
Most Embarrassing Thompson Moments
#1
Posted 18 October 2003 - 05:08 PM
I went to a clay shoot today, and brought the Thompson for between rounds. There was a .50 cal rifle there, and lots of hand guns, so I felt at ease. It is so funny to walk into a group of poeple like that carrying a violin case. "What ya got in there, a Tommy Gun?". Hehe...yup.
Anyway, I had it all loaded up, L drum and the 1928 actuator (figured I'd slow it down for anyone wanting to fire it--fun lasts longer). Anyway, 50 people are bearing down on me with anticipation of the cocophany of sound to follow, and...crack..crack..crack.....JAM! Crushed casing and a loose round. Dumped it all out, and the same thing happened. Switched to a XXX stick, and the bolt jams half way and stops. Some smart ass yells, "That's why gangsters don't use 'em anymore!". Sigh.
I go off line and cannot even get the trigger frame off because the bolt won't go forward. I hear something clanging around inside the gun and I figure a broken firing pin or something. Well, it is a spent case under the bolt! Sucker is trapped in there good, in the spring cavity. . About ten minuts later I manage to get the thing out, and switch back to the 1921 actuator...
Redemption....
Ratatatatatatat! Works perfectly. Oohs and ahhs. One man, who let me fire his .50 Desert Eagle, is so amazed after firing the Thompson, he just can't stop talking about it. Left the line just giddy. That is what it is all about. I really enjoy others when they get to experience the Thompson. I always talk up the history of such a fine weapon--a piece of America. Anyway....
Not sure what the problem was. I think the loose case happened after the first series of jams. Haven't shot the 1928 actuator in a while, but it looks fine and all. Oh well. Sure never have heard of a case under the bolt though!
Anyone else with a Thompson hard luck story?
#2
Posted 18 October 2003 - 06:13 PM





#3
Posted 18 October 2003 - 07:38 PM
#4
Posted 18 October 2003 - 08:22 PM
by Bill in VA
Probably the most shameful (stupid?) thing that ever happened was the day I brought it home with me. After playing with it for a few minutes I put an empty magazine in the gun, retracted the bolt and pulled the trigger. As expected, the bolt wouldn't go forward on an empty magazine. (Here's where my superiour intellect took over...) Being the smart fellow that I am, I decided to put my index finger in the ejection port to depress the magazine follower while simultaneously pulling the trigger. Again, as expected, the bolt flew home, this time almost chambering my finger. Blood flew and I said a lot of bad words. Thankfully, no one witnessed this episode.
#5
Posted 18 October 2003 - 09:15 PM

#6
Posted 18 October 2003 - 09:24 PM
Answer: "Hey Y'all! Watch this!"
#7
Posted 18 October 2003 - 09:33 PM


BB
#8
Posted 19 October 2003 - 11:44 AM


#9
Posted 19 October 2003 - 07:35 PM
At any rate, I bought an M1 bolt from Bob Landies, put it in and it ran like a champ. Threw the M1A1 bolt in the spares box to deal with later. Figure it had crud under the extractor (that or it was sprung).
Fast forward 9 years. At a private shoot with a few long time machine gunners. They have a Bren, an M60, and a bunch of other neat stuff. I trot out my newly acquired 1921AC. Greg Fox told me to get a 1928 bolt and actuator to eliminate the risk of breaking an ear on a pretty much unreplacable 21 actuator. The old timers were mortified I was going to shoot the thing at all, but as I had not yet shot it, I just had to risk it. I must have messed around with that 28 bolt for 15 minutes trying to install it. Again, the bolt would not go home. Figured crud under the extractor or it was sprung. Suffered more than a few friendly barbs from that crew. I figured screw it. Put the 21 bolt assembly back in, loaded the fifty round drum, wound it up and let it rip. Sounded like a freakin' MAC 10. Yee ha! Ran my Colt 01 that day with an original buffer (again the other guys were mortified) and it ran like a scalded MAC also.
#10
Posted 19 October 2003 - 10:07 PM
Jr
#11
Posted 19 October 2003 - 11:07 PM
#12
Posted 19 October 2003 - 11:18 PM
Jr
#13
Posted 19 October 2003 - 11:28 PM
Funny (and unfunny) stuff about the bolts. I also nearly caught my finger on my hometown PD's Navy '28 on an empty chamber once when I pulled the trigger instead of easing the bolt forward. My friend the Sarge walked by, laughed, and said "Damn kids". Some sharpie dealer talked them out of that gun; traded them for 6 Model 97 riot guns; he had the Navy '28 in Shotgun News the next month for $8K (mid 1970's).
Sorry for the rambling...
#14
Posted 20 October 2003 - 02:05 PM
Robert Nitsche
#15
Posted 21 October 2003 - 09:30 AM
He forgot the most important part of unloading a weapon. Drop the mag first. By the way, the place of business was a doctor's office. The doc is a cardiac surgeon and patients were in the waiting room! Luckily no heart attacks, except for the agent.

Greg
#16
Posted 21 October 2003 - 09:59 AM
#17
Posted 22 October 2003 - 09:57 AM
The bad guy is currently serving time, lots of time.
Greg
#18
Posted 22 October 2003 - 01:10 PM
#19
Posted 24 October 2003 - 05:41 PM
After months of anticipation and a 200 mile round trip to pick up my WH 1928, I arrive home with it in my new case along with the two new L drums ($135.00 each!!) I bought so I could have something to play with while waiting for the transfer. Neighbor comes running over to check it out. I put in a drum (unloaded) so he could get the full effect. Next thing I know he asks "what does this do," pushes the mag release and the drum bounces off the tile floor!