Did US Soldiers Ever Use Foregrips on their TSMG's?

[TheTrooper1998]

I'm aware that British, Australian, New Zealand and possibly Canada all used foregrips on their TSMG's (though not all of them). Literally every photo or film I've ever seen of US troops in WW2 has their TSMG's with the normal horizontal grip. Are there ANY photos of this? And if not, is there any specific reason why?

[Vettom]

Yes improvised ones also

[Vettom]

Yes improvised ones also, and FWIW I have the original of the picture to the left with the description printed on the rear among others. This is the only one I have with a clear TSMG.

Edited May 4, 2020 by Vettom

[Oldtrooper]

I think it was in the series WWII in HD ... A Marine using a Thompson with a vertical fore grip and a 50 round drum on Tarawa ... I think in the same series there was a US soldier using a vertical fore grip in North Africa

[rpbcps]

The Trooper 1998, Welcome to the forum,

In answer to your question, check out photos I posted yesterday on the following topic:

http://www.machinegunboards.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=24536

 

Stay safe

Richard

Edited May 4, 2020 by rpbcps

[allweaponsww2]

Windtalkers, 2002.

This scene at the beginning of the film. Solomon Islands campaign - 1942 .. Captain USMC w Thompson M1928 w vertical grip.

 

http://www.imfdb.org/images/e/ee/WindtalkersM1928Thompson-2.jpg

 

http://www.imfdb.org/images/a/a1/WindtalkersM1928Thompson-3.jpg

[Taliaferro]

First of all the movie is showing US Marines not soldiers.

 

So the long and short answer is yes and no. The US Marines were the first US military to have TSMGs and these did

have vertical fore grips. See image.

 

However, when the Model of 1928A1, was officially adopted by the US military it was with a horizontal fore grip. But as troopers do

when they need something they improvise. So then the field modified fore grip began to appear in all theaters of the war.

 

Tracie

[gijive]

I'm aware that British, Australian, New Zealand and possibly Canada all used foregrips on their TSMG's (though not all of them). Literally every photo or film I've ever seen of US troops in WW2 has their TSMG's with the normal horizontal grip. Are there ANY photos of this? And if not, is there any specific reason why?

TheTrooper1998,

 

The simplest answer to your to last part of your questions is that the US Military specified the horizontal foregrip as standard on the 1928A1 Model, so therefore any officially issued versions of the gun would have that type of grip. When they first tested the 1928 Model Thompson in the 1930's they obviously received some with the vertical style grip but that quickly changed when they authorized the horizontal grip as standard. The horizontal style grip was first manufactured and issued as an option with the 1928 Navy Model in 1928. Revised drawings of it were made of the horizontal foregrip were made in around 1936 when the US Military purchased limited amounts of 1928 Models. These models were retro-stamped with the added "US" and "A1" to the Model of 1928 nomenclature.

 

During WWII the standard US issued Thompsons would have all had the horizontal foregrip, unless modified by the individual user.

[TheTrooper1998]

 

The Trooper 1998, Welcome to the forum,

In answer to your question, check out photos I posted yesterday on the following topic:

http://www.machinegunboards.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=24536

 

Stay safe

Richard

Hi, thanks for the welcome and the post.

 

That's an improvised grip though, isn't it? I should have clarified that I meant the standard grip that it came with. If that is some sort of official grip then that's pretty cool too, I didn't know those existed.

 

Also, while on the subject of improvised grips I found a photo once of a marine with a very strange curved grip on his TSMG. Seems to me like it would be very awkward and uncomfortable to use.