01/35
In the annals of firearms history, there are some guns that everyone, even non-shooting enthusiasts know from a simple glance. The "Thompson submachine gun” is one of those firearms. This iconic gun goes by a bevy of nicknames: "Chicago Typewriter," "The Annihilator," "The Street Sweeper," "Persuader," "The Trench Broom," and of course, "Tommy gun."
While the Thompson has a storied history on the battlefield, including World War II, it earned a nasty reputation first as the firearm of choice for prohibition era gangsters during the roaring 1920s.
It's safe to say the Thompson changed the American small arms landscape completely as it led to some of the first heavy restrictions on the sale and possession of fully automatic weapons in the United States. Today, we'll look at the history and legacy of this fascinating firearm in depth and maybe even tell you a few interesting tidbits you've never heard about the Tommy gun.
To understand the development of this iconic gun, it's important to know a little about the designer, John T. Thompson. A Kentucky native born in 1860, Thompson graduated West Point in 1882 and began a career in the U.S. Army shortly after. He served in the Spanish-American war before taking a position at the army ordnance department's small arms division. In 1916, Thompson founded the Auto-Ordnance Corporation after locking down some investors. At this point, World War I had been raging in Europe for two years and the horror stories about the bloody trench warfare made Thompson realize the troops needed handheld automatic weapon to quickly and efficiently clear the trenches of enemy combatants. It seemed like a better option than bayonets or hand-to-hand combat, and Thompson wanted to be the one to provide that automatic weapon, which he originally envisioned as a rifle. The year prior he had become intrigued by inventor John Bell Blish's new breech locking mechanism known as the "Blish Lock."
The way it functions gets a bit technical. All you really need to know is that it's a form of blowback system, just clunkier than what you may be used to. There was just one problem, the Blish lock didn't work very well with rifle rounds, as Thompson had originally hoped. However, one of Thompson's engineers realized the system was perfect for the large, and hard-hitting handgun round .45 ACP. This idea to use a pistol round happened at the tail end of 1917 and engineers with Auto-Ordnance started development on this new idea for a pistol caliber submachine gun right away. There was just one problem. By the time the first prototype Thompsons, which they nicknamed "The Annihilator," were done, World War I was over, and so was their intended market for the new innovative firearm.
On paper, the Thompson should have been a total failure from the start. Auto Ordnance renamed the Annihilator to Thompson submachine gun in 1919, but without the war to bolster sales, it was an uphill climb for the firearm. Auto Ordnance didn't have a place to build the Thompson, so they signed a contract with Colt firearms to mass-produce the first weapons in the line. An order of 15,000 Thompson Model M1921s was made even though Auto Ordnance didn't have that many customers. Nevertheless, they decided they would try for military, law enforcement and the civilian market.
This was not a firearm that many people could afford and it was reflected in sales. Sales of the Thompson were bolstered to some degree by some law enforcement, the US Marine Corps, and the United States Postal Inspection Service. A few hundred even managed to get shipped to Ireland, where they saw guerrilla-style combat at the end of the Irish War of Independence and the Irish Civil War. However, the first Thompsons did not have the reputation that they do today. In fact, many people were extremely critical of them. It was understandable given the huge price tag, the bulky 10-pound weight, and unwieldy muzzle climb that the earliest models had while shooting. In response to some of those complaints, the M1921 A.C. was introduced by the Auto Ordnance Company in 1926. This version of the Thompson had the gun's now iconic muzzle break known as the Cutts Compensator. In 1928, some of the original 1921 Thompsons were modified into what is known as the 1928 stamp variant. These Thompsons were designed to have a lower rate of fire to make them easier to control. This was done at the request of the U.S. Navy, who liked the gun, but felt it needed some tweaking before it ever saw combat. There were several other variants produced in the Thompson's early days that simply failed to click with both the military and civilian consumers. Of note here is the Model 1927, which was a semi-automatic variant that could utilize a 100-round drum magazine. There was also Model 1923, which was chambered in .45 Remington-Thompson, but the gun flopped and it's one of the rarer variants today.
