My son says the Carbine is better than the Tommy Gun...kinda

[bernie]

I recently picked up a semi auto Thompson 1927A1 to play with for a few weeks and then sell. My 12 year old son and I are watching "Band of Brothers" (with a TV Guardian, it bleeps out bad language)together and thought he might enjoy seeing kind of what the Thompsons were like. After shooting it today, he declared that he much preferred the M1 Carbine. Oddly, this was the conclusion I reached when I realized how heavy the Thompsons were. His one caveat was, a full auto Thompson might be "kinda fun!"
However, he liked the portability, and longer range round of the carbine. It sort of sounds familiar to things that I have heard and said about this little rifle!

[Iceman66]

I first handled a Thompson gun while in RVN and I was amazed by how heavy it was - and we were still using M14s at that time. Also, .45 ammunition was very heavy when packed in 5 20 round mags or 3 30 round mags (plus one mag in the gun). I did like it though. They were not in USMC issue but the ARVN had them. I did carry a M3A1 "grease gun" for special ops.

[emmagee1917]

different tools for different jobs. Up close , I like the knockdown of the .45. As you get out to 100 yds , I perfer the M1 carbine. As you pass 300 yds , give me an M1 garand. However , that said , the longer range guns can serve at closer range better than close range guns can serve at longer range.
As far as the semi-auto thompson , that's like entering a Nascar race with a car with a vega 4 cyl in it , cheep gas , and a trunk full of scrap iron , and comparing your experiance as the "real thing".
Full autos are very , very , very cool , and the heavier -for-caliber ones are more controlable.
Chris

[CharlieEcho]

That's what the 1927 semi auto is made for, playing with. I've had one and for the weight and range, I found no other good reason to keep it. The weight makes it very easy to control if you can keep it lifted. Other than going through a lot of 45acp, :icon_scratch:. I still have some magazines to sell when I dig'em out.

[UUURah]

The weight of a Thompson??? I never handled one but...

One of the trivia reports of the TV series "Combat" is Saunders hated carrying one because of the weight so they made him a fake one to carry, handed him a real one when he had to fire.

[Rick]

I did see two Thompson's used to put down a riot on a Liberty boat once in Gitmo. I saw a whole boat of sailors ( about 300 ) going after one man that accidentally stepped on another sailors hand. I was the only Shore Patrol on the boat armed with a night stick. Just stood up and cocked my night stick and ready to bash the first head when a van pulled up and the land based SP rolled out of the side door with two Thompsons and a Colt 45. Just racking the bolts stopped the riot post haste. They took the two sailors off the boat and I had to ride out to the Carriers with the rioting bunch. I thought I might have to swim for my life that night.

[Embalmer]

Honestly the reg carbine thompsons today are awkward with the longer barrels, but I got the thompson m1 SBR, and love it. it is heavy, but it dampens the recoil. Sides id rather have 30 rounds a clip over 15 but thats just me :)

And to prove I am not biased I have a carbine and love it, but combat situations id take my thompson over my carbine.

[jim c 351]

I recently picked up a semi auto Thompson 1927A1 to play with for a few weeks and then sell. My 12 year old son and I are watching "Band of Brothers" (with a TV Guardian, it bleeps out bad language)together and thought he might enjoy seeing kind of what the Thompsons were like. After shooting it today, he declared that he much preferred the M1 Carbine. Oddly, this was the conclusion I reached when I realized how heavy the Thompsons were. His one caveat was, a full auto Thompson might be "kinda fun!"
However, he liked the portability, and longer range round of the carbine. It sort of sounds familiar to things that I have heard and said about this little rifle!

Your son is a very bright young man. The US army and Marine Corps reached the same conclusion as your son and largely replaced the TSMG with the carbine. I agree with this decision.
But-- and this is a big but--- someday , when the opportunity presents itself, put a real 1928A1 TSMG, with a loaded 50 round drum, in your sons hand and tell him to open fire.
I can guarantee that you will see a smile on his face that you never witnessed before.
JIm C

[Sunray]

"...The weight of a Thompson???..." 10 pounds 12 ounces, empty. Seems to me a loaded 20 round mag weighs about 2 lbs.
"...made him a fake one to carry, handed him..." Always done in TV and movies. The blank firing weapons are too expensive to let actors have 'em when they don't need 'em.

[steve12]

If I were doing close quarters fighting, or house to house searches, I don't think the weight would be a problem.
http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj314/stevej12/M1A1Thompsons003.jpg
http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj314/stevej12/M3A1GreaseGun.jpg

[Embalmer]

now those are my type of toys :1948: