitable for the jungle.

As for the American forces, the Thompson submachine guns were constantly used by various law enforcement agencies and police departments. The Federal Bureau of Investigation believed in the power offered this weapon and used it until 1976, when it was replaced with newer and improved models. Today’s the only remaining models of Thompson submachine guns are kept as museum pieces and also for training purposes. However that may be, the Thompson submachine gun has remained profoundly written in the American firearm history.

Being an innovative weapon for its times, the submachine guns invented by General Thompson had an incredible rate of fire of 900 rounds per minute, defeating all the existing competition. It was considered as highly effective and completely dependable, gaining most of its reputation from the gangster era and increased use during the Second World War. True collectors would do almost anything to include this weapon in their personal collection, an original M1928A1 being nowadays sold for unbelievable sums of almost $20000.

Thompson started with two experimental models and improved them until the production of the 1921 model. At that time, the guns were produced by another famous name in the firearm industry, Colt and they represented one of the first major productions of submachine guns. An incredible number of 15000 firearms were manufactured and even though the gun was appreciated for its qualities, it wasn’t so successful. In 1923, a new model was produced for the US Army, especially adapted for the newly introduced 45 Remington cartridge. The new caliber was more powerful than the 45 ACP used before and that added even more popularity to the submachine gun. The next years were golden years for the Thompson submachine guns, being manufactured under various models and having a great deal of improvements. From all the models manufactured, only three remain as powerfully connected with the Thompson name: M1, M1A1 and M1928A1.

As for the man that made it all possible, General John Thompson was born in 1860 and was a military officer working for the United States. The inventor of the Thompson submachine gun came from a family of army men, his father being a lieutenant. He decided to pursue the very same career as his father when he was very young, attended the Indiana University and then the Military Academy. He was a lieutenant just like his father and he especially loved small arms. Thompson played a very important part in the Spanish-American war, gaining a special promotion and recognition for his merits during the war. After the war, he was the supervisor for the Springfield rifle 1903 model and spent all his time looking to improve the effectiveness of the used ammunition.

When the First World War broke, Thompson retired from the Army and started to work for Remington Arms, experimenting on his own. While still working on his personal project, he returned to the army and became general brigadier, supervising the small arms production during the war. After producing the first Thompson submachine gun, he continued to perfect it and present is to the general public. Thompson was the kind of man that never stopped dreaming and who always reached for the sky. He succeeded in achieving his goals and even more. He provided the United States with an incredible weapon, the famous Tommy gun. The United States was not the only country that the Thompson submachine gun managed to impress; England, France and even the Soviet Union were attracted by Thompson’s weapon. They widely used it and appreciated it thoroughly.

Useful Link for Thompson Collectors: The Thompson Collectors Association - The Thompson Collectors Association (TCA) began in 1990 with a small group of collectors who were interested in meeting other collectors to share information on the history of the Thompson Submachine Gun. Today the TCA has approximately 200 members from around the world, publishing a quarterly newsletter containing articles written by members on topics such as TSMG manufacturing variations, parts, and accessories.