I finally got my grail gun. Sort of...

[CajunBass]

Like most kids that grew up about the same time I did, I have always wanted a "Thompson" like the one my hero, Sgt. Chip Saunders carried in "Combat" the long running 60's TV series about an American infantry unit in Europe in 44/45.

I had a Mattel Thompson as a kid, and thought I'd find another one. Forget that. The few on Ebay that were in decent condition were in the 400-500 range.

Then I found this. A Uramex replica of the M1A1 "Thompson that shoots 177 Steel BB's from a 30 round magazine, using two Co2 cartridges for power. The gun is all metal with "Polymer" wood for the stock, forearm and pistol grip. The Co2 cartridges are stored in the removable magazine, and the BB's are loaded in the upper part. Sights are fixed, with a simple "L" type rear, post front. All the controls are in the proper place, and fully functional including the Semi/full switch. The original weighed about 10 pounds. This one comes in about 7.5 and feels "solid". I've never handled a "real" Thompson, but this one feels great.

Here you see it with my Kimber Micro 9 for size comparison. The pictures aren't great, but you get the idea.

I don't know if I'll ever shoot it, but for $250.00 (free shipping to my place), I had to have it. Now I need a plastic helmet...

 

[quikdraw67]

Nice.

I made the mistake of buying the semiautomatic version of this from Auto Ordnance after seeing Saving Private Ryan.

It was the biggest piece of **** I've ever owned.

Hope that you have better luck with your new BB gun

 

[Breakaway500]

I owned the real deal about 20 years ago.It was a joy to fire. I can see why they were very popular in close combat situations. It is the only firearm I regret selling. It had tripled in value since the time I bought it...and I needed money for a senseless race car purchase..

 

[CajunBass]

Hope that you have better luck with your new BB gun

Well, it will do for laying across my lap when I'm watching my DVD set of "Combat." Chip was always getting into trouble and needed help.

Just like my Uramex replica Colt Peacemaker for John Wayne movies.

 

[kas9412]

Cajun, like you, "Combat" was one of my most favorite shows growing up in the 60's, and also like you, I had a Mattel Tommy gun. (I also loved "Daniel Boone" and had a Kentucky long rifle that shot cork balls, powered by caps).

I will take a look at that BB-shooting Tommy gun, but to be honest, I have also been looking at those Auto Ordnance Tommy (.45 ACP semi-auto) guns as well. I retired in May, and at age 66 feel like I should have a new "toy".

Furthermore, I am a member of the Sons of the Revolution (SAR), and my Revolutionary War ancestor was a Captain in the Virginia Militia. Lately I've been thinking about joining the Honor Guard of our local chapter. It would be only fitting that I buy a reproduction Kentucky Long Rifle to portray his service to our country (don't you think? )

KAS

 

[CajunBass]

I came this close >< to buying an Auto-Ordinance Pistol Thompson. Short barrel, no buttstock, some years ago, but decided I couldn't afford to keep it in 45 ACP even reloading for it so I passed. I kinda kick myself for it now. IIRC it was something like $750. I'm sure you couldn't come close to one for that now.

A buddy of mine had a Williamsburg "Brown Bess" that was made in the gunsmith shop in Colonial Williamsburg. I never saw it, but did see pictures. It was something to see.

Of course you need a KLR. Get two while they're cheap.

 

[kas9412]

The Auto Ordnance Tommy's are currently selling for $1500-$2000 on GB.

According to some of our SAR members, the American Patriots carried both Brown Bess and French-made Charleville muskets as well as KLR's. Too many guns, too little money...

 

[Krogen]

Very cool! I'd sure shoot it if it was mine. Having spent some time behind a real Thompson, I don't really like them - despite the cool factor. They're heavy and they like to climb. Given a choice, I'd rather shoot a grease gun. Of course, your BB gun won't won't have the same characteristics as the real deal.

So.....

Shoot it!!!

 

[mikerjf]

I had two Mattel Thompsons, and two 1911's. One of each was black w/brown "wood", and the other was green camo. (The black Thompson might have been a Dick Tracy???)

Pretty sure I had the cork-ball musket too. And a "Cadet Trainerrifle", that was something like an '03 Springfield.

Later I had a "BB machine gun" from some magazine ad... it took a can of Freon rather than CO2 cartridges. Shot nice bursts but quickly became too cold to hold on to. I fixed that by taping it on to my bicycle.

 

[CajunBass]

Yes. The black/brown Mattel Thompson was part of the Dick Tracy set. I got that set for Christmas one year. It also had a Colt “Detective Special snub nose” with a plastic shoulder holster. It shot plastic bullets and “Greenie Stickum Caps” using a spring powered cartridge about the size of a 38 Special as best I remember.

Cool time to grow up.

 

[Echo40]

I've always wanted a Thompson too, so I may need to look into this...

 

[CajunBass]

Off topic story. One halloween my buddy and I dressed as the Dragnet crew. Slacks, shirts, ties, sport coats. I of course wore my Dick Tracy shoulder holster and Detective Special under my jacket.

