a machine gun?
Actually...I believe it to be a "sub-machine gun"...
It fires a pistol round (.45) and is thereby classified as such... (?) Maybe...
:)
Otherwise, "semiautomatic" would be the proper term for it....
Technically that is a sub-machine gun. It fires pistol ammo, not rifle cartridges.
According to my Form 4 for my M1928A1 Savage, and my Form 3 for my M1921AC, yes, it is.
Title 2 NFA classifies them as AOW, DD, SBS, SBR, or MG. I know there are different names for types of MGs, but on our forms, we don't put anything but "machinegun".
Not Auto sear, Not lightning link, not belt fed, not sub-machinegun, not heavy MG, not crew-operated, not pre-machinegun, not light machinegun, not electrically fired (minigun), not manually fired (Hotchkiss and some gatlings), not bump fire (atkins, etc) not select fire rifle, not full auto rifle.
Simply MACHINEGUN.
The appearance is not what makes it a machine-gun, the function is.
That Thompson is available as a semi-automatic model and as a non-firing replica, so I'd have to see what this one is to answer that question.
See, that's where the stupid anti-gun laws fall right now. If a semi-automatic firearm of any caliber has a bayonet, or a receiver pistol grip, or a forehand grip, or a flash suppressor, or an evil scary “large-capacity” magazine, or a tripod, or a collapsable stock, etc., then it's commonly considered by liberal politicians and mainstream media as an “assault weapon” and must be criminalized and banned, but if the exact same gun (receiver and barrel) has a hunting type stock and “small capacity” magazine inserted, and no bayonet, etc., then it's not an “assault weapon.” The truth is that the weapon is no more powerful than its “evil-looking” twin.
See the second image in this link: http://imgur.com/gallery/Q9OIM
That's the venerable Ruger 10-22 semi-automatic 22-caliber hunting rifle with standard wood stock, perhaps the most popular small game rifle in the USA, but dress it up with some accessories or special stocks (”pimp my rifle”) to look like an evil black rifle, and whoa, it's an assault weapon!