Speaking of those 50-round magazines, in the mid-1920s the Thompson attracted some new fans in the seedy criminal underworld. Big cities like New York and Chicago were full of organized crime and the Thompson was famously used for both robberies and mob hits. The Thompson gave a huge advantage to the criminals robbing banks and bootlegging alcohol during prohibition. Gangsters loved the intimidation factor of the firearm and the Thompson's incredible rate of fire meant most police departments were completely outgunned. It was said that Bonnie and Clyde owned one, although it is well documented that Clyde Barrow preferred the Browning BAR in his crime sprees.
While the gun had developed quite the reputation already, February 14, 1929 would cement the firearm's legacy in 1920s gangster culture forever. This was the day of the St. Valentine's Day massacre. The incident, which happened on the north side of Chicago in the Lincoln Park neighborhood, saw seven men gunned down in cold blood. Five of them belonged to the North Side gang run by George "Bugs" Moran, a rival of Al Capone. The killers used two shotguns and two Thompsons to riddle the victims with a hail of automatic fire. To the point that some of the victims were unrecognizable. The four killers have never been thoroughly identified, but most believe the massacre was a hit organized by Capone on his rivals. In any case, the two Thompsons used in the brutal killing eventually ended up in Michigan and are now owned by the Berrien County, Michigan Sheriff's Office where they are occasionally shot by law enforcement and brought out for public display for educational purposes. The use of the Thompson in organized crime was impossible for law enforcement, FBI agents and the federal government to ignore. The St. Valentine's Day massacre was one of the driving forces behind the National Firearms Act of 1934.
John T. Thompson never got to see his gun in its most significant role with the armed forces. Thompson died in 1940 just after the start of World War II. The slow sales of the gun had already caught up to Auto Ordnance before this however and the company went bankrupt and was sold in 1939 following the death of one of the original investors. The new buyer, Russell Maguire, contracted Savage Arms to start producing new Thompsons in anticipation of high demand for the war effort.
He was right. Orders for Thompsons started pouring in from European countries who needed the extra firepower. Commandos in France and Great Britain were among the early recipients of these orders. The United States didn't enter the war until two years later in December 1942 after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour, but when they did, the Thompson was part of the equation. Fortunately, the U.S. Military had adopted the Thompson back in 1938, so soldiers were already well trained in its use. The Army did quickly ditch the heavy, 50-round drum magazines made popular by gangsters in favour of 20 and 30-round box magazines that were lighter, easier to reload and made less noise in the field.
The Thompson had always been notoriously difficult to build, and the Army wanted the guns built faster and cheaper. Because of this request, Savage Arms built the M1928A1 variant. One of the biggest differences is the elimination of the wooden foregrip, simplified sights and the removal of the gun's signature barrel fins. The firearm is still instantly recognizable thanks to the pistol grip, wooden buttstock and receiver frame however. The Army had also had enough of the Thompson's original Blish lock system that had brought the gun to the dance. This led to the development of the M1 and M1A1 variants. The biggest difference here is that the gun now had a straight blowback system and the charging handle was relocated from the top of the receiver to the side.
No matter which variant was used, the Thompsons were popular with troops in WWII. The firearm saw extensive use by paratroopers and Rangers. Usually it was Sergeants and Corporals that were issued the guns. Close quarters street fighting was where the weapon shined and solidified the gun's status as a legend in a whole new era.
Amazingly, the Thompson continued to see action in warfare beyond World War II, although not as often with U.S. Forces. The .30 caliber M1 Carbine becoming more favored by the Army since it weighed half as much as a Thompson and had a far greater range. Still, Thompsons saw action in the Korean War, Chinese Civil War, and the Vietnam War. They even saw action into the 1990s in the Yugoslav Wars.
oldguns.ca, virtual museum collection.
01/22
According to the Parker records, there were only 321, guns manufactured in this configuration, in a Grade 3. It sports 30 inch, 10 gauge, Damascus barrels. The overall condition is amazing for a gun manufactured in the 1880's.
