Thompson M1921/1928

Watching "Road to Perdition" a little while ago I was interested to see Tom Hanks assembling a Thompson.

The gun was a classic Gangster type (Gangster movie after all) complete with Drum Mag and pistol front grip.

The Pistol Grip slotted on and clicked into place under the barrel, just like the Stock. Is that how the real ones fit together?

I only ask through curiosity because MGC's model gun requires the grip to be screwed on.

Cerwyn


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Hobby collector of mainly WW2 era uniforms, headgear, field equipment and replica weapons.

Post by Doc

Cerwyn , the foregrips would have always been screwed on , mainly because the gun can be fired with the rear stock missing (I have pics of this) but would be nigh on impossible to fire if the foregrip had been slipped off .

The one on Tom Hanks`s weapon was made that way as the man says "to make more dramatic" like those sniper scenes where a guy is clicking this bit here n there and suddenly he`s built some huge 50 cal .

saying that though it would be relativly easy to make the foregrip "slide on and offable" ...... the grim bit would be grinding away the rounded threaded bit at the fore end of your gun ...sort of no going back time ....

DOC

Thanks DOC! Another curiosity satisfied! So Holywood does it again, bending the truth somewhat! I have to say though it did look quite a neat and tidy method of attaching the pistol fore grip.
I'm not sure I'd like to chance grinding the lug off mine though, as you rightly say, it's No going back then!

If I remember right Col. Thompson designed the Thompson as a machine pistol quite early on. The "Trench Broom" idea bred the first Thompsons but it arrived too late for the First World War.
I can't remember when the shoulder stock was first used, maybe he had both in mind at design stage?

Cerwyn

Post by Doc

Here's a photo of the Machine Pistol



Ah old Stevie MQ ...really hated those ants

DOC
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We need guns...lots of guns....

.... well anything mechanical that can kill people is interesting ...

Post by 2sharp

I've never seen a frontgrip for a Thompson that clicks in place, the stock is another matter though.

It might have been showed like that to be more "dramatic"?

I do think that i've seen M1 Thompson's that reportedly has original woodwork?

Post by 8ace

This is why this forum is great.....we learn from a wide range of members around the globe and not just from the TV (although figaro does give fantastic insite into the replica gun movie world)


I know i shouldn't take just one source but if i had to i'd beleve the japanese modelgun makers MGC/Hudson and CMC over TV/movies any day (true Steve McQueen with a Thompson has a certain romance and looks very cool)

8ace

Post by ChenKenichi

I wondered this myself when I watched this movie. However, I am lead to believe it is purely a custom job, as all of the real Thompsons I have held are exactly the same as the MGC Thompsons. Was this just a movie thing? Maybe based on a real one that someone modified?

Post by 8ace

This site gives interesting info on Thompson’s used in films (not sure how accurate it is)

http://www.machinegunbooks.com/movies/movies.php

I did watch U571 in which the Americans have what looks like Thompson’s with M1 "style" folding stocks

I suppose it goes back to the question of believing films to be historical fact or just entertainment.

8ace

8ace wrote:

This site gives interesting info on Thompson’s used in films (not sure how accurate it is)
http://www.machinegunbooks.com/movies/movies.php
I did watch U571 in which the Americans have what looks like Thompson’s with M1 "style" folding stocks
I suppose it goes back to the question of believing films to be historical fact or just entertainment.
8ace

And even this comments on the inaccuracy of the slide on front grip!

Cerwyn