A gangster is a member of an organized crime group, also called the mafia. In the 1920s in America, gangsters became a huge problem for law enforcement due to the introduction of "dry law", and, as a result, the emergence of a multi-million dollar criminal business of alcohol smuggling (bootlegging). The illegal alcohol business became the basis of the Great Criminal Empire. The most notorious gangster of the Prohibition era, Al Capone of Chicago, Illinois. He brutally cracked down on anyone who tried to create competition for him in the illegal trade in alcohol. Capone and other gangsters, through threats and bribery, attracted the police and politicians to their side, who turned a blind eye to their criminal activities. The federal government found it increasingly difficult to deal with the gangsters, but they still worked tirelessly to catch the mobsters and put an end to organized crime. In the 1920s, the gangster became an American "self-made" man icon. a successful person who achieved success on his own.

The mafia is an organized secret organization, they are involved in smuggling, racketeering, drug dealing and other types of criminal activities. The homeland of the mafia is Italy, but in the 1920s the United States developed its own problems with the mafia. The American Mafia originated a little over half a century ago, but it is still a problem in the US. The Mafia's main business in the 1920s was bootlegging, but in 1930 and 1931, about seven years after heroin was banned in the US, war broke out among the Mafia families. Out of this "war" emerged a new generation of leaders who had no respect for traditional values. Salvatore "Lucky" Luciano was the leader of the Mafia youth movement; he is known as one of the most brilliant criminals of modern America. He had an idea to modernize the American mafia, and this idea defeated the leaders of 24 mafia families in America. Shortly thereafter, the mafia "National Commission" began to function; this proves that Luciano has practically made the mafia the dominant criminal organization. Luciano's revolutionary idea is the basis for organized crime today.

In the Historical Weapons store, you can buy gangster weapons at low prices. Models of gangster weapons are exact copies of real weapons with movable mechanisms, certified in Russia and do not require special permits to purchase. Models of gangster weapons are a desirable acquisition for both the collector and for interior decoration, photo shoots and various events.

The Thompson submachine gun (Tommy-gun) is an American submachine gun developed by Auto-Ordnance in 1917 and actively used during World War II.

The American general John Toliver Thompson is usually considered the developer of this submachine gun. However, Thompson himself acted more as a businessman who, in 1916, together with Thomas Ryan, who provided funding for the project, founded the Auto-Ordnance company with the aim of developing an automatic / self-loading rifle based on the patent for the original semi-blowback design, issued by them, issued to John Blish in 1915. The direct developers of the weapon were the engineer Theodor Eickhoff hired by Thompson and Ryan, as well as Oscar Payne and George Goll.

In 1918, a working prototype was ready, which was given a sonorous commercial designation - "Annihilator I" ("Annihilator"). According to legend, the first batch of these weapons, intended for testing at the front, arrived at the New York docks on November 11, 1918 - just the day the war ended.

The first production model appeared in 1921. The Thompson M1921 received its final, familiar design: a barrel with transverse cooling ribs at the base, two pistol grips for fire control, a removable wooden butt, a sector sight with a full diopter, designed for firing up to 600 yards (548 m). Shops - box-shaped for 20 and 30 and drum - for 50 and 100 rounds. This version of the submachine gun was offered on the civilian arms market, although the very, very high cost ($200 - despite the fact that a Ford car cost about $400) did not contribute to mass sales. It should be noted that the design and ergonomics of the Thompson had a great influence on the further development of American weapons and were subsequently copied many times in whole or in part.

A small number of M1921 Thompsons were acquired by the US Marine Corps, as well as by some police departments, on a private basis. They were used to a limited extent in local conflicts of those years in Latin America (the so-called "Banana Wars"), during which it quickly became clear that at close range a unit of 4 submachine gunners armed with submachine guns could easily be compared in firepower to a full squad of 9 shooters with rifles. At the same time, complaints were caused by the excessive mass of the weapon, the low efficiency of fire beyond 50 yards (~ 45 m) and the relatively low penetration ability of the bullet.