Parker shotgun, serial number 46515, was ordered by T.W. Boyd & Sons of Montreal Canada on September 9, 1886 and shipped on September 20, 1886. According to Parker Bros. Order Book No. 19, it was a Quality D, Top Action Hammer Gun, 10-gauge. It featured Damascus steel barrels with a length of 30 inches. The price was $100.00
According to Parker Bros. Stock Book No. 17, the stock configuration was a capped pistol grip and its specifications were: Length of Pull: 14 ¼”, Drop at Heel: 3, Weight: 8 pounds and 7 ounces. The chokes were patterned RH full and LH full.
According to Parker Bros. Order Book No. 26, the gun was returned on July 12, 1890 by K. Olsen of Montreal, Canada to fit a pair of 10/30” barrels to shoot #6 close. The price was $40.00. Parker Bros., Remington Arms Company Inc. and others repaired and reconfigured guns as a major part of the gun trade. Over the years, this Parker may have undergone changes to suit its owners, either at the factory or other competent facility. Complete factory return and repair records do not exist.
oldguns.ca, virtual museum collection.
01/24
This is a prototype rifle… only an estimated 50 were produced (maybe). Special features are the one-piece stock and original black rubber Hawkins recoil pad. Cal. .303. British. 22.8″ 5-groove bbl. Very rare Canadian lightweight as described in Ian Skennerton’s reference book The Lee Enfield, pgs 324-326. These were converted from a No. 4 Mk I* action with reduced thickness sidewalls and left side profile like No. I Mk VI trials rifle. Front sight also similar to Mk VI, with light alloy trigger guard, magazine well and forend cap. Large recessed hole in knob of bolt handle which is slightly swept forward. Distinctive and immediately recognized lightening cuts in buttstock and grooved forend and hand guard.
oldguns.ca, virtual museum collection.
01/34
This is the Walther version of the Gewehr 41, also known as the G41(W). By 1940 the German military realized the need for a semi-auto battle rifle, so they invited various manufacturers to submit prototypes. Walther and Mauser answered the call, thus there are 2 versions of the G41, this being the Walther or "W" version.
The military specified 3 criteria for the new design.
- no holes were to be bored into the barrel for a gas operating system.
- the rifle could not have any moving parts on the surface.
- if the semi-auto mechanism failed, there was supposed to be a bolt action system as a back-up.
Walther took it upon themselves to disregard the last 2 items, regardless, their rifle design won out. The G41W mostly saw use on the Eastern Front, and thus saw a very high attrition rate, making them quite scarce today. Eventually the G41W rifle was re-designed in 1943 and became the Gewehr 43, or G43.
This particular example has matching numbers throughout except for the nose-cap. It sports a beautiful shiny bore with good strong rifling, the metal finish is as expected for a war time rifle as is the wood condition, bumps and bruises but good and solid. Mechanically it functions as intended, minor issues are the missing dust cover on the top of the bolt which does not affect the functioning of the rifle and a missing front sight hood. The leather sling is believed to be correct and original.
oldguns.ca, virtual museum collection.
01/18
Manufactured from 1866 to 1917, the Remington rolling-block cartridge rifle was so popular that more than half the world’s armies adopted it or purchased quantities for police or martial purposes. During the American Civil War, gunsmith Leonard M. Geiger designed the basic action, in which the shooter “rolled” the breechblock backward with the thumb and inserted a cartridge in the breech, before the block “rolled” forward and the interlocking hammer cocked in one fluid motion. E. Remington & Sons, America’s oldest firearms manufacturer, took over Geiger’s patent and assigned one of its chief engineers, Joseph Rider, to make the necessary refinements. Rider brought the new action along, and with his 1864 and 1865 patents, put it in its nearly perfect final form.
In the last year of the Civil War, the U.S. government placed an order for what became known as Remington “split-breech” carbines, just before Rider’s final improvement—strengthening the breechblock by machining it out of a solid billet of steel. The early “split-breech” action allowed the hammer to sit between the weaker, split-wall breechblock configuration that took only low-pressure, rimfire ammunition such as the .56-56 Spencer or .44 Henry cartridges. Once Rider’s mid- 1866 patent was issued, the simple but virtually indestructible rolling-block action became Remington’s new ace in the hole in countering the post–Civil War glut of surplus arms that was putting many gun companies out of business. Remington had something radically new to offer, and the new gun temporarily saved the company from bankruptcy.
