It was available to civilians, though its high price resulted in few sales. The Thompson first entered production as the M1921. Thompson Model 1921 with Type C drum magazine This concept had already been developed by German troops using their own Bergmann MP18, the world's first submachine gun, in concert with sturmtruppen tactics. Thompson intended the weapon as an automatic 'trench-broom' to sweep enemy troops from the trenches, filling a role for which the Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) had been proven ill-suited. While other weapons had been developed shortly prior with similar objectives in mind, the Thompson was the first weapon to be labeled and marketed as a "submachine gun". Īt an Auto-Ordnance board meeting in 1919 to discuss the marketing of the "Annihilator", with the war over, the weapon was officially renamed the "Thompson Submachine Gun". However, the war ended before prototypes could be shipped to Europe.
The project was then titled "Annihilator I", and by 1918, most of the design issues had been resolved. Payne designed the gun itself and its stick and drum magazines. 45 ACP as a "trench broom" for use in the on-going trench warfare of World War I. Thompson then envisioned a "one-man, hand-held machine gun" in. service suitable for use with the lock was the. It was found that the only cartridge currently in U.S. By late 1917, the limits of the Blish Principle were discovered: rather than working as a locked breech, it functioned as a friction-delayed blowback action. It was primarily developed in Newport, Kentucky. Ryan, and started the Auto-Ordnance Company in 1916 for the purpose of developing his auto rifle. Thompson found a financial backer, Thomas F. While searching for a way to allow such a weapon to operate safely without the complexity of a recoil or gas operated mechanism, Thompson came across a patent issued to John Bell Blish in 1915 based on adhesion of inclined metal surfaces under pressure. Thompson who originally envisioned an auto rifle ( semi-automatic rifle) to replace the bolt action service rifles then in use.
The Thompson Submachine Gun was developed by General John T. It has since gained popularity among civilian collectors for its historical significance. 45 ACP cartridge, reliability, and high volume of automatic fire. The Thompson was favored by soldiers, criminals, police and civilians alike for its ergonomics, compactness, large.
The Thompson was also known informally as: the "Tommy Gun", "Trench Broom", "Trench Sweeper", "Chicago Typewriter", "Chicago Piano", "Chicago Style", "Chicago Organ Grinder", and "The Chopper". It was a common sight in the media of the time, being used by both law enforcement officers and criminals. Thompson in 1919, that became infamous during the Prohibition era. The Thompson (often referred to as Thompson submachine gun) is an American submachine gun, invented by John T. (M1 and M1A1 models do not accept drum magazines) The Birmingham Small Arms Company Limited