In 1923, Thompson created a paramilitary version of the weapon - M1923, which had a long barrel, a bayonet and a slightly simplified design, and also used a special, more powerful 45-caliber cartridge. However, in the Army, the idea of ​​such a weapon remained unclaimed for a long time.

However, the most famous during this period - the era of "Prohibition" - "Thompson" acquired nevertheless as a weapon of American gangsters. Even the state control over the sale of weapons by Auto-Ordnance, introduced in 1928, could not prevent the Thompsons from falling into their hands. Having received the unofficial name of Tommy-gun, the machine turned from an anti-gangster one into a weapon of gang wars, becoming their main hero and proving itself from the best side. "Tommy Guns" were used during the "Valentine's Day Massacre" that thundered all over the States, which took place on February 14, 1929 in Chicago.

During the Prohibition era, the tabloid press dubbed this weapon the "Devil's Death Machine," the "Great Aid to Business Prosperity," and the "Chicago Typewriter." Newspapers were full of notes about showdowns in the bootlegging business:
On September 25, 1925, Frank McErland and Joe "Polak" Saltis gunned down O'Donnell's crew in Chicago. On February 14, 1929, Jack McGurn, Fred Burke and other associates of Al Capone staged a massacre of 7 people from the Moran gang in the North Clark Street garage (Valentine's Day Massacre). On June 17, 1933, Charles Arthur Floyd (Pretty Boy) and two gangsters shot down four police cars at the Kansas City station in half a minute. On November 27, 1934, two FBI agents were shot and killed by Nelson. The next day, the body of Nelson himself was found, with 17 .45 caliber bullets.

In order to fight gangsters on an equal footing, the Thompsons were armed with police officers, FBI agents, as well as the US Postal Service and the Coast Guard.

During World War II, the Marines, sabotage units, paratroopers, and military intelligence were armed with Tommy-guns. Tommy Gun fought not only on all fronts where the Americans fought, but also in the USSR, where weapons were sent under Lend-Lease.

War is over. Stocks of weapons from warehouses are sold out. It seemed it was time for old Tommy to retire. But no! Handy and reliable Tommy-gun served in the FBI until the early 80s of the 20th century. During the Vietnam War, both American intelligence units and the South Vietnamese police were armed with Thompson submachine guns.

The Tommy Gun model M1 was produced in small batches right up to 1971. However, given the huge demand among collectors, its production was resumed in 1975.

The Tommy gun was widely used in the 90s of the XX century in wars in the territory of the former Yugoslavia.

And what about today, because the 21st century is already in the yard? Tommy gun is one of the most popular weapons in all kinds of gun shows!

The release of Tommy-gun replicas is also quite a profitable business. Demand among collectors is still not satisfied. The cost of serviceable US-made Tommy guns starts at $ 10,000, Chinese replicas are slightly lower, but also not a penny ...

The very name "Tommy gun" has already become part of American history. This is the name of songs, films, computer games, fashionable shops, bars by the road... In Hollywood there is even a film studio with this loud name.
So, old man "Tommy", I think, will live for quite a long time!
And the name, I believe, is even longer!

Tommy gun in cinema:
- The Thompson submachine gun is used by the protagonists of the films Bonnie and Clyde, Johnny D., When the Fanfare Is Silent, The Mask, The Damned Road, Saving Private Ryan, it is also used by Christopher Walken's character in the film The Lone Hero.
- The pseudonym Tommy Gunn was taken by porn actor Thomas Joseph Strada.
- The Thompson submachine gun is present in the films American Fight, Deja Vu, Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?, Miller's Crossing, Only Girls in Jazz.
- The Thompson submachine gun is present in episodes of the film "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?", where the action takes place in Hollywood in 1948.
- In the animated series Futurama, in many episodes (for example, in Bender Gets Made and Xmas Story) there is both an old and a laser version of the Thompson submachine gun.

The Thompson submachine gun became the basis for the creation of the futuristic M-41A weapon from the movie Aliens.
- The Thompson submachine gun is featured in the movie "Sahara" with James Belushi.

