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Since about 1921, the legendary Tommy Gun
has been one of the most recognized, revered, and maligned
firearms in history. Also known as the "Chopper" and
"Chicago Typewriter", the Thompson submachine
gun has long been associated with depression era organized
crime, often found posing in the hands of notorious gangsters of
the time. The truth is that, while the Prohibition punks did
sometimes use the Tommy Gun in their illegal activities, most
often they used more easily concealable firearms, and the good
guys pursuing the thugs were much more likely to be armed with
the Thompson. At any rate, the Thompson gained a level of
notoriety during that era that has never been equaled by any
firearm since.
The Thompson’s real time to shine came in
World War II, when many allied forces, including our own,
revered the Tommy Gun as the best close range weapon of the war.
Its only drawback was its weight, and its price. Being a high
quality weapon milled from steel, it was expensive to produce,
but it was the best submachine of its day. General Thompson
himself dubbed it the "Trench Broom", which was a very
appropriate term for the weapon, allowing a soldier or Marine to
quickly fill an enemy trench or room with forty-five caliber
bullets.
Today, an original Thompson will cost you about
the same amount of money as a new pickup truck, and a nice
pickup truck at that. Since our government is constantly
watching out for us, and decided in 1986 that the good citizens
of the United States could no longer buy any newly-built
full-auto weapons, the prices of existing Thompsons and other
quality Class III weapons have went through the roof. It is so
good to know that our government wants to protect us from
ourselves. The fact that no legally-owned full-auto weapons had
been used to commit a crime in several decades did not sway our
legislators from doing their duty to step on our Constitutional
rights at every opportunity. I have a good friend who owns
an original full-auto M1 Thompson, and it is certainly one of
the most fun weapons that I have ever fired.
Auto-Ordnance Corporation of Worcester,
Massachusetts makes semi-auto Thompson carbines and short rifles
that supplies today’s market with affordable weapons that,
while not capable of full-automatic fire, allow us to enjoy the
experience and nostalgia of owning a close copy of the famous
Tommy Gun. Like the originals, the Auto-Ordnance Thompson fires
the legendary .45 ACP cartridge. The Model 1927 reviewed here
uses either the thirty-round stick magazines or the fifty or one
hundred round drum magazines. There is also available a
ten round drum magazine for our citizens who happen to live in
areas where their beloved government officials limit them to a
ten round capacity. Remember, there is no rule that says
that laws have to make sense, and as long as voters keep
electing ignorant elitist liberals to office, we get what we pay
for. While I do not advocate the public lynching of government
officials, a good old fashioned Southern tar-and-feathering
would be fun to watch.
Anyway, back to the subject at hand,
Auto-Ordnance makes a fine weapon. The metal has a nicely
polished blue steel finish, and the wood is genuine American
walnut. Both the front and rear pistol grips are very
comfortable to my hands. The sixteen and one-half inch barrel is
finned along about half its length to aid cooling, just as were
the original Model 1927s, and has a compensator is attached at
the muzzle. The overall length is just under forty-one inches.
The trigger pull, while long, measured just under five pounds,
and was very smooth to operate. The sample gun weighed in at two
ounces under twelve pounds without a magazine in place. A stick
mag adds another pound or so, and the one hundred round drum
weighs a bit over three pounds empty. Loading the magazines to
capacity makes for a sizeable heft for a pistol-caliber carbine,
but the result is a very pleasant to shoot firearm. The weight
of the Thompson soaks up just about all of the recoil, and
extended firing sessions continue to be fun until all of the
ammunition is gone. Loading the stick mags was a simple and
straightforward procedure, pushing the cartridges straight down
into the magazine. Loading the drum is also easy. The winding
key and cover are removed, the cartridges dropped into place,
the cover and key replaced, and then just wind it up. Pretty
simple.
The accuracy of the Thompson was very good. The
sights are easy to see clearly, and the rear flips up to engage
targets at long range (for a .45 ACP) if needed. Using the
shallow V-notch rear blade, the Thompson would easily cluster a
whole magazine full into less than two inches at twenty-five
yards. Holding steadily for group testing, it would just cut one
ragged hole at twenty-five yards. While Auto-Ordnance recommends
the use of hardball (full metal jacket roundnose) ammunition,
the Thompson performed perfectly with lead semi-wadcutter
handloads as well. There were no failures or stoppages of any
kind during testing. The big Thompson fed, fired, and ejected
without flaw. The bolt stays open after the last round is fired,
and the weapon fires from a closed bolt.
The Thompson came in a fitted hard case, and a
violin case is available for those who want to further enhance
the gangster look of the package.
Firing the Tommy Gun was a lot of fun. While it
could serve well as a defensive weapon, or even as a hunting
arm, the Thompson is probably best used as a nostalgic, fun,
easy to shoot carbine. It is not cheap, but the Thompson
never was. It is a high quality, machined steel weapon,
beautifully finished, and offers a good value to those shooters
who desire to own a genuine Thompson without having to sell the
house.
Check out the many variations of the Thompson
and other weapons and accessories online at: www.auto-ordnance.com.
For the location of an Auto-Ordnance dealer near
you, click on the DEALER LOCATOR icon at: www.lipseys.com.
Jeff Quinn
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Click pictures for a larger version.
Auto-Ordnance Model 1927 A1 Thompson Carbine.
Boge fires the Thompson at the NRA Whittington Center in
Raton, NM.
Standard rear sight (top), long-range flip-up rear sight
(center), and front sight (bottom).
Compensator adds an authentic look and further tames
recoil.
Finned barrel aids cooling during rapid-fire sessions.
Lever-style magazine release.
Fore grip (top) & rear grip (bottom) are ergonomic
and effective.
Stick magazine holds 30 rounds...
...while the drum magazine holds a full 100 rounds of
.45 ACP firepower.
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