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The Tommy Gun - Automatic Stardom
Am Shooting Journal ^
| 6/15/2017
| R Reed
Posted on 06/15/2017 6:21:16 AM PDT by w1n1
Few firearms have earned the mystique that the Thompson submachine gun has enjoyed for nearly a century. The long association that the "Tommy Gun" has had with gangsters, G-men and G.I.s has made it a movie star, a prized collectible, and an American icon.
The guns genesis dates back to World War I when retired General John T. Thompson sought to develop a lightweight, fast-firing rifle that U.S. troops could use as a trench broom to break the stalemate of trench warfare.
Thompson believed recoil or gas operated weapons were too heavy and complicated for this role and sought a new method of operation. He formed the Auto-Ordnance Company (AOC), found financial backing, and hired engineers to help develop this weapon.
Thompson seized upon the concept of the Blish Lock, developed by John Bell Blish (a career U.S. naval officer and inventor), as the key element for the design. Read the rest of the Tommy gun story here.
TOPICS: History; Hobbies; Military/Veterans; Outdoors
KEYWORDS: banglist; tommygun
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1
posted on
06/15/2017 6:21:16 AM PDT
by
w1n1
To: w1n1
Are there any semi-auto look-a-likes?..............
2
posted on
06/15/2017 6:29:16 AM PDT
by
Red Badger
(Unless you eat The Bread of Life, you are toast!.......................)
To: Red Badger
Last I’ve seen Auto Ordnance is selling
them.
3
posted on
06/15/2017 6:38:44 AM PDT
by
Big Red Badger
(UNSCANABLE in an IDIOCRACY!)
To: w1n1
“Daddy would have gotten us Uzis.”
To: Ruy Dias de Bivar
5
posted on
06/15/2017 6:41:19 AM PDT
by
Lurker
(America burned the witch.)
To: Big Red Badger
Correct. Auto ord is owned by Kahr these days, I believe
6
posted on
06/15/2017 6:43:59 AM PDT
by
QualityMan
(The Adults are back in town)
To: Red Badger
Yes, but the newer semi-autos have 16” barrels as opposed to the 10” barrels on the full autos.
7
posted on
06/15/2017 6:50:51 AM PDT
by
MRadtke
(Light a candle or curse the darkness?)
To: MRadtke
10 barrels on the full autos.
Experienced a little muzzle climb, did they?
8
posted on
06/15/2017 7:03:58 AM PDT
by
BenLurkin
(The above is not a statement of fact. It is either satire or opinion. Or both.)
To: w1n1
9
posted on
06/15/2017 7:14:53 AM PDT
by
HANG THE EXPENSE
(Life's tough.It's tougher when you're stupid.)
To: Big Red Badger
Cabela’s had one for $1600 - came with a violin case. That thing was heavy even without a loaded drum.
10
posted on
06/15/2017 7:15:34 AM PDT
by
SkyDancer
(You know they invented wheelbarrows to teach FAA inspectors to walk on their hind legs.)
To: w1n1
11
posted on
06/15/2017 7:26:03 AM PDT
by
Fresh Wind
(Hillary: Go to jail. Go directly to jail. Do not pass GO. Do not collect 2 billion dollars.)
To: w1n1
I hear a guy from Norway liked those. Roland, I think.
12
posted on
06/15/2017 7:38:41 AM PDT
by
Larry Lucido
(Take Covfefe Ree Zig!)
To: w1n1
I hear a guy from Norway liked those. Roland, I think.
13
posted on
06/15/2017 7:38:41 AM PDT
by
Larry Lucido
(Take Covfefe Ree Zig!)
To: Larry Lucido
14
posted on
06/15/2017 7:54:54 AM PDT
by
IncPen
(Progressivism is in perpetual need of an enemy against which to refresh its outrage.)
To: w1n1
"..The guns genesis dates back to World War I when retired General John T. Thompson sought to develop a lightweight, fast-firing rifle.."Lightweight my foot! They're schweet gun porn, as long as ya don't hafta tote or feed it. Whot a boat anchor! d:^)
15
posted on
06/15/2017 8:03:14 AM PDT
by
CopperTop
(Outside the wire it's just us chickens. Dig?)
To: Larry Lucido
That son of a bitch, Van Owen.
16
posted on
06/15/2017 8:11:20 AM PDT
by
Joe 6-pack
(Qui me amat, amat et canem meum.)
To: SkyDancer
I fired a fully automatic Thompson at a Dallas gun range in May. It was quite heavy, and it gets real hot quick. A fun day for sure.
To: w1n1
Well the caption said "Tommy Gun" but I see it is really Eisenhower, Churchill, and Bradley firing M1 Carbines.
18
posted on
06/15/2017 8:43:03 AM PDT
by
yarddog
(Romans 8:38-39, For I am persuaded.)
To: yarddog
OK, one more try.
19
posted on
06/15/2017 8:45:13 AM PDT
by
yarddog
(Romans 8:38-39, For I am persuaded.)
To: Nailbiter
I thought this post was about Jim Thompson.
Good story, in any case.
20
posted on
06/15/2017 8:55:59 AM PDT
by
IncPen
(Progressivism is in perpetual need of an enemy against which to refresh its outrage.)
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