Tommy gun in computer games:

As the protagonist's weapon, the Thompson submachine gun is present in the following games:
Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth,
Battlefield 1942,
Battlefield: Bad Company 2,
bioshock,
Bioshock 2,
blood,
Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30,
call of duty,
Day of Defeat,
fallout 2,
Hidden & Dangerous 2,
Mafia: The City Of Lost Heaven,
Mafia II,

Medal Of Honor: Pacific Assault,

nocturne,
No One Lives Forever 2,
Peter Jackson's: King-Kong,
Resident Evil 4,
Return to Castle Wolfenstein,
Serious Sam,
the ship,
The Suffering,
The Suffering: Ties That Bind,
vietcong,
shanghai dragon,
as well as in the series of games Alone in the Dark, Behind Enemy Lines.

Thompson submachine gun, the legendary Tommy-gun, you can buy or rent for wedding events, theme parties, photo and video shoots:

Thompson submachine gun 1928A1. Gangster version. It differs from the military in a round high-capacity magazine and a handguard with a handle. Full size copy. The shutter is cocked, the trigger mechanism works, the magazine is disconnected. Weight over 4 kg.

Production: Spain

Composition: wood, metal
Size: 86.5 cm

Rent - 1500 rub. per day,
sale - 9000r.

Other gangster party accessories are also available: a suitcase of dollars, pistols, handcuffs, hats (male and female), suspenders, ties, boas (red and yellow), pearls, women's gloves.

Legendary machine!

The controller, the trench broom, the Chicago typewriter or the Chicago piano, the sprinkler, the enlightener - all these names were carried by the same object - the Thompson submachine gun. He was the national pride of the United States in the 20s of the last century.

A bit of history

The designer of this weapon is General of the American Army John Taliaferro Thompson, after whom the machine gun was named. But some military historians call him only a successful businessman who created a joint company with financier Thomas Rein, Auto-Ordnance. And the true developers are the talented engineers Theodore Eickhoff, Oscar Payne, George Goll, who were hired by Thompson. Also among the authors of the weapon can be considered the developer of the semi-free shutter John Blish.

But without Thompson, this famous weapon would still not exist. Everyone recognizes this. And it all started with an understanding of the results of the First World War, when almost all the warring parties came to the conclusion that the rifles in service could not cope with the increased mobility of hostilities. And therefore it is necessary to have in service a weapon with an increased rate of fire with a smaller mass.


The company issued the first prototype in 1919. The resulting copy was distinguished by a high rate of fire and reliability for the prototype. For example, in tests, she fired at a rate of 1000 rounds per minute, and there was only one delay for 2000 shots. But the war had already ended by this time and the United States decided that they did not need new weapons, about the reason for their high cost. Judge for yourself: the average salary in the United States then was about 50-70 dollars, and the price of a Thompson submachine gun was about 225-230 bucks apiece.

The modification of 1921 became about half the price, but the army commanders still did not need it. And then Thompson with his tommy gun decided to interest law enforcement agencies. And with the slogan "On the side of Law and Order," the owner went on a tour of the country. But, alas, only FBI officers from law enforcement agencies became interested in the machine gun.


And a small batch of weapons was purchased by the young Soviet Republic for the border troops. It was successfully used in the fight against the Basmachi detachments. After all, as combat tests showed, 3-4 people armed with Thompson submachine guns were equal in combat power to 9-11 people armed with rifles.

Armed with the mafia

It would seem that the financial enterprise of Thompson-Rine is about to collapse, but then the “Prohibition Era” began in America and gangsters became interested in weapons, who, unlike the state, perfectly appreciated all the possibilities of automatic weapons. And even the 1928 State Control of Arms Act could not prevent a large number of Thompsons from falling into their hands.


Newspapers jokingly called the guns in the hands of gangsters "great helpers in the prosperity of business." It was the Thompson submachine gun in the hands of the mafia and the desire to fight them on equal terms that prompted the police, the FBI, the Postal Service and the Coast Guard to also adopt this weapon.