An expert rifleman, Remington claimed, could fire 17 shots a minute with the rolling-block rifle. But initially, only the U.S. Navy showed enough interest to place a few small sporadic orders. In late spring 1866, Samuel Remington crossed the Atlantic to demonstrate the rifle in Europe. Its superior design was quickly recognized, and many nations, including Denmark, Egypt and Mexico, began to place orders. During the 1867 Paris Exposition, the High Commission on Firearms called the Remington rolling block “the finest rifle in the world” and awarded it the silver medal (highest award) for mechanical excellence.
Meanwhile, back in the States, civilians were taking to the new Remington long arms. By the fall of 1866, cases of Remington rolling-block rifles in various calibers had found their way to Kansas, Texas, Colorado Territory and elsewhere in the West. The rifles were regularly stocked items for such Western dealers as Denver’s Carlos Gove and E.C. Meacham of St. Louis, and they were also in demand at gun shops in more out-of-the-way places. The courageous cattle drive by Nelson Story from Texas to Montana Territory in 1866 had been a great “domestic” boost for the Remington rolling block—an adventure that the Remington factory quickly capitalized on in its advertising literature.
After making money in the gold mines around Virginia City, Montana Territory, Story hired some 30 men, mostly Confederate veterans, to help him herd 3,000 Longhorns from Texas to the grasslands of Montana Territory. The cowboys nearly all had muzzleloading rifles and cap-and-ball revolvers that all took a long time to load— a drawback that could prove deadly when traveling on the Bozeman Trail through hostile Indian country. Upon reaching Fort Leavenworth, Kan., and hearing warnings that the Lakota leader Red Cloud was on the warpath, Story decided to buy a fresh shipment of Remington rifles and large quantities of ammunition. It is uncertain whether these arms were the old Remington split-breech carbines in .56-50 Spencer rimfire caliber or the newly introduced Remington rolling blocks in either .50-70 center fire caliber or .58 Berdan rimfire caliber. Most authorities believe that the 30 long arms purchased by Story were early versions of the Remington rolling-block carbine. In any case, the cowboys used the Remingtons effectively in fighting off an Indian attack near Fort Reno (in what would become Wyoming). After leaving two wounded cowboys at the fort, Story’s party of 28 pushed on, and in late October 1866, north of Fort Kearny, they faced even greater odds—an estimated 500 Sioux warriors readying for an attack. For several hours, the cowboys kept up a steady stream of fire from the rapid firing rolling blocks and forced the Sioux to retreat. Two other Sioux attacks were also thwarted, and the cowboys completed their incredible drive with the loss of just one man. Later, the Indians suggested that the white men were protected by some “new medicine.”
Capitalizing on Story’s amazing story and other positive reports from Europe and elsewhere, the Remington company sold more than 1.5 million rolling-block rifles by the 1880s. Most were sold on the international market; however, thousands of the guns in various calibers—from .32 to the more powerful .44-77 and .50-90— were sold and put to use in the American West. Hunters, lawmen, adventurers, homesteaders and many others appreciated the strong, accurate and well-made Remington rolling block. Between 1866 and 1896, repeating rifles made great strides in the West, but many individuals still chose the powerful, reliable single-shot rolling block. In the early 1870s, Remington boasted in an advertisement that its sporting rifle was “the preferred arm for hunting purposes on the Plains; it's simplicity and durability especially commending it for frontier use.” Among buffalo hunters, Remington’s heavy barrelled sporting rifle was the second most popular killing machine, behind only the Sharps.
From the 1870s until the late 1910s, the biggest fans of the Remington rolling block seemed to be in Mexico. The early Remington rolling blocks (and all other commercial American firearms) used black powder as the basic propellant for all ammunition until the smokeless, nitrocellulose-based powders became available to the U.S. civilian market in the mid-1890s. The U.S. Army had switched over to smokeless powder in 1892. While many of its single-shot, post–Civil War peers had long since been discontinued, the Remington rolling block, with its modern heat-treated steels, made the transition into the future. The first Remington rolling block introduced in the smokeless period was the Remington Model 1897. In 1899-1900, Mexico bought 14,712 of these military-style rifles and carbines for issue to its second-line army troops, as well as to federal and rural police. All were sold in the smokeless powder German 7.92mm Mauser chambering, since Mexico and most other Latin American countries had been using that cartridge since 1893.
