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Weapons · United States · 1938-1945

Thompson submachine gun

submachine gun

Already notorious from Prohibition-era gangland, the 'Tommy gun' became a front-line infantry and paratrooper weapon in .45 ACP, valued for stopping power in close combat but expensive and heavy to mass-produce, which pushed the Army to develop the cheaper M3 as a wartime replacement.

Wikipedia

weight4.8 kg
caliber.45 ACP
magazine20 or 30 rounds, 50/100-round drum
produced~1,700,000

Western Europe, Mediterranean and North Africa, Pacific

Thompson 1921 SMG
Thompson 1921 SMGHmaag · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
This is a 1928 Thompson owned by a retired United States Marshall. It is reasonably easy to control and keep on target at short to moderate ranges. Phillip Sharp could hit the standard Colt silhouette at 200 yards firing
This is a 1928 Thompson owned by a retired United States Marshall. It is reasonably easy to control and keep on target at short to moderate ranges. Phillip Sharp could hit the standard Colt silhouette at 200 yards firingMike Cumpston · Public domain · source
Auto-Ordnance 1927A5 DOJ/BATFE Firearm Classification Letter
Auto-Ordnance 1927A5 DOJ/BATFE Firearm Classification LetterZtjmeagherz · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source