American Rifleman by Dave Campbell - Wednesday, April 17, 2019
Much of human history is tied to the firearms man has invented to wage war and defend himself from others. For me, one of the most fascinating periods is the waning years of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th. It is during this period that the Industrial Revolution came into full bloom, yet carried with it the notions of craftsmanship and beauty from a time when such things as assembly lines and interchangeable parts were in their infancy.
The Thompson submachine gun is a perfect example. If you ever have the opportunity to examine one, you’ll see the straight lines and perfect bevels and radii of components made by hand, one at a time, combined with the latest technology of the age to produce a tool that could lay down fierce fire in the close quarters of hand-dug trenches. Even better, if you are blessed with the opportunity to send a magazine or two downrange, you will marvel at the common strengths of men of the day to haul around and be able to control a 13-lb. firearm that threatens to leave your hands at any instant.
To truly appreciate all that is the Thompson, let’s step back and take a look at what and who brought it about. Then it will be easier to accept why it remained in service for a half century. It takes something special to last that long when so many seek to improve or supersede a design.
John Taliaferro Thompson was born on Dec. 31, 1860, in Newport, Ky., to a military family. His youth was much like that of a military brat, living from post to post, yet by the age of 16 he had decided to make the military his career, just as his father had. Thompson chose artillery and engineering as his chosen specialties, and by 1890 he was assigned to the U.S. Army’s Ordnance Department, where he specialized in small arms and spent the remainder of his service.
During the Spanish-American War, Thompson—after being promoted to lieutenant colonel—served as Chief Ordnance Officer for the commander of the Cuban campaign, General William R. Shafter. It was here that Thompson had his first taste of automatic weapons, and he quickly realized the effectiveness of these guns.
Thompson retired from the army in November 1914, just as World War I was ginning up in Europe. He took a position with Remington Arms of Ilion, N.Y., as Chief Engineer, ensuring that plenty of Pattern 14 Enfield rifles reached British forces as well as Mosin-Nagant rifles made their way to Russian troops from the Eddystone Arsenal in Chester, PA.
More:
https://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2019/4/17/a-look-back-at-the-thompson-submachine-gun/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=insider&utm_campaign=0419