World War II

And only the beginning of the Second World War forced the US government to start rearming its army. So the American motorized infantry received a Thompson M1928A1 submachine gun. It differed from the 1928 model in that it had a wooden handguard instead of an additional pistol grip. But still, this model was much inferior in reliability in the field to similar weapons in the armies of the USSR and the Wehrmacht, and in 1943 the American army received the M1 model.


It was the last model that was recognized as the most successful and was produced until 1976. After it was declared obsolete and was removed both from production and from service. Although the last use of these army machine guns was recorded during the Balkan conflict at the end of the 20th century.

But the civilian version of the machine was produced until 1999. True, it was produced not as a machine gun, but as a "Thompson self-loading carbine, model 1927A1."

TTX submachine gun Thompson 1928

Caliber - 11.43 mm. The machine was designed for a pistol cartridge 45 ACP.

Machine weight: without magazine - 4.54 kg. A 20-round box magazine added 0.85 kg. The disc for 50 rounds increased the weight by another 2.2 kg, and if the submachine gun was equipped with a disk magazine for 100 rounds, then the weight of the weapon exceeded 8 kg. At the same time, the machine had a solid rate of fire of 600-700 rounds per minute, depending on the model. Sighting range was about 100-150 meters.


By the way, the popular name in Russian transcription "submachine gun" is somewhat incorrect. Thompson himself called his brainchild somewhat differently: "submachine-gun", which if translated literally would mean "submachine gun" or in another way - "a lighter kind of machine gun". Americans still use the term to refer to hand-held automatic weapons that use a pistol cartridge.

Video: Thompson submachine gun

Thompson M1921 / M1928 / M1928A1 / M1 / ​​M1A1 submachine gun (USA)

Thompson M1921 submachine gun with a 20-round magazine attached to it, next to it is a 50-round drum magazine

Thompson M1921 submachine gun, stock detached

John Toliver Thompson (John T. Thompson) acquired the patent of the American John Blish (John Blish) for the design of slowing down the recoil of the shutter by friction, which he then applied in his weapon. In 1916, John Thompson, together with Thomas Ryan, who provided funding for the project, founded the Auto-Ordnance company, the purpose of which was to develop an automatic rifle based on the patent they had acquired, issued to John Blish in 1915, for a semi-free shutter of the original design. Thompson and Ryan hired engineer Theodore H. Eickhoff, Oscar V. Payne, and George E. Goll to directly design the new weapon.

During the design work of 1917, it became clear that the Blish bolt, acting due to the friction force of the bronze liner moving inside its core, does not fully lock the bore for the duration of the shot, as provided for by the patent. The liner only slowed down the retreat of the bolt to the extremely rear position, which significantly limited the power range of cartridges that could be used in weapons. This meant the abandonment of the original project of an automatic rifle, since the only cartridge that worked normally with the Blish bolt from those accepted for service in the United States was the .45 ACP pistol cartridge unsuitable for this type of weapon in terms of ballistic qualities for a pistol.

As a result, it was decided to design a small-sized light machine gun chambered for a pistol cartridge for close range combat, as well as storming trenches and other fortifications, which was very important in the First World War. John Thompson gave this weapon the name "submachine-gun", which literally means "submachine gun" or "lighter version of the machine gun". This term has taken root in American English and is still used to refer to a manual automatic weapon chambered for a pistol cartridge, which in Russian terminology is called a submachine gun. The current prototype was made in 1918. The weapon was given the commercial designation "Annihilator I" (Eng. "Destroyer").

Thompson M1928 submachine gun with 20-round box magazine and Cutts design muzzle compensator

Technically, the Thompson submachine gun operates using a semi-free-breech mechanism. To slow down the movement back when fired, friction is used between the H-shaped liner of the bolt and the bevel on the inner walls of the receiver. This system was developed in 1915 by US Navy officer John B. Blish. According to the manufacturer, this insert held the bolt in the forward position at the initial moment of the shot, with a high pressure of powder gases in the barrel, and after the pressure dropped in the channel, it rose up, due to which the bolt was unlocked. However, a number of experts claim that this retarder insert in this system either did not fulfill its function at all, or had only a slight effect on the operation of automation.

