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Thompson submachine gun
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{{Short description|American submachine gun}} {{Redirect|Tommy gun||Tommy Gun (disambiguation)|and|Tommy Gunn (disambiguation){{!}}Tommy Gunn}} {{Redirect|Chicago Typewriter|the Korean TV series|Chicago Typewriter (TV series){{!}}''Chicago Typewriter'' (TV series)}} {{Pp-move}} {{Use American English|date=October 2024}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}} {{Infobox weapon | name = Thompson submachine gun, caliber .45 | image = File:Campbell Thompson.jpg | image_size = 330 | caption = Colt Model 1921A Thompson with a 100-round drum magazine. | origin = United States | type = [[Submachine gun]] | is_ranged = yes | service = 1921–present<ref>{{cite web |title=What Weapons Did Ukraine Capture in the Soledar Mines? |date=21 May 2023 |url=https://armourersbench.com/2023/05/21/what-weapons-did-wagner-capture-in-the-soledar-mines/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230522135436/https://armourersbench.com/2023/05/21/what-weapons-did-wagner-capture-in-the-soledar-mines/ |archive-date=22 May 2023 |publisher=The Armourer's Bench |access-date=8 August 2023}}</ref> | used_by = See ''[[#Users|Users]]'' | wars = *[[West Virginia coal wars]] *[[Irish War of Independence]] *[[Second Honduran Civil War]]<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.cervantesvirtual.com/descargaPdf/diario-de-la-guerra-de-honduras-30-de-enero-30-de-abril-1924/| title=Diario de la Guerra de Honduras: 30 de enero-30 de abril 1924, Mario Rivas}}</ref> *[[1924 Estonian coup d'état attempt]]<ref>{{cite book |first=Toivo |last=Miljan |title=Historical Dictionary of Estonia |publisher=Scarecrow Press |year=2004 |isbn=0-8108-4904-6}}</ref> *[[Irish Civil War]]<ref name="Hart, p. 187–188">{{harvnb|Hart|2003|pp=187–188}}</ref> *[[Basmachi movement|Basmachi Conflict]]<ref>{{cite book |last=Marshall|first=Alex|title=The Caucasus Under Soviet Rule |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hxfJBQAAQBAJ|publisher=Routledge|date=11 August 2010|isbn=9781136938245 }}</ref><ref name="Thompson SMG Soviet Russia">{{cite web|url=https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2019/09/19/forgotten-history-of-thompson-smg-in-secret-police-and-army-of-soviet-russia/|last=Onokoy|first=Vladimir|website=The Firearm Blog|date=19 September 2019|title=Forgotten History of Thompson SMG in Secret Police and Army of Soviet Russia}}</ref>{{sps|reason=blog|date=May 2024}} *[[Banana Wars]]<ref>{{cite web |title=The Sandino Rebellion, 1927–1934 |url=http://www.sandinorebellion.com/PCDocs/1928a/PC280104b-Brown.html |publisher=SandinoRebellion.com |access-date=2011-12-25}}</ref> *[[Castellammarese War]] *[[Chaco War]]{{sfn|Scarlata|2014}} *[[Revolution of 1934]] *[[Spanish Civil War]] *[[World War II]]<ref name="bishop1998"/> *[[Indonesian National Revolution]] *[[Iran crisis of 1946]]<ref name="ISMG">{{cite web|url=https://silahreport.com/2021/06/21/iranian-submachine-guns-1941-1979/|title=Silah Report Podcast V33: Iranian Submachine Guns (1941–1979)|date=21 June 2021|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210622073640/https://silahreport.com/2021/06/21/iranian-submachine-guns-1941-1979/|archive-date=22 June 2021}}</ref>{{unreliable source|date=December 2024}} *[[Chinese Civil War]]{{sfn|McNab|2002|p=47}} *[[First Indochina War]]<ref name="Indochina"/> *[[Greek Civil War]]{{sfn|Sazanidis|1995|pp=293–294}} *[[Indo-Pakistani War of 1947]] *[[1948 Arab–Israeli War]]<ref name="Arabs"/> *[[Malayan Emergency]]<ref name="auto">{{cite web |title=Weapons of the Malay CTs 1948–1960 |url=http://17thdivision.tripod.com/thepeacethatwasnt/id7.html |website=17thdivision.tripod.com|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230603154049/https://17thdivision.tripod.com/thepeacethatwasnt/id7.html|archive-date=3 June 2023}}</ref>{{unreliable source|reason=no indication of authorship|date=May 2024}} *[[Korean War]]<ref name="bishop1998"/> *[[1958 Lebanon crisis]] *[[Cuban