THOMPSON M1A1

The Thompson submachine gun was a semi- or fully-automatic delayed blowback weapon. This is undoubtedly the most recognizable submachine gun ever, from it's use by prohibition era gangsters to later uses in WWII. Known as the "Tommy Gun," the weapon was originally designed by General John Thompson for use in World War I, but prototype designs built by Auto-Ordnance Corporation were completed just as the war ended. With the military fairly uninterested in the weapon, the Thompson was marketed at the general public, and eventually became a well-known weapon for criminals in the 1920's and 1930's. In 1938 the U.S. Army adopted the Thompson as a weapon and it was given the M1928A1 designation. A variant of the M1928 model, the M1928A1 used a horizontal fore-grip instead of a vertical fore-grip, and made use of box magazines instead of drum magazines. The 50-round drum magazine was prone to jamming and was not well suited to combat conditions. At the start of world war two demand for the Thompson soared, initially with the British army as an NCO's weapon and for use with the commandos and other special forces being established. In fact the Thompson rattled a lot for clandestine use and could not be fitted with a silencer. Updates to the weapon were made over time in order to simplify its production, and in April of 1942 the M1 model of the Thompson replaced the older M1928A1. Among the changes made were a permanently attached buttstock, and design alterations that prevented the use of the drum magazine. By October of 1942 the M1 was replaced by the M1A1, which removed the M1's firing pin and hammer and replaced it with firing pin machined into the face of the bolt. The Thompson was a reliable and well-respected weapon, with its major drawbacks being its significant weight and limited range. The M1A1 was eventually replaced by the M3 submachine gun. The M3 was significantly cheaper to manufacture and went into service in 1944. Although no longer an actively supplied weapon, the Thompson would continue to serve the Army through Korea and, in limited use, Vietnam.