The Thompson submachine gun is not only the "bestseller" and the leader of the arms market in the past, but also one of the longest-livers. It's no joke, the first batch of these weapons was released in 1919, and their official military career in the US Army ended in Vietnam.
Operating in the jungle, the "green berets" tried to arm at least one of the soldiers of the main patrol with a "Tommy-gun" with a disk magazine. Since this, hopelessly by that time morally obsolete weapon, made it possible to unleash a flurry of fire on the enemy that suddenly appeared at an ultra-short distance.
Let's also note that "Thompson" was the main submachine gun of the western part of the anti-Hitler coalition. And at first, until Great Britain began production of "Stan", it was the only one.
Used by "Thompsons" and Soviet fighters. The first "Tommy-ghans" appeared in the USSR long before the start of the Great Patriotic War. In 1924, through Mexico, the Soviet Union purchased a batch of M1921, which entered service with the OGPU and border troops. "Thompsons" were actively used on the southern borders of the USSR during the battles with the Basmachi. In the service documentation, it was referred to as the "Thompson light machine gun."
Then, already in the 40s, a significant number of submachine guns entered our country under Lend-Lease, including in the packing of military equipment. On the Stalingrad front there were entire units armed with Thompsons.
However, "Tommy-gans" were not particularly popular in the Red Army, primarily because of their large mass. And at the first opportunity, the Red Army men changed them to the usual PPSh.
Actually, the combat use of this weapon, praised by Ernst Hemingway and the cinema, has not yet been completed: in some low-intensity conflicts, it is used by fighters of various irregular formations. But, since the militants, who do not have access to serious arsenals, use any weapon that fell into their hands, this circumstance does not always indicate its high combat characteristics.
A completely different matter is the sale of old weapons on the civilian market, when the buyer makes a choice in favor of a specific model, despite the presence of "younger" and, it would seem, more technically advanced "competitors".
So, for example, the three-line, SKS, "fenced" (that is, deprived of the function of automatic fire) PPSh and PPS have enjoyed constant success in the US market for many years. And not only among collectors, collectors of weapons of a bygone era, but also among practitioners. This is evidenced by the abundance of tuning kits for these samples and workshops that carry out their modernization. Weapons updated with their help lose their historical authenticity, but they acquire improved consumer characteristics. Which undoubtedly testifies to the demand for this design today.
So there is every reason to say that "Tommy-gun" remains popular today. On May 10, sales of an updated model of a submachine gun - Tactical Tommy Gun - began. Like almost 100 years, it is produced by Auto-Ordnance.
The new version of the Thompson uses approaches that are traditional for modern American small arms. The submachine gun acquired a tubular perforated fore-end with the ability to mount Picatinny rails from the side and bottom - for mounting the LCC, tactical grip and flashlights. Another Picatinny rail is located on top of the tubular forend and the receiver, on which various sighting devices can be mounted - collimator, optical or mechanical (there is no standard sight, as on the old Thompson).
The weapon is equipped with a box magazine for 20 rounds, and a drum magazine for 50. You can also use the magazines for 100 rounds that have survived from the first half of the last century (their curb weight was about 4 kg).
In addition, the submachine gun received a telescopic four-position buttstock, like the M-4 carbine, and a pistol grip for fire control, traditional for the AR-15 family. For the civilian market, it is planned to release a submachine gun in a semi-automatic version.
The caliber of the Tactical Tommy Gun is 45ACP, as before. However, Auto-Ordnance indicate that in the future it is planned to release a version chambered for the 9 × 19 mm Luger.
The presentation of the new "Tommy Gun" took place almost six months ago, at the SHOT Show 2018, held in Las Vegas. It is noteworthy that then the estimated retail price for this weapon was announced - 1000 US dollars. However, "at the exit" it was 2229 dollars! But the high price of Thompson is also a tradition. In the 1920s, it was $ 225, while the price of a passenger car was about $ 400.
Incoming messages indicate the success of the new product - the sales volumes in the first days even slightly exceed the planned ones.
Of course, "Tommy-gun" is difficult to compete with modern submachine guns, with its weight of almost five kilograms and linear dimensions comparable to assault rifles (852 mm).
However, its advantages - high accuracy, low recoil, a cartridge with a powerful stopping effect, excellent workmanship, allow it to "sound" today. In addition, its parts, machined from the finest steel, willy-nilly command respect compared to the newfangled aluminum alloy receivers.
Note that the almost contemporary of the "Tommy-gan", the M-1 carbine, is still selling well in the American market and has gone through several upgrades. However, it costs much less.
