Thompson 100 Round Drum, Pictures Added
- Thread starter albayo
- Start date
I will be the first to admit the 1921 with 100 round mags fully loaded were heavy. To tell the truth, that was their appeal. All of the extra weight made them controllable under full auto fire.
The high cap drums went hand in hand for what the Thompson was designed for. It was designed for sustained fire in the trenchs and as a general light support weapon. It was later adapted for a more aggressive role and did a fine job.
My recently deceased buddy told me they had to take special care of their Thompsons in early WWII. They were carefully locked away when back in camp and kept close to hand all of the rest of the time. If one was found laying beside a body, it was immediately scavenged if at all possible. Men came close to getting killed trying to aquire them. They were well liked and highly sought after.
Much preferred over the Sten. They were accurate out to 100 yards with an experienced shooter and at close range the bullets actually knocked the enemy down. Just the distinctve sound they made was a cause for concern from the enemy. Canadian troops liked them and as mentioned above, preferred the 20 round mags and if pushed the 50 round drums.
It was a good design. Expensive and over built but reliable under all conditions. The only time they gave trouble was when they were frozen in water and couldn't be freed up. Just about any firearm will suffer under similar conditions.
The high cap drums went hand in hand for what the Thompson was designed for. It was designed for sustained fire in the trenchs and as a general light support weapon. It was later adapted for a more aggressive role and did a fine job.
My recently deceased buddy told me they had to take special care of their Thompsons in early WWII. They were carefully locked away when back in camp and kept close to hand all of the rest of the time. If one was found laying beside a body, it was immediately scavenged if at all possible. Men came close to getting killed trying to aquire them. They were well liked and highly sought after.
Much preferred over the Sten. They were accurate out to 100 yards with an experienced shooter and at close range the bullets actually knocked the enemy down. Just the distinctve sound they made was a cause for concern from the enemy. Canadian troops liked them and as mentioned above, preferred the 20 round mags and if pushed the 50 round drums.
It was a good design. Expensive and over built but reliable under all conditions. The only time they gave trouble was when they were frozen in water and couldn't be freed up. Just about any firearm will suffer under similar conditions.
MapleSugar
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- On the loose from NIMH
Years ago, I read the account of a U.S. Marine who was carrying a Tommy Gun when they assaulted the beaches at Guadalcanal.
He said they started out firing with two 50 round drums and then switched to 30 round stick mags. I seem to recall they carried four of the 30 rounders.
Packing that gun and 220 rounds of .45 ACP into combat wouldn't have been very light.
I'll have to take a look for that magazine and see if I still have it. It's always interesting to me to find out how the soldiers employed and maintained their weapons.
He said they started out firing with two 50 round drums and then switched to 30 round stick mags. I seem to recall they carried four of the 30 rounders.
Packing that gun and 220 rounds of .45 ACP into combat wouldn't have been very light.
I'll have to take a look for that magazine and see if I still have it. It's always interesting to me to find out how the soldiers employed and maintained their weapons.
I have a small brown booklet 4" W, 7" L, 1940 edition of the
Handbook of the Thompson Submachine Gun Model of 1928
Printed by Auto-Ordnance Corporation.
Some interesting reading. They only refer to the L Drum and the 20 rd stick mag.
I have a soft cover book 9" X 11", 213 pg. by W.H.B. Smith Printed in 1943
They go into great detail about the 1928 Thompson, and barely mention the M1.
Handbook of the Thompson Submachine Gun Model of 1928
Printed by Auto-Ordnance Corporation.
Some interesting reading. They only refer to the L Drum and the 20 rd stick mag.
I have a soft cover book 9" X 11", 213 pg. by W.H.B. Smith Printed in 1943
They go into great detail about the 1928 Thompson, and barely mention the M1.
RememberTheSomme
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Nova Scotia
Speaking of Canadian Thompsons at War, read the account of Canada's Last V.C. Ernest Alvia "Smokey" Smith ,at the Savio river in fall of 1944 in Italy. He server with the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada. Alone repelling a German counter attack to finish them of and killing ,wounding and sending to flight 30 germans with his Thompson SMG riding Panthers he just knocked out with PIAT fire. I believe it said he had to go back and forth in front of enemy fire to retrieve more thompson mags during the firefight. I encourage everyone to read the account of this brave man, in the face of overwhelming firepower and numbers. These veterans of ours from that time faced the best trained ,best equipped , and for the most part experienced figthing force the world had ever seen, not knowing when they would be overrun and killed or captured.
MapleSugar
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- On the loose from NIMH
Speaking of Canadian Thompsons at War, read the account of Canada's Last V.C. Ernest Alvia "Smokey" Smith ,at the Savio river in fall of 1944 in Italy. He server with the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada. Alone repelling a German counter attack to finish them of and killing ,wounding and sending to flight 30 germans with his Thompson SMG riding Panthers he just knocked out with PIAT fire. I believe it said he had to go back and forth in front of enemy fire to retrieve more thompson mags during the firefight. I encourage everyone to read the account of this brave man, in the face of overwhelming firepower and numbers. These veterans of ours from that time faced the best trained ,best equipped , and for the most part experienced figthing force the world had ever seen, not knowing when they would be overrun and killed or captured.
Ernest Smith also mentioned that he would have been unable to perform his feat without the use of a Thompson. He loved the gun.
IIRC, he was also pissed that they weren't allowed to carry and use captured German panzerfausts on their attack, he hated the PIAT.
So...where is it and how much does she want for it? Ship it to me in pieces and I'll block it before I put it together. No problem. PM me. By the way, if you load a 50 or 100 rd drum and shake it, you get the idea of why it would be unpopular in action. You can't sneak around with that rattling. If it gets damaged, you've lost all that firepower as opposed to 20 or 30 rds.
"...Is the Aug a prohibited..." The Steyr AUG is indeed prohibited.
Saw a picture, long ago, of a 'Chopper' with a 100 round drum mounted on the side car of a 20's or 30's vintage U.S. cop motorcycle. Slick. Nobody carried a 100 round drum that I've ever seen.
"...The dream of every kid like myself..." Yep. Sgt. Saunders did it to us. Almost bought a semi'd M1 Chopper. Didn't becuase you have to put 'em on FA to field strip 'em. That was removed and the receiver was heavily ground to de-evil 'em.
Been kicking myself for eons because I couldn't spend the money for the real BAR when getting the FA prohibited ticket was no big deal. sniff.
Saw a picture, long ago, of a 'Chopper' with a 100 round drum mounted on the side car of a 20's or 30's vintage U.S. cop motorcycle. Slick. Nobody carried a 100 round drum that I've ever seen.
"...The dream of every kid like myself..." Yep. Sgt. Saunders did it to us. Almost bought a semi'd M1 Chopper. Didn't becuase you have to put 'em on FA to field strip 'em. That was removed and the receiver was heavily ground to de-evil 'em.
Been kicking myself for eons because I couldn't spend the money for the real BAR when getting the FA prohibited ticket was no big deal. sniff.
RememberTheSomme
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Nova Scotia
Sunray are you showing your age, calling the SMG a "chopper"?
Last time i heard that name was from a; O'Hara ,United States Treasury, episode in the early 70s.