Revolution]] *[[Algerian War]] *[[Portuguese Colonial War]] *[[Vietnam War]]<ref name="bishop1998"/> *[[Laotian Civil War]] *[[Cambodian Civil War]] *[[Bay of Pigs Invasion]] *[[Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation]] *[[Lebanese Civil War]] *[[The Troubles]]{{sfn|Hart|2003|p=191}} *[[Araguaia Guerrilla War]]<ref>{{cite web |title=A GUERRILHA DO ARAGUAIA: Memória, esquecimento e Ensino de História na região do conflito. |url=https://repositorio.uft.edu.br/bitstream/11612/398/1/Jos%C3%A9%20Humberto%20Gomes%20Barbosa%20-%20Disserta%C3%A7%C3%A3o.pdf}}</ref> *[[Turkish invasion of Cyprus]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://smallarmsreview.com/turkish-thompson-submachine-guns/|title=Turkish Thompson Submachine Guns|publisher=Small Arms Review|last=Herbst|first=Robert|date=13 December 2008|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230529143111/https://smallarmsreview.com/turkish-thompson-submachine-guns/|archive-date=29 May 2023 }}</ref> *[[Nicaraguan Revolution]] *[[United States invasion of Panama]] *[[Somali Civil War]]<ref name=somalia>{{cite web | url=https://smallarmsreview.com/somalia-weapons-we-used-weapons-we-captured/| title=SOMALIA: Weapons We Used, Weapons We Captured|work=Small Arms Review| date=August 1999|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230324114221/https://smallarmsreview.com/somalia-weapons-we-used-weapons-we-captured/|archive-date=24 March 2023}}</ref> *[[Yugoslav Wars]]<ref name="Yugoslav Army"/> *[[Iraq War]]<ref name ='SAS 2012 10'/> *[[Russian invasion of Ukraine]]<ref name="Wagner">{{cite web|url=https://armourersbench.com/2023/05/21/what-weapons-did-wagner-capture-in-the-soledar-mines/|title=What Weapons Did Wagner Capture in the Soledar Mines?|date=21 May 2023|work=The Armourer's Bench|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230522135436/https://armourersbench.com/2023/05/21/what-weapons-did-wagner-capture-in-the-soledar-mines/|archive-date=22 May 2023}}</ref><nowiki></nowiki> | designer = [[John T. Thompson]] | design_date = 1917–1920 | manufacturer = {{indented plainlist| *[[Auto-Ordnance Company]] (originally) *The [[Birmingham Small Arms]] Company Limited *[[Colt's Manufacturing Company|Colt]] *[[Savage Arms]] *RPB Industries}} | production_date = 1921–1945 | number = Approximately 1.75 million of all variants,{{sfn|Yenne|2009|p={{page needed|date=July 2018}}}} including:{{indented plainlist| * 562,511 M1928A1 * 285,480 M1 * 539,143 M1A1}} | variants = See [[#Variants|Variants section]] | weight = {{indented plainlist| *{{convert|10.8|lb|kg|1|abbr=on}} empty (Thompson M1928A1)<ref name=TM9_2200_59>{{cite book |last=War Department |title=TM 9-2200 Small Arms, Light Field Mortars and 20-mm Aircraft Guns |url=https://archive.org/details/TM92200SmallArmsLightFieldMortarsAnd20mmAircraftGuns |publisher=War Department |date=1943-10-11 |page=[https://archive.org/details/TM92200SmallArmsLightFieldMortarsAnd20mmAircraftGuns/page/n123 59]}}</ref> *{{convert|10|lb|kg|1|abbr=on}} empty (Thompson M1A1)}}<ref name=TM9_2200_57>{{cite book |last=War Department |title=TM 9-2200 Small Arms, Light Field Mortars and 20-mm Aircraft Guns |url=https://archive.org/details/TM92200SmallArmsLightFieldMortarsAnd20mmAircraftGuns |publisher=War Department |date=1943-10-11 |page=[https://archive.org/details/TM92200SmallArmsLightFieldMortarsAnd20mmAircraftGuns/page/n59 57]}}</ref> | length = {{indented plainlist| *{{convert|33.7|in|mm|abbr=on}} (M1928A1 with compensator)<ref name = TM9_2200_59/> *{{convert|31.9|in|mm|abbr=on}} (M1/M1A1)<ref name = TM9_2200_57/>}} | part_length = {{indented plainlist| *{{convert|10.52|in|mm|abbr=on}}<ref name = TM9_2200_59/> *{{convert|12|in|mm|abbr=on}} (with Cutts compensator)}} | cartridge = {{indented plainlist| *[[.45 ACP]] (11.43×23mm) *[[10mm Auto]] (limited quantity of FBI conversions)<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2018/7/18/full-powerfull-auto-the-thompson-goes-metric-and-the-mp5-goes-american/|title=Full Power/Full Auto: The Thompson Goes Metric And the MP5 Goes