In the later models of the Thompson submachine gun, created already during the Second World War and put into service under the designations M1 and M1A1, this insert is missing and this did not affect the performance of the weapon's automation. In addition, if the insert was placed incorrectly during the assembly of the weapon, then the submachine gun did not work at all. The trigger mechanism is assembled in the trigger frame, allows you to shoot both single shots and bursts. The early models of the Thompsons had a rather complex trigger mechanism in design and manufacture, in which there was a small trigger in the form of a triangular lever inside the bolt, which strikes the striker with the striker at the moment the bolt group arrives in the extreme forward position when interacting with a special protrusion of the receiver. In this case, the fire was fired from an open shutter. The Thompson M1A1 submachine gun instead of a complex mechanism received a simple fixed striker in the shutter mirror. Shooting from M1A1 is also carried out from an open shutter.

The cocking handle is located on the top cover of the receiver. For models M1 and M1A1, the cocking handle is located on the right side of the receiver. The fire mode translator and manual fuse are made in the form of separate levers and are located on the left side of the receiver. Sights consist of a non-adjustable front sight and an adjustable rear sight, including a fixed rear sight with a V-shaped slot and an adjustable folding rear sight. Model M1A1 received a simple and cheap to manufacture non-adjustable diopter rear sight. Thompson submachine guns could be used with magazines of different capacities. These were both box and drum magazines. Double-row box magazines had a capacity of 20 or 30 rounds and were attached to the weapon with a kind of rail-shaped protrusion on the back of the magazine, with which they were inserted inside the T-shaped cutout in the trigger guard. Drum magazines held 50 or 100 rounds and were attached to the submachine gun in the cutout of the receiver using transverse grooves. Only box magazines could be attached to the M1 and M1A1 models.

Thompson M1928 submachine gun with 100-round drum magazine

However, this model was not destined to prove itself on the battlefields of the First World War, since the first batch of these weapons, intended for testing at the front, according to legend, arrived at the New York docks on November 11, 1918, the day the war ended. The “destroyer” had a milled square-section receiver, on which there was a cocking handle on top, a pistol grip instead of a rifle butt with a neck typical for weapons of those years, and a front hold handle under the barrel to facilitate weapon control when firing bursts, a round perforated casing completely covering the barrel , replaced in later versions by ribs that improve barrel cooling, and there was no butt or any shoulder rest. The magazine receiver was made in the form of a transverse cutout in the lower-front of the receiver, which made it possible to accept both box-shaped (for 20 rounds) and Payne drum systems (for 50 rounds) magazines.

The main part of the details of this weapon was produced on metal-cutting machines with minimal tolerances. This submachine gun received the designation M1919, becoming the earliest version of the famous "Tommy Gun". This weapon used the same .45 ACP pistol cartridge. Experimental calibers in this model were also .22LR, .32 ACP, .38 ACP and 9mmParabellum. A total of forty copies were produced. M1919 was distinguished by an excessively high rate of fire - about 1500 rounds per minute. The New York Police Department ordered a small batch of these weapons. The weapons entered mass production only in 1921. It was in this version that the Thompson M1921 received its original appearance - a barrel with transverse cooling ribs at the base, a removable wooden butt, a pistol grip for controlling fire and a front holding grip, a sector sight with a full diopter designed for shooting up to 600 yards (548 m). The weapons were fed with cartridges from box magazines with a capacity of 20 or 30 and drum magazines with a capacity of 50 or 100 rounds.

The Thompson M1921 submachine gun was offered on the civilian arms market. However, its cost was very high - $200, while a Ford passenger car cost about $400, which did not contribute to large sales. A number of Thompson M1921s entered the US Marine Corps and several police departments. These weapons were used in local conflicts of those years in Latin America (the so-called "Banana Wars"). Combat experience has shown the very high efficiency of this submachine gun at close range. But there were also disadvantages, which consisted in the excessive mass of the weapon, the low efficiency of firing beyond 50 yards (45 m) and the relatively low penetrating ability of the bullet.

