Anyone with a few hundred dollars could purchase a Thompson, at least initially.
Gangsters purchased the Thompson primarily to guard their wares against other gangsters, and eventually the Thompson figured into quite a bit of gunplay, not only among gangsters but also against law officers. The National Prohibition Act was a stimulus to Thompson sales. Sales were disappointing with only 3,000 units sold by 1925. Lyman Gun Sight Corporation produced adjustable sights, and at a later date, the Cutts Compensator was added. Soon Auto Ordnance contracted with Colt to produce the Thompson about 15,000 were made. The first Thompson SMG had a firing rate of 1,500 rounds per minute and would empty a 100-round drum magazine in four seconds. These were experimental firearms without stocks or sights. The first and most famous public demonstration of the Thompson came in 1920 at the National Matches held in Camp Perry, Ohio. Just the same, a marketing team went to work in selling the Thompson SMG to the world. Thompson acquired financial backing, and soon the Thompson SMG was a reality, but it arrived too late for World War I, and the world’s armies were not likely to purchase the firearm in the near future. The bolt’s unlock in the simple blowback system was delayed until pressure abated and the bullet left the muzzle. Originally intended for naval guns, the system worked well with the Thompson SMG. The “Blish Lock” was a breech-locking mechanism that could be used with a blowback system. The means of achieving a solution was provided by a patent by Naval Officer John B. What he needed was a retarded blowback system.
Thompson’s Trench Broom hit several snags in development, as neither a gas-operated system nor a straight blowback proved suitable for what he envisioned. In Europe, stopgaps such as the snail drum Luger and the highly effective Winchester 97 shotgun were commonly used in trench warfare, but what was needed, Thompson reasoned, was a short firearm using the. troops.Īt his own expense, Thompson developed a fully automatic firearm suited to the needs of trench warfare in Europe. Once the United States entered the war, production was turned toward producing arms for U.S. He made a name for himself again in the firearms industry, as his steady hand led Remington to produce thousands of rifles for the war effort, primarily for British and Russian use. Colonel Thompson retired from the military in 1914, just on the eve of the Great War. He ran into a brick wall with the staid conservative military of the day. Early in his career, Thompson was impressed by the firepower of the Gatling gun and attempted to convince the military to adopt firearms with greater firepower. Thompson is the other half of the famous “Thompson-LaGarde” cartridge tests that determined the proper caliber for a military handgun was. Thompson, a well-known military man and fixture on the American firearms scene. The Thompson submachine gun was invented and developed by John T. In some cases the pride of ownership alone is worthwhile, but the Auto Ordnance carbines are useful for recreational shooting and competition. While most of us will never own a true Thompson SMG, there are alternatives. Author: Bob Campbell / Wolfe Publishing Co.įew firearms are more interesting than the Thompson submachine gun (SMG).
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