American|magazine=American Rifleman|first=Jeremiah|last=Knupp|date=18 July 2018}}</ref>}} | range = {{convert|164|yd|m}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://world.guns.ru/smg/usa/thompson-e.html|title=Thompson 1921 Submachine Gun |date=27 October 2010 |publisher=Modern Firearms}}</ref> | velocity = {{convert|285|m/s|0|order=flip|abbr=on}} | action = [[Blowback (arms)|Blowback]], [[Blish lock]] | rate = {{indented plainlist| *900 rpm (M1921)<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=McCollum |first=Ian |date=2018-10-09 |title=The Marines' First SMG: 1921/28 Thompson Gun |url=https://www.forgottenweapons.com/the-marines-first-smg-1921-28-thompson-gun/ |access-date=2023-08-20 |website=Forgotten Weapons |language=en-US}}</ref> *600–725 rpm (M1928)<ref name = TM9_2200_59/> *700–800 rpm (M1A1)<ref name = TM9_2200_57/> }} | feed = 20 or 30 round box magazine, 50 or 100 round [[drum magazine]]<ref name = TM9_2200_59/> (M1 and M1A1 models do not accept drum magazines) }} The '''Thompson submachine gun''' (also known as the "'''Tommy gun'''", "'''Chicago typewriter'''", or "'''trench broom'''") is a [[blowback-operated]], [[Selective fire|selective-fire]] [[submachine gun]], invented and developed by [[Brigadier general (United States)|Brigadier General]] [[John T. Thompson]], a [[United States Army]] officer, in 1918. It was designed to break the stalemate of [[trench warfare]] of [[World War I]], although early models did not arrive in time for actual combat. The Thompson saw early use by the [[United States Marine Corps]] during the [[Banana Wars]],<ref name="schroeder1927">{{Citation|last=Schroeder|first=Michael J.|title=Digital Resources: The Sandino Rebellion Digital Historical Archive, Nicaragua, 1927–1934|date=2019-03-26|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780199366439.013.77|encyclopedia=Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Latin American History|publisher=Oxford University Press|doi=10.1093/acrefore/9780199366439.013.77|isbn=978-0-19-936643-9|access-date=2021-07-05|url-access=subscription}}</ref> the [[United States Postal Inspection Service]], the [[Irish Republican Army]], the [[Republic of China (1912–1949)|Republic of China]], and the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] following the [[Kansas City massacre|Kansas City Massacre]]. The weapon was also sold to the general public. Because it was so widely used by criminals, the Thompson became notorious during the [[Prohibition in the United States|Prohibition]] era as the [[signature weapon]] of various organized crime syndicates in the United States in the 1920s. It was a common sight in the media at the time, and was used by both law enforcement officers and criminals.{{sfn|Bearse|1994|p=210}} The Thompson was widely adopted by the [[Military of the United States|U.S. armed forces]] during [[World War II]], and was also used extensively by other [[Allies of World War II|Allied]] troops during the war. Its main models were designated as the M1928A1, M1 and M1A1 during this time. More than 1.5 million Thompson submachine guns were produced during World War II.<ref name="Iannamico 1999" /> It is the first weapon to be labelled and marketed as a "submachine gun".<ref name="James">{{cite web|last=James|first=Gary|date=1996–2006|title=Development of the Thompson Submachine Gun|url=http://www.nfatoys.com/tsmg/web/history.htm|access-date=2006-12-18|archive-date=2020-10-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201028204656/http://www.nfatoys.com/tsmg/web/history.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>{{sps|date=May 2024}} The original selective-fire Thompson variants are no longer produced, although numerous semi-automatic civilian versions are still being produced by the manufacturer [[Auto-Ordnance Company|Auto-Ordnance]]. These models retain a similar appearance to the original models, but have various modifications in order to comply with [[National Firearms Act|US firearm laws]]. {{TOC limit|limit=3}}
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