Early production Thompson M1928A1, has a handguard instead of the front grip like the M1928, equipped with an adjustable Lyman diopter sight

Thompson M1928A1 submachine gun with a drum magazine with a capacity of 50 rounds, this example has an L-shaped fixed diopter sight

In 1923, the next model of the Thompson submachine gun was developed under the designation M1923. This weapon used a more powerful than .45 ACP cartridge .45 Remington-Thompson (.45 Thompson Model 1923 long / 11.25x26) with an muzzle velocity of 430 m / s and a mass of 16 grams. The M1923 submachine gun itself received an elongated barrel and the possibility of attaching a bayonet, as well as a separate bipod. The M1923 was created as a competitor to the Browning 1918 automatic rifle (BrowningBar), but the military preferred the proven rifle chambered weapon, still underestimating the role of submachine guns in a future military conflict. A notable fact is the acquisition of a fairly large batch of M1923 by the separatist organization Irish Republican Army, and the use of these weapons during the Irish War of Independence in 1919-1921, but without significant effect.

The next option was the Model 1927, which was distinguished by the presence of a muzzle brake-compensator. Subsequently, replicas of this model were produced in the form of civilian and sports options. The first of these, the M1927A1, is a self-loading model for the civilian arms market, firing from a closed bolt, produced from 1974 to 1999. Known as the "Thompson Self-Loading Carbine Model 1927A1". M1927A3 - self-loading version for a small-caliber 5.6 mm cartridge. 22LR. M1927A5 - self-loading model chambered for .45 ACP, in the production of which aluminum-based alloy parts were used to reduce the weight of the weapon. This model is equipped with a short 127mm barrel to meet US handgun regulations.

In 1928, one of the most famous models of the Thompson submachine gun, the M1928, appeared. This version, also called the "Navy Model" (Navy Model) has a barrel with cooling fins and a muzzle brake-compensator of the Cutts system, two firing modes, as well as a significantly reduced rate of fire. Variants were made with a front holding handle and with a wooden horizontal forearm. This model was first used in military operations during the punitive operation of the US Navy in Nicaragua. Thompson submachine gun or "Tommy-guns" (Tommy-gun - from Thompson submachine gun) due to its high firepower and firing efficiency, high stopping effect of bullets used cartridges, reliability, the ability to carry weapons without a stock in a fairly compact case, high service life and workmanship, as well as convenience, was very popular with both the police and gangsters, and thanks to its reputation in the civilian arms market.

Thompson M1928A1 with a smooth barrel without cooling fins and the simplest non-adjustable whole, made during the Second World War

The above advantages covered such disadvantages as a very significant mass, high cost and rapid consumption of cartridges in early models. The Auto-Ordnance company tried to prevent submachine guns from getting into criminal gangs by introducing state control over the sale of weapons in 1928, but to no avail. "Tommy-guns" have become firmly associated with gangsters not only in the United States, but throughout the world. Thompson submachine guns were used during the February 14, 1929 in Chicago "Massacre on Valentine's Day" - the massacre of Italian mafiosi from the Al Capone group with members of the rival Irish group Bugs Moran, as a result of which seven people were shot dead. The tabloid press during the era of Prohibition in the United States (1920-1930s) dubbed the Thompson submachine gun the "Great Helper in Business Prosperity", the "Devil's Death Machine" and the "Chicago Typewriter" (for the characteristic sound when firing ).

The Thompson M1928 became the first model of the Thompson submachine gun to be recognized by the military. These weapons were used by the US Navy and Marine Corps, and at the beginning of World War II, Auto-Ordnance received large contracts from the French and British governments. In 1928, the command of the US Marine Corps, which participated in the intervention in Nicaragua, purchased several thousand modified Thompson M1928 submachine guns to reinforce their units. However, the use of Thompson submachine guns in the troops was still limited, in 1921-1939. only about 20,000 pieces were made, and export contracts became the main part of this release.

