Thompson Submachine Gun

Note: The M1921 Thompson and the M1928 Thompson are nearly identical from a distance. The M1921 has a very fine high blued polish finish and has a very fast rate of fire (faster than an Uzi but slower than a MAC-10). The M1928 has a more matte blued finish (or a black paint finish) and it has a much slower rate of fire (like M3 Grease Gun). Since sound effects are so often 'foleyed' after the fact and since sound engineers can place the wrong sound effect for a gun, one can never be 100% sure of the fire rate of a weapon. However if the rate of fire seems fast or the gun is obviously a high polished blued finish, then the weapon should go into the M1921 Category, not the M1928.

The Thompson submachine gun, or "Tommy Gun", has appeared in the following films, television series, and video games used by the following actors:

M1921 Thompson

Colt 1921A Thompson with 20-round magazine - .45 ACP

M1921 Thompson with 50-round drum magazine .45 ACP

The M1921 is the original production version of the Thompson Submachine Gun, as manufactured by Colt Firearms in 1921. The M1921 is of the highest quality, fit, and along with a high polish blued finish, more like high grade sporting arm, than a military weapon. Standard features of the M1921 are the finned barrels, some sent with Cutts compensators, knurled lightweight bolt handles, Lyman Model 55B adjustable rear sights, push button detachable butt stocks, vertical fore grips and checkered fire control levers.

Movie

• Public Enemies (2009)

• Used by Ray Winstone as Mac in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

• Mobsters (1991)

• Dick Tracy (1990)

• Moonwalker (1988)

• Dillinger (1973)

• FBI Story (1959)

• Used by Freddie Steele in The Story of G.I. Joe (1945)

• They Were Expendable (1945)

• Used by Humphrey Bogart as Sgt. Joe Gunn in Sahara (1943)

• Bataan (1943)

• Angels with Dirty Faces (1938)

• Used by James Cagney as Brick Davis, Robert Armstrong as Jeff McCord in G Men (1935)

• Little Caesar (1931)

Television

• Used by Myron Stark/T-888 (Todd Stashwick) in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

• The Untouchables (1993)

• The Untouchables (1959)

• Reilly: Ace of Spies (1983)

Video Games

• Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth
• Mimes in No One Lives Forever 2 : A Spy In HARM's Way (as the "M1921-A1")
• Contract J.A.C.K. (as the "M1921-A1")
• Bioshock (As Machine Gun) The game is set in 1960, so i'm not sure why a M1921 would be used - Because the city Bioshock is set in was built in the 40's on the ocean floor, and has no contact with the outside world.
• '"Resident evil 4" which can be bougth from the merchant for 1 million PTAS

M1928/M1928A1 Thompson

The Model 1928 was more of an modified version rather than an upgrade. They are visually the same as the M1921 except they were outfitted with heavy actuators and smaller less powerful recoil springs to reduce the rate of fire. The earliest of these were converted M1921 Thompson receivers that were merely re-stamped "1928" over the original markings (hence the terminology "overstamp"). The M1928A1 was the military contract version of this weapon in 1928. It had a more crude military grade blued finish, a heavier actuator and the vertical foregrip was replaced with a horizontal handguard.

Film

M1928 "Tommy Gun" .45 ACP with 50-round drum magazine, made famous through countless classic gangster movies

M1928A1 Thompson with 30-round magazine and early 'simplified' rear sight that would be adopted for the M1 Thompson - .45 ACP

M1928A1 Thompson with 50-round drum magazine - .45 ACP

• Public Enemies (2009)

• Derek Luke, Michael Ealy, Laz Alonso in Miracle at St. Anna (2008) (M1928A1)

• Ric Young as Kao Kan in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

• Tom Hanks as Michael Sullivan, and other mobsters in Road to Perdition

• Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: First Contact

• The crew of the S.S. Venture in King Kong

• Tim Curry as Farley Claymore in The Shadow (1994)

• Larry Varia as a biker in Dawn of the Dead (1978)

• Bo Svenson as Lt. Robert Yeager in The Inglorious Bastards (1978)

• Organized Crime Goons in Magnum Force

• Warren Beatty as Clyde Barrow and Faye Dunaway as Bonnie Parker in Bonnie and Clyde

• Unknown Actor as "Johnny" who shoots Unknown Actor as "Snakes" in a fictitious black and white movie in Home Alone

• Gangsters & Police in the Scarface

• Gangsters & FBI Special Agents in The Rocketeer

• Christopher Walken as Hickey in Last Man Standing

• Assault on Precinct 13

• One of the Merovingian's henchmen in The Matrix Reloaded

• Oded Fehr as Ardeth Bay in The Mummy Returns

• Brendan Fraser as Rick O' Connell in The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

• Barzini hitmen in The Godfather

• Gangsters in Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia

• Russian Soldiers Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (M1928A1)

• Soldiers and police in Them!