When Pancho Villa raided Columbus, N.M., in 1916, many of his band carried the Model 1897 Remington rolling-block rifles or carbines in the contemporary 7.92mm Mauser cartridge, most of them probably stolen from the many rurales (rural police) armouries in northern Mexico. As late as 1918, bandidos armed with rolling blocks were still raiding border settlements, but they found themselves outgunned by U.S. lawmen and state militiamen. Large-caliber repeating rifles had been serious competitors to all single-shot rifles as early as 1881 (with the single shots’ biggest advantage being their lower price), but now came the era of semi-automatic weapons and machine guns. In fact, as early as 1908, the Remington company had come out with a semi-automatic rifle, the Model 8. By the end of World War I, rolling blocks had been left in the dust; yet during the Depression years, hunters and miners still used them.
Back in June 1876, less than three years after the Remington company received his letter of kudos, George Armstrong Custer took his cherished rolling-block sporting rifle with octagonal barrel on what would be his last campaign. On June 25 at the Little Bighorn in Montana Territory, Colonel Custer and his immediate command were wiped out, and his Remington rolling block—probably the most famous one of all time—was lost forever from the pages of history.
oldguns.ca, virtual museum collection.
01/37
Most of these guns did not survive and those that have are in very poor condition or have been severely modified, it's rare that the wood on these guns has remained in original configuration and that it has remained as a flintlock and did not get converted to percussion . This rifle dates to around 1775, it functions as it should and would probably shoot as intended, although I do not recommend it. A great piece of Canadian history, I hope it stays in Canada. Wood is cracked and repaired, metal has turned a grey brown colour, mechanically it functions as it should, ram rod is likely a replacement. I date this gun somewhere around 1790-1820. Made in England as for trade with native Canadians for fur. From its beginning in 1670, the Hudson's Bay Company traded guns to the Indians on a large scale. By 1742, beaver pelts were valued at: one pelt for one pound of shot or three flints; four pelts for one pound of power; ten pelts for a pistol; twenty pelts for a trade gun. The primary source of the Indian trade gun was factories in Birmingham and London, England. The gun makers in London charged that Birmingham turned out park-paling muskets for the American trade. The Birmingham manufacturers were often referred to as blood merchants and their factories blood houses by the London group. There are numerous accounts in journals of gun barrels blowing up when these trade guns were fired (Northwest Journal). There is no way to determine how many Indians and trader lost all or parts of their hands from these guns. Still, problems with the Indian trade gun were probably no higher than other Colonial guns of the period. The full-stocked, smooth bore trade guns varied little in shape and style, but underwent changes in barrel lengths. By the late 1820's, the 30 inch barrel had become popular. A distinctive feature of these guns was the dragon or serpent shaped side plate. Most Indians would not trade for a gun that did not have the serpent plate.
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01/25
The Remington target rifle designed by Lewis Hepburn, Remington's supervising engineer. Remington-Hepburn No.3 Rifles were made in various models c.1880-1907. SN 4533
Circa 1880 Remington-Hepburn (U.S.) No. 3 Falling Block Creedmoor Target Rifle (single-shot/ breech-loading/ black powder/ cartridge ammunition) In the 1880s, sophistication grew in the eastern United States. Towns and cities were urbanized, labor unions organized, education became important, and sports were popular. Among the latter, target shooting gathered thousands of adherents, particularly as the major rifle companies began to produce marvels of technology. This display gun represents one of these.
Lewis Hepburn, its inventor, was superintendent of Remington's mechanical department and a member of the American Creedmoor International Shooting Team. This falling-block target rifle is his contribution to the sport. --Dr. William L. Roberts, THE AMERICAN LIBERTY COLLECTION; #98 During the latter years of the 19th century, medium-range Schuetzen (offhand) matches became very popular.
From 1858 through 1878, Lewis L. Hepburn made custom muzzleloading sporting rifles. The decline of his gunmaking business had caused Hepburn to turn his attention to related pursuits.
On April 24, 1875, Hepburn was granted US Patent (no. 162,473) for rebounding hammers on gun locks. Hepburn consigned this patent to E. Remington & Sons. On October 7, 1879, Lewis L. Hepburn received another US Patent (no. 220,426), this time covering a breech loading system that featured a dropping breech lock activated by a lever on the right side of the frame.
The 'No. 3' or 'Remington-Hepburn' rifles were introduced in a 'No. 3 Midrange' rifle for target competition - a sporting rifle with barrel sights as well as a long range Creedmoor target rifle.
A typical off-hand rifle of that period was fitted with an adjustable palm rest below the forearm. The palm rest often could be swung to a vertical position for firing, with the ball or grip piece held in the shooter's hand. The shooter's elbow was braced against his hip to provide the necessary steadiness in the off-hand position. Action of the typical Schuetzen rifle was fitted with a heavy barrel, usually octagonal, and the target sights were fully adjustable for windage and elevation. The action was fitted with double set triggers and an elaborate finger lever typical of the ornamental designs of the late 19th century. Also standard was a high comb buttstock to properly locate the shooter's face in the off-hand position, and an elaborate hooked buttplate to accurately position the butt of the rifle when firing.
This particular rifle has been professionally/painstakingly restored to exact original configuration. It is absolutely beautiful and in as new condition.
oldguns.ca, virtual museum collection.
01/24
Very rare early production M-10 Ross .280 caliber, 26” barrel, deluxe, sporting rifle. The .280 Ross cartridge developed by Sir Charles Ross, in his quest to produce a light weight, high velocity long range hunting rifle, was the first to achieve muzzle velocities in the 3000 feet per second range, unheard of in 1907.
The barrels were made from chrome vanadium steel, a developmental amalgam in those days, and were tested (and stamped) to the British standard of “28 tons” breech pressures, which is outstanding even today.
With a mid 7000’s serial, it is finished in the early pattern of bright steel on barrel and butt plate, and a more matt blue (to reduce glare) on the action and bridge. Front sight is a gold target edition, with a barrel sight c/w a folding 500 yard leaf. The rare rear bridge mounted sight, (giving longer sight radius), is the first “Porter pop-up” folding version, and is fully functional and tight. Finally, the stock is inlet at the wrist for a Lyman folding target sight (removed) and a blanking plate is in place. The Lymans fell out of favour, as the opening of the bolt interfered with the sight staff, and the M-10s were already known to hold 1 minute of angle accuracy at 100 yards with the Porter bridge sight.
In overall excellent condition with a good but worn bore. Owned by a serious Ottawa based Ross collector for 40 years who is always looking for Ross related items, call oldguns.ca if you have any ross related items.
oldguns.ca, virtual museum collection.
01/21
The Rolling Block Creedmoor rifles were originally in .44-77 Remington-Sharps bottleneck, but with rifling lead designed to allow the bullet to be seated out further to allow 90 grains of black powder. But soon they were chambered for a slightly longer case .44-90 Remington cartridge. Originally they were almost all 34" barrels as the rules allowed that as the maximum barrel length. The rules also allowed for a 10 lb. weight limit, so the half octagon barrel was specifically designed to meet that weight with a 34" barrel. In reality they are as you described as 1/3rd octagon, but still referred to as half octagon. They also all had single non set triggers, as set triggers were not allowed in Creedmoor matches. Sights were a Remington Long Range tang sight at the rear, and a windage globe in the front. Additionally a good number had a 2nd heel base mounted on the buttstock, near the buttplate to allow for shooters who preferred shooting in the prone back position. There were military stocked versions with a straight grip military 2 band stock, but sporting versions all had straight grip stocks that were nicely checkered on the grip, but not the forearm usually. I have seen them with checkered forearms, but it would have been a special order. Most Remington Creedmoor rifles were made between 1874 and 1880.
This particular example sports a 34 inch barrel, with an overall weight of just slightly under 10 pounds. As evidenced in the pics this rifle meets all the other requirements of the Creedmore rifles. The bore is in as new condition and mechanically it functions flawlessly. The vernier sights are new replacementments but the original sights are with the rifle. This rifle is in tremendous condition and a great example of a very rare rifle.
oldguns.ca, virtual museum collection.