After the high-profile murder of four police officers at a Kansas railroad station by gangsters from the Vernon Miller gang in 1933, Thompson submachine guns were adopted by the FBI as an adequate counter to well-armed organized crime groups. Thompson submachine guns were adopted by the US Army only in 1938. It was already a slightly modified version. The Thompson M1928A1 submachine gun is equipped with only a horizontal handguard instead of a front holding handle, otherwise it corresponded to the 1928 model of the year. During the Second World War, the use of armored vehicles and motorized infantry on the battlefield rapidly increased, which made it necessary to equip the crews of combat vehicles with compact and relatively light automatic weapons.

Sailors of the Northern Fleet with Thompson M1928A1 submachine guns supplied under lend-lease

Such a weapon was also necessary for ordinary infantry, since long and not very maneuverable magazine rifles with a longitudinally sliding rotary bolt and self-loading rifles that used powerful rifle cartridges that gave strong returns did not meet the requirements of the time for an infantryman's personal small arms for a long time. A maneuverable weapon was required, capable of creating a high density of fire at short distances, convenient for fighting not only in forests and trenches, but also in the cramped spaces of city buildings. Such weapons in the United States were Thompson submachine guns. The Thompson M1928A1 submachine gun entered mass production before the attack on Pearl Harbor, when production of the M1928 model ended. At the beginning of the Second World War, these weapons for the American army were supplied from only two factories. During the war, in addition to Auto-Ordnance Corp., Savage Arms Corp. joined the serial production of Thompson submachine guns. However, this weapon was characterized by low manufacturability due to the need to process all parts on metal-cutting equipment, which did not allow increasing the volume of mass production.

In addition to the M1928A1, simplified versions of this model were adopted in the United States - these are the M1 and M1A1 submachine guns. The Thompson M1 submachine gun was created with the aim of reducing the cost of production and increasing its pace in wartime. Serial production of the M1 was launched in 1943. The Thompson M1 submachine gun received a simple blowback automation system, a simple non-adjustable rear sight instead of an adjustable one, a rifle-type wooden handguard, a charging handle on the right side of the receiver, a barrel without a muzzle brake-compensator and cooling fins. To simplify production, some parts began to be produced by forging with further processing on metal-cutting machines.

The M1 submachine gun was fed with cartridges only from box magazines with a capacity of 20 or 30 rounds. The magazine receiver allowed only box magazines to be attached, since drum magazines were considered unnecessarily heavy, bulky and inconvenient to use. Thompson M1 and M1A1 submachine guns were very popular among both infantrymen and rangers, marines, paratroopers and scouts. With the simplification of the design and some increase in the manufacturability of the production of the Thompsons, it was possible to bring the total number of manufactured copies to 90,000 pieces per month. The Thompson M1A1 submachine gun, which began production in 1943, received a striker fixed in the bolt mirror and simple sights with a non-adjustable diopter as a whole, designed for firing up to 100 yards (91.4 meters).

Thompson M1 manufactured in 1942, with a 30-round box magazine, L-shaped non-adjustable diopter sight, barrel without cooling ribs and compensator, fixed buttstock with a transverse screw at the base, bolt handle on the right side of the receiver

Thompson M1 with L-shaped non-adjustable diopter as a whole, protected from side impacts by stamped plates

In 1940-1944 1387134 Thompson submachine guns of all models were produced: 562511 pcs. - M1928A1; 285480 pcs. - M1; 539143 pcs. - M1A1. Of these, Auto-Ordnance Cogr. made 847,991 Thompsons, and Savage Arms Corr. - 539143. But the simplified models M1 and M1A1, despite all the simplifications of design and production, remained too expensive and not technologically advanced for military weapons, especially in wartime conditions. In addition, the M1 and M1A1 had the same main drawbacks as the previous models - an excessive total mass, as well as a short effective range, along with a significantly sloping bullet trajectory. As a result, Thompson submachine guns never became the mainstay of automatic weapons in the US Army, where submachine guns such as the M3, M3A1, Reising M50 and Reising M55 were used with them.