You should have seen the looks we got standing there in coats and ties. We were probably 8-10 years old. We probably looked more like pint sized missionaries than detectives.

 

[jeffrefrig]

I had (& destroyed!) tons of cap guns when I was a kid. Pretty sure I had a Thompson-type one, too. My favorite was a German Luger that held a roll of caps. I had one cork shooter, a lever rifle that would charge air into it when cocked the lever. It ran out of corks pretty quick and I decided that you could just shove the end into some mud and shoot a sister or two with mud. That gun disappeared!

 

[THE PILGRIM]

A while back now I saw a Thompson that belonged to the Carlsbad NM Police Dept.
Civie Model with big round Magazines.
It came with a Leather Mag Carry Case that the Big Boys said was pretty rare.
Yes I wanted it!
I think they were asking $7,500 and that was years ago.

 

[CajunBass]

I had (& destroyed!) tons of cap guns when I was a kid. Pretty sure I had a Thompson-type one, too. My favorite was a German Luger that held a roll of caps. I had one cork shooter, a lever rifle that would charge air into it when cocked the lever. It ran out of corks pretty quick and I decided that you could just shove the end into some mud and shoot a sister or two with mud. That gun disappeared!

I shot my sister in the back with a BB gun one time. ONCE. And it really was an “accident.” I did not mean to shoot her. Like you i lost the gun for a LONG time on that one.

It still comes up at every time we get together. That and the time I fed my other sister 150 baby aspirins. Some people just like to hold a grudge. That’s a story for another time though.

 

[wbraswell]

I also had the Thompson "pistol" without the stock. A two handed pistol with rifle sights. Not only useless, but not fun either. They have very stiff springs, almost turned primers inside out, bent up cases, it was just awkward. The fore end and mags don't interchange with the full auto guns, unless you modify them. The grips are just way too big. I traded mine for a Single Action Army have I have loved and shot ever since.

 

[Rodan]

My agency has a Thompson that's currently framed and hanging on the wall in our "history" hallway, with a number of other guns and equipment dating back to the early 1900s. There are no records regarding its acquisition, and nobody knows exactly how or when the SO came to possess it. A few of us shot it over the years, but it's never been deployed in living memory.

As noted above, they are heavy, the ergonomics are terrible, and they climb pretty hard under recoil full auto (at least in the M1A1 configuration). As a result, I've never really like shooting them, but it doesn't stop me from loving the looks and the history.

Back in ~2002, I had an opportunity to buy the real deal for $3500. I didn't really have the $$$ at the time, but probably could have swung it if I really wanted to. Passing it up was a dumb decision in retrospect...

A few years ago, I bought an airsoft M1A1 rep, which looks nearly identical to the OP's pic above. It looks the business, and has come in handy for a couple of Halloween parties. Someday, I may get around to making a WWII wall display out of it.

I've also always wanted a BAR... might have to do the airsoft thing with that as well...

 

[LoboGunLeather]

During my first tour in Vietnam I picked up a Thompson M1A1, made by Savage Arms, probably given to Ho Chi Minh during WW2 when the Vietnamese were resisting Japanese occupation of all those French Colonial rubber plantations.

The M1A1 was very heavy to carry around, and each 20-rd. magazine added another 4 or 5 lbs. Very crude sights, functionally accurate to perhaps 50 yards at the most. Extremely reliable, I don't think it is possible to get a Thompson to stop functioning even when it is filthy inside and out. Recoil is noticeable but not bad, easy enough to control. The 20-round magazines empty out pretty quickly! Cyclic rate is fairly slow, but controlling the trigger for short bursts takes a lot of practice (like most full auto weapons in my experience).

I had no great desire to carry the Thompson in the field. I kept it in base camp, occasionally enjoyed carrying it to the PX and other places to watch peoples' reactions. When I was ready to go home I gave it to one of our warrant officer pilots who wanted it for carrying in his helicopter (most of them had only a .38 revolver as issued sidearm).

Vic Morrow, the actor portraying Staff Sergeant Saunders in the TV series, reportedly complained about having to carry the Thompson around on the set because of the weight. The prop people came up with a carved wooden replica that he could carry for scenes that did not require actual firing of the weapon.

 

[VictorLouis]

I got to put about 10rds through one at an event once. That, and a WWII era BAR. I gotta new-found respect for the boys that schlepped those around to save the world back then.

It looks really, really good. You can always fill some of the voids with lead shot and epoxy, if you want a more realistic weight. Kidding'!
Give us a range report after you wring it out.

 

[kas9412]

I had a Dick Tracy snub nose revolver as well! It drove me absolutely crazy that those spring powered plastic bullets didn't shoot straight. Then again, the cork balls out of the Kentucky long rifle weren't particularly accurate, either, but in my experience, were a little more so than the plastic bullets.

My father bought a Colt Woodsman Match Target .22 in 1968. It was the first handgun I ever shot. Finally! A gun that shot straight! I am the owner of the Woodsman now, as my father passed away about 7 years ago.

Cajun, Thanks for the nice memories this morning!
kas