• Gangsters, Police, and Federal Agents in The Untouchables

• William Holden, Cliff Robertson and numerous others in The Devil's Brigade (M1928A1)

• U.S. military personnel in Pearl Harbor (M1928A1 with 50-round drum and 30-round box magazines)

• Numerous individuals, both criminal and law enforcement in Miller's Crossing

• The Big Red One (1980)

• Used by Michael CaineToo Late the Hero (1970)

• The Bridge at Remagen (1969)

• The Devil's Brigade (1968)

• U.S. Air Force personnel in Jet Pilot (1957) (M1928A1)

• Used by Audie Murphy in To Hell and Back (1955)

• The Enforcer (1951)

• Used by Robert Mitchum in The Story of G.I. Joe (1945)

• A Walk In The Sun (1945)

• U.S. Army soldiers in Patton (M1928A1)

Television

• Sigma Iotia II natives, William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk, and Leonard Nimoy as Lt. Spock in Star Trek (episode "A Piece of the Action")

• A holographic gangster in Star Trek: The Next Generation (episode "Manhunt")

• Tim Russ as Tuvok in Star Trek: Voyager (episode: "The Killing Game", M1928A1)

• U.S. Army soldiers in Combat! (M1928A1)

Video Games

• Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven

• Medal of Honor: Airborne

• Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault

• Medal of Honor: Vanguard

• Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie

• Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb

• Timesplitters 2 (as the "Tommy Gun")

• Turning Point: Fall of Liberty

• Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway

• Seen on box art for Call of Duty: World at War (M1928A1)

• Seen on box art for Call of Duty: World at War: Final Fronts (M1928A1)

M1 Thompson

M1 Thompson with 20-round magainze - .45 ACP.

The M1/M1A1 were versions of the M1928A1 Thompson that were streamlined and simplified for manufacture during World War 2. Features include a non-finned barrel, simple fixed "L" style sights, no Cutts Compensators, and no knurling on actuators, or fire select levers. Also there are examples that were parkerized rather than blued that ended up in the hands of U.S. Soldiers.

The older style M1 Thompson had simple rear peep sights and a slightly more complex bolt design, which was simplified with the M1A1 Thompson and the sights were improved as the "L type" was prone to bend if the weapon was dropped or dig into the Soldier when in cramped conditions. It must be noted the M1/M1A1 Thompson's are not compatable with the 50/70 round drum magazines used on the M1921/M1928A1 models.

Film

• Clint Eastwood as Pvt. Kelly, Telly Savalas as MSgt. Big Joe, Don Rickles as SSgt. Crapgame, along with other characters in Kelly's Heroes

• A British refugee in Reign of Fire

• Used by Allied Troops in The Longest Day (1963)

M1A1 Thompson

Basically the same as the M1 but with a few more improvements such as the noted rear sight guard.

M1A1 Thompson with 30-round magazine .45 ACP

Film

• Tom Hanks as Captain John Miller in Saving Private Ryan

• Ted Danson as Captain Fred Hamill in Saving Private Ryan

• Used as part of the M41A Pulse Rifles seen in Aliens

• Gary Sinise as one of Lt. Dan Taylor's ancestors in Forrest Gump

• Organized Crime Goons in Magnum Force

• CIA Agents in Diamonds Are Forever

• U.S. Army soldiers in Band of Brothers

• Mobsters in Magnum Force

• Clint Eastwood, Telly Savalas, Don Rickles and other soldiers in Kelly's Heroes

• Pretty Boy Floyd (1960) (Modified with fake Cutt's compensator added)

• A Walk In The Sun (1945)

Video Games

• Battlefield: 1942

• Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30

• Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood

• Medal of Honor: Frontline

• Medal of Honor: Heroes

• Medal of Honor: Rising Sun

• Medal of Honor: Infiltrator

• Medal of Honor: Allied Assault

• Call of Duty

• Call of Duty: Finest Hour

• Call of Duty: Big Red One

• Call of Duty: United Offensive

• Call of Duty 2

• Call of Duty 3

• Call of Duty: World at War

• Call of Duty: World at War: Final Fronts

• Resident Evil 4

• Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway