Where do you take your tommy gun

[deerslayer]

Grocery shopping

[mgvince]

With the prices of food going up, you might need a Chopper for security.

[Maxim]

I take mine to the TCA and TATA shows and shoots!

[2ndArmored]

The drum mag will keep you out of the "40 rounds or less" lane.

[APEXgunparts]

I have taken mine to work.
We needed our own image for the "Thompson" category page:
https://www.apexgunparts.com/machine-guns/sub-machine-guns/thompson-45-acp.html?product_list_limit=all

Then back in August we needed an interesting subject for a YouTube video:

Lots of interesting things in our workplace!

Richard

Edited December 29, 2021 by APEXgunparts

[Merry Ploughboy]

I have taken mine to work.

We needed our own image for the "Thompson" category page:

https://www.apexgunparts.com/machine-guns/sub-machine-guns/thompson-45-acp.html?product_list_limit=all

 

Then back in August we needed an interesting subject for a YouTube video:

 

Lots of interesting things in our workplace!

 

Richard

Thanks for sharing. The former Marine TSMG video was nicely done. To be a bit pedantic (ref. video at c. 2.44), the 21, 28 and M1 TSMGs do not use a fixed firing pin. The fixed firing pin was part of the M1A1 changes.

MHO, YMMV, etc. Be well. MP

[pitfighter]

My M1 is a movie gun, so it has travelled to a number of states, and chewed through 1000's of rounds of Atlantic wall blanks, most recently Tifton, GA.

Don't worry it has a Soft-air replica (stunt double) dressed and aged to look just like it, so it doesn't get dropped or treated roughly.

But, the trip to Georgia in the Special Effects truck lock-box proved a little damper than I would have liked.

I found a little indoor range about 30 minutes from Tifton that was NFA friendly, allowed me to do some testing.

 

Edited January 4, 2022 by pitfighter

[deerslayer]

That's some cool history there!

[rpbcps]

Nice MP44, the first time I came across one of them was when I was serving in Chad in 1988, there was a Thompson 1928A1 also in that cache! First time I shot a Thompson was in Chad, they had plenty of ammo for those at the time, surviving stock of the WW2 North African Campaign.

[deerslayer]

How much of that story can you tell about how you "came across one of them?" And how did a cache of ammo survive un shot for 40 years?

[rpbcps]

How much of that story can you tell about how you "came across one of them?" And how did a cache of ammo survive un shot for 40 years?

 

When the British left Libya in 1970, amongst whom was my old commanding officer from 531 Squadron, 11 Explosive Ordnance Regt. who was a young corporal back then, they left huge amount of surplus ammo and weapons, in purpose built bunkers. When Gaddafi was established, he decided to intervene in Chad in the late 1970's, although Libya had been involved with Chadian politics since the 1960's. Gaddafi began to support the Chadian insurgents for his own means, and supplied them with weapons, initially with the surplus WW2 weapons the British had left behind in 1970.

We were there to support the Chadian President Habre, I was serving with the Foreign Legions 2nd Parachute Regt., as a ‘deterrent’ for Libya and his proxy forces advancing on the South of the country and the capital N’Djamena. While patrolling we often came across weapons caches, often tipped off by the local population who were fed up with the ongoing fighting.

We were awarded the Croix de Combatant and the Medaille Outré Mer with the clasp ‘Tchad’, for our service on that operation.

[Rabbit57]

Rpbcps, if I ever make it to England, I would love to buy you a beer. I bet you have more than a few stories, and I would be happy to listen. The story you told above is great, thanks for sharing!

[rpbcps]

Rpbcps, if I ever make it to England, I would love to buy you a beer. I bet you have more than a few stories, and I would be happy to listen. The story you told above is great, thanks for sharing!

Rabbit57,

It would be a pleasure, I am sure we could swop a few stories.

[RoscoeTurner]

This is probably sacrilege here but since I bought an UZI a few years ago the Thompsons haven't left the safe. Just too much fun and a lot easier to clean.

[deerslayer]

I'm trying to wrap my mind around enough weapons caches that you found them often, and why over all those years they hadn't been already raided by anyone.

[rpbcps]

I'm trying to wrap my mind around enough weapons caches that you found them often, and why over all those years they hadn't been already raided by anyone.

 

They moved them on a regular basis I guess, then again, when we got there, we had a lot more succes than the local army. Their soldiers were not the best trained and oftern changed sides or 'overlooked' things, where as, we were focused and relatively well trained. Libya, and East Germany for a time, were supplying the militias with 'new' stock on a regualr basis, name of the game in Africa back then, no shortage of weapons.

 

When we pulled out in Feb 1989, we were supposed to hand over our stock of explosives and munitions to the local army who took over our base in Moussoro. Our commanding officer thought better of it and we destroyed the lot, it made a few big bangs, prior to our departure. That captain became the General in charge of the French Army a few years back, during President Sarkozy’s tenure. Cut a long story short the soldiers who took over our base changed sides a few months later and French units, when they returned to Chad were on the opposing side once again, so if we had handed over the munitions etc., they could have been used against us.

[pitfighter]

 

I'm trying to wrap my mind around enough weapons caches that you found them often, and why over all those years they hadn't been already raided by anyone.

 

They moved them on a regular basis I guess, then again, when we got there, we had a lot more succes than the local army. Their soldiers were not the best trained and oftern changed sides or 'overlooked' things, where as, we were focused and relatively well trained. Libya, and East Germany for a time, were supplying the militias with 'new' stock on a regualr basis, name of the game in Africa back then, no shortage of weapons.

 

When we pulled out in Feb 1989, we were supposed to hand over our stock of explosives and munitions to the local army who took over our base in Moussoro. Our commanding officer thought better of it and we destroyed the lot, it made a few big bangs, prior to our departure. That captain became the General in charge of the French Army a few years back, during President Sarkozy’s tenure. Cut a long story short the soldiers who took over our base changed sides a few months later and French units, when they returned to Chad were on the opposing side once again, so if we had handed over the munitions etc., they could have been used against us.

 

Great stuff, RPBCPS,

 

Very cool stories of an intense time.

 

My MP44 was leaning up in a shed in Alabama for decades. The metal had blackened, and tarnished, nothing moved, and there was cement like clay inside it.

 

When we examined it, we discovered the gun was slightly "bent" - either held by the barrel and hit dozens of times against a wall, or "driven over" with some vehicle, regardless it was about a years restoration and a ton of replacement parts.

 

It has now done tens of thousands of rounds of Atlantic Wall blank and has not jammed that I can recall, I have an AK that has only jammed once (most likely a squib blank), so mine is more reliable than my AK.

[colt21a]

There are a few stashes left in Congo, Greece,Brazil. drums in Ukraine 10 years ago.and a few K-98s; still packed in Germany.but since its been ten year now might all be cleaned out.I know the last real P-38's came out of Germany about 3 years ago.

and for some reason the u.s.gov. bought 10,000 mags for them. i guess to supply the man from U.N.C.L.E.

 

even the chinese and czech canuk connection ended years ago.no more cz's and AK'S.but a ton of stuff still in the Nam that 1975 collection was not all broken up.About 50% still hanging around...one day somebody will write that story one day.RON K.