During the Second World War, Thompsons were used not only by the Americans and their ally, Great Britain, a certain number of these submachine guns were supplied to the USSR under the Lend-Lease program, including as additional equipment for various military equipment, for example, tanks and aircraft . But, despite all its advantages, this weapon did not become very popular in the Red Army, the reason for which is excessive weight, especially with an equipped drum magazine, as well as the use of an American cartridge that was not in service. Ammunition sent from overseas was simply not enough. It is worth noting that the .45 ACP cartridge significantly outperforms the domestic 7.62x25 TT cartridge in terms of the stopping effect of a bullet, which is extremely important in close combat.

In terms of penetrating action, the American cartridge is of course inferior to the domestic one, but not at all as much as some myths describe. After the end of World War II, Thompson submachine guns remained in the US armed forces for a long time. Thompsons were used during both the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Thompson submachine guns were armed with some South Vietnamese army units and military police. Thompsons were used both by US Army units and by reconnaissance and sabotage groups. The FBI used the Thompsons until 1976, when these weapons were declared obsolete and removed from service. Tommy-gans remained in separate police departments until the 1980s. However, with its very advanced age and all its shortcomings, Thompson submachine guns continue to be used sporadically in various hot spots.

…This man is irresistible. When he enters the "tea" - speakeasy, restrainedly elegantly touches the edge of the hat, the beating of ladies' hearts drowns out the eternal jazz longing for the unearthly..

Here he is, as if descended from the cover of a fashion magazine or the pages of society columns: a double-breasted blue flax suit, black patent leather shoes, a silk tie, a snow-white shirt and a pearl gray felt hat. A stingy gesture of the hand - the gold of the watch flashed, sparks of the diamond splashed: a long coat was casually deftly thrown over the arm, his gaze glided over the tea-cocaine twilight ...

So, with slight variations, looked like a "very bad guy" from Chicago in the 30s of the twentieth century. Gangster. Bootlegger. Gentleman Killer. They created a distinctive style that is still unsurpassed in terms of elegance, sexuality and masculinity. Maybe the mystery is not at all in the flawless cut and expensive fabric? And not even in the innate taste of Italian mafiosi, who consoled the residents of Chicago and other cities during the Prohibition period with strong alcohol?

The mystery lies in the heroes of the American "Cosa Nostra" themselves - cruel and desperate romantics who inherited from their distant ancestors a "wolf" flair for beauty and brought up a wolf's grip on life.

They preferred a double-breasted jacket of dark noble shades, with wide long lapels - to the waist, straight tails without cuts. In such a jacket, the figure seems athletically slender. And also: under the double-breasted "Kent" (the jacket was named after the younger Prince of Wales), you can hide not one, but two Thompson submachine guns - the cult weapon of Chicago gangsters; the absence of cuts helps not to detect holsters under the jacket by others; blood is hardly visible on dark fabric.

Al Capone - the godfather of the "Chicago gentlemen" - wore single-breasted jackets made of thin fabric: he did not need to shoot so often - there were always young elegant people in suits made of dense, very dense fabric nearby ...

When Al (Alphonse) Capone got to Chicago and became the right hand of the then mafia leader Torrio, the latter taught Capone to speak, behave and dress like an aristocrat. What for? Torrio already then perfectly understood that appearance and excellent manners can fool and create a decent reputation better than an ancient bloodline. He was not mistaken: today this law is 100% fair.

A special mockery of the gangsters over the public were white gloves, which not only completed the chic look, but seemed to symbolize the "clean hands" of the bandits. Gloves, and to them white shirts and a light-colored hat - these are, perhaps, all the bright details of the Chicago style of the 30s. Everything else is soft and deep dark shades. Restrained, expensive and extremely presentable.

…They always hit the target. In the heart of the enemy - from Thompson. In the heart of a woman - with a look. The legendary and monstrous heroes of Chicago pierce even time with their eyes and bullets, forcing them to look at photographs admiringly and try on an ambiguous image for themselves today.