I just recently took some pics of a 50-round Thompson submachine gun drum. Most people have seen them portrayed, but not in any detail. I thought some might be interested in what they really look like - front, rear, and open. The "L" drum and its cousin the "C" model (100rounds) were intricate, cumbersome to load and heavy. But when they were first employed, they really made the '20s roar! Hope you like the pics!

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

Great pics, thank you.

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OGCA Member.

Great photos and greatly appreciated.

On a side note, was that shot with a 50mm prime lens or a zoom set at 50?

CW

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The Thompson itself was shot with an 18-55mm Pentax zoom.

The two front and back shots of the drum were with a Pentax 50mm prime.

The open shot of the drum was with a Pentax 18-135mm zoom set to 40mm.

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

Thanks, I was reading the EXIF off the front drum pic.

I saw a Thompson used on full auto many years ago (1963) at the FBI Headquarters indoor range. To say that it impressed a 13 year old gun enthusiast would be an understatement.

CW

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Very interseting indeed. Great pictures as usual.
Thanks for the post.
teesur.

Fantastic pics Paladin, I always enjoy your posts. I've never seen the inside of one of the drums, I can now understand why users would prefer the stick mags! Beautiful Thompson, that would be a dream for me to be able to own one. Peoples Republic of Washington doesn't allow MG's or destructive devices. Pity......

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Even older, even crankier....

Nice photos. never knew what the inside of a drum magazine looked like.
I did get to shoot a Thompson full auto many years ago - will never forget the experience........

wyo-man

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Live free or die

Nice pics John - I always admire your shots, but your "long gun" pics always show a lot of detail. I checked the exif also and saw that you shot it @ 1/15 & f/16, ISO 100 - I'm thinking you were outside in the shade because the lighting is so even...just rambling...

I've never seen a Thompson in person, but there are some vids on U-Tube - seems like the drum hardly ever works well. Thanks for posting the shots.

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Lou

Thanks - my back yard in the shade is my most usual place to photograph things - the lighting is perfect, with soft shadows. I use a tripod, small aperture, and control everything on the camera manually. The results are usually tack sharp; I give plenty of credit to the Pentax K-5 and great glass, as well. Glad you enjoyed the pics.

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -