It's that new show on the Discovery channel about coon-ass gunsmiths modding modern rifles and making repos.
Anyway, this episode has them recommissioning Tommy guns for a local sheriff.
Changing a semi-auto Thompson sub-machine gun into a selective fire automatic machine gun.
For cops.
Except for the ones that come in here, I haven't met a whole lot of ... ummm.....very mechanically inclined or ummm... well...competent po-po in my gas leak responses. You know, like being able to follow directions.
So here we have a marvel of 1920's ingenuity that has such tight tolerances that without being kept meticulously clean and lubed- won't work.
They found that out in WWII.
And it shoots a .45ACP.
Even that poodle shooter we've had since the 60's has more close up knockdown power because it's a RIFLE ROUND. And it's easier to fieldstrip.
Why, except for the cool factor, would anyone use a Tommy gun instead of an AR platform, or even an AK style?
I guess they thing it's "intimidating", Lord only knows.
ReplyDeleteBy the time they got done bubba-ing it up and modernizing it, it didn't even look like a Thompson.
ReplyDeleteI think the "cool" factor reigns, although in my military milieu we used a different term. It was "salty" to carry a Thompson, sort of like wearing your white hat on the back of your head. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd they are a Hell of a lot of fun to shoot.
Do we really need to look further than the cool factor for an explanation? As you pointed out, your typical cop isn't the sharpest knife in the rack. "Cool" would be good enough, I think.
ReplyDelete(Insert obligatory rant about how it's okay for "them" but not for "us," grrrr...)