CODE – 02-132-942
NAME – M1A1 Thompson
NAME (NATIVE) – Gun, Submachine, Thompson, Cal. .45, M1A1
COMMON NAMES – Thompson, Tommy gun
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN – USA
DATE OF MANUFACTURE – October 1942
CALIBER – 11.43x23mm (.45 ACP)
OVERALL LENGTH – 80.5 cm (31.69 in)
BARREL LENGTH – 27 cm (10.63 in)
RIFLING (TYPE & TWIST) – 6 Groove, Right hand twist, one turn in 41 cm (16 in)
BULLET DIAMETER – 11.46 mm (0.451 in)
BULLET WEIGHT – 15 g (230 grain)
MUZZLE VELOCITY – 290 m/s (950 fps)
MUZZLE ENERGY – 625 j (451 ft/lbs)
WEIGHT (EMPTY) – 4.73 kg (10 lbs 7 oz)
WEIGHT (LOADED) – 5.59 kg (12 lbs 5.2 oz) loaded with 30 rd Type XXX magazine
SIGHTS – Front blade, rear “L” shaped sight with central peep, “V’ notch on top of rear sight with protective sheet metal shields on either side of rear sight, Aperture set at 91 m (100 yds), notch set at 183 m (200 yds)
EFFECTIVE RANGE – 183 m (200 yds)
OPERATION – Blowback, fires from open bolt
TYPE OF FIRE – Selective fire, Semi and Full automatic
RATE OF FIRE – 40 rpm (Semi), 80 rpm (Full)
CYCLIC ROF – 700 to 800 rpm
FEED DEVICE – 20 or 30 round box magazine, double-column, double feed
FEED DEVICE WEIGHT (EMPTY) – 20 rd 0.18 kg (6.4 oz), 30 rd 0.23 kg (8 oz)
FEED DEVICE WEIGHT (LOADED) – 20 rd 0.6 kg (1 lb 5.2 oz), 30 rd 0.86 kg (1 lb 14.3 oz)
BASIC AMMUNITION LOAD – 6 – 30 rd magazines (180 rds)
LOAD WEIGHT – 5.16 kg (11 lbs 5.8 oz)
MANUFACTURER – Savage Arms Co., Utica, New York, Auto-Ordnance Corporation, New York, NY and Bridgeport, Connecticut
STATUS – Obsolete
SERVICE – US Military and Allied nations. May still be found in use around the world depending on availability of ammunition.
This is almost exactly the same weapon as the M1 Thompson and it incorporates all of the improvements to that design. The only major difference between the M1 and the M1A1 versions is that the M1A1 version has a fixed firing pin machined into the face of the bolt. This eliminated the need to manufacture the firing pin cam, pin, firing pin spring, and firing pin of the M1 and earlier designs. As M1 Thompsons came in to Ordnance for repair or refurbishment, the old-style bolt would be replaces with the A1 version. Those weapons would have the “A1” marking hand stamped after the M1 marking on the receiver to indicate that they had received the bolt upgrade. The later production M1A1 Thompsons had a steel strap reinforcing the front of the forward handguard.