I NEEDS MA MONEY, Y'SEE??? Killed me. Ian is having way too much fun at this auction.

Looks like the lower cyclic rates had more to do with reducing ammo consumption than improving controllability.

“...in front of me I have a selection of Thompson sub machine guns.” That is a sentence that everyone should be able to say at least once in their life, and also guarantees a very good day.

5:18 Gun Jesus terrorising rural banks [1921 recolourised[

Love the fact That the old fashioned 21 "typewriter" is still what holds up best.

As a 90's kid, "Chicago typewrite" reminds me of Resident Evil 4.

I believe you, but my Tommy Gun don't!

The Annihilator The Gangster The Veteran The Thompson has many names...but these 3 were what defined it

"I need my money, you's see?" Ian, you are a lovable dork.

Gun Jesus reclaiming the temple from Merchants and bankers, CIRCA 33 AC, or 1925 AC -"The one who is free of sin, empty the drum mag", and did it, and he was pleased"

Ian: can give incredibly detailed and nuanced descriptions of the mechanics, history, and feel of hundreds of different firearms. Also Ian at 4:00: “there’s a thing there.”

I'm from Texas and that "Chicago accent" hurt me.

Gun jesus: check 21 Thompson with drum: check Compiler complete, nirvana achieved.

In a lot of ways the 1921 Colt Thompson were made like a sport rifle. Had the best metal and wood work and tightest specs compared to the rest of the future Thompsons. Sort of like the crown jewel of Thompson Sub Machine guns. Not surprised it was the most enjoyable to shoot.

The slow-motion footage really shows how effective the compensators were at keeping the barrel level. Very cool video.

I think besides removing the Cutts compensator from the M1A1, it appears to produce more recoil due to the design of the bolt. Watch the charging handle at the end of the video, side by side of 1921, and M1A1. Harder recoil impulse as the bolt bottoms out on the M1A1. Wonder if that's to do with the blish lock being removed, and the firing pin being changed from floating to fixed.

Be Ian Start patreon to buy 1921 Wins 1921 2Gun matches with 1921 Most KZfaq views ever Win Internet.

I’m so jealous of your job... thanks for letting us live vicariously through you.

I didn't know 1920s Chicago gangsters had Welsh accents.

*Ian was a warrior. From the land of the midnight sun*

I have no regrets about watching all of the videos in one night. NO REGRETS!

TRIPLE TIME TRAVEL

I own a WW2 28 Bridgeport Thompson and I have a buddy that has a WW2 M1. I prefer the 28 because they have better sights, finned barrel, take drum mags and you have the option of using a vertical fore grip. But both guns are awesome. Great pieces of history and an excellent investment.

The slow mo at the end was beautiful to watch. The cloud of brass hanging in midair was pure art.

I like this part of the Goldilocks story the best.

As interesting a logistical error as it is for these unlisted videos to be linked in the annotations of the listed videos, I have to say that as always these are fantastically well-shot and informative. Thank you, Ian, for your continued educational service.

I recently got to handle a 1928 with an empty drum after a lifetime of fascination with the Thompson and was blown away by just how heavy it was. Can't imagine lugging it around day after day. Thanks for a very enlightening series of videos!

I loved the impression Ian did at 5:23! 😂 Nice Chicago typewriter

I think he uploaded these but they officially arent released yet. On his video list he hasnt reached this video yet. Pretty cool we didnt have to wait!

"Here in front of me, I have a selection on Thompson submachine guns." God, what I wouldn't give to be able to say that...

What an absolutely brilliant series of vids on the Thompson! An immense amount of compelling and very interesting information not only on the various iterations of the weapon itself, but also on its history. What more could you want? It's small wonder that Ian has such a huge following. Many thanks for the uploads and keep doing what you're doing. MsG

That '21 definitely has that iconic sound that u recognize from movies and stuff

living the dream Ian, living the dream.

Dang, you should take that 20s gangster bit you did and send it back in time to one of the 20s/30s directors as an audition tape. I'm sure the rate of fire on that '21 is fast enough to make it possible.

I feel like his video actually clears up a good amount of misconceptions about the thompson in its many forms. Also personally i would takr one of the first ones. The 1921

I have clocked my own M1 Thompson at 860 rounds per minute... A lot of it has to do with ammo types. I also have videos comparing the M1 bolt and the M1A1 bolt in my Thompson.. You can definitely tell the difference!

This is PERFECT. Thanks Ian, I've been catching up on your Thompson videos and really appreciating the development process (including the T2) And I was really interested when you said the rate of fire was changed, and was curious to hear the discrepancies! As I'm typing this I can hear that this is the exact reason you've made this video. Incredible. Thank you so much for sating my curiosities.

I was a lot more enthusiastic about full-auto guns back when I didn't have to pay for the ammunition myself.

I understand how hard it is to steady your breath when your trying to speak clearly and in complete sentences, Ian's delivery is top tier always

Those Thompson are iconic as much as a Gibson Les Paul Custom or a Harley. Beautiful to look at and to hear. Ian you are doing a great job. Your sense of history gives your videos a lot of meaning. Keep on the good work !

When you're so sneaky and stick around to the credits and get gifted with this !

Awesome vid! Its interesting watching the slow mo comparisons at the end, you can clearly see just how much trouble Ian is having controlling the M1A1 compared to the others. Maybe the Blish lock makes a significant difference?

The high speed footage appears to reveal some things about why they might have different cyclic rates. The 1921 and 1921/28 bolts both move forward much faster than the M1A1 suggesting a stronger recoil spring (not necessarily by design, springs tend to get weaker with both age and use and the M1A1 likely has had the most rounds through it). They both also move backwards faster, no doubt because their multipiece bolt assembly is lighter than the monolithic bolt of the M1A1. You can also see something else interesting about the 1921/28. In the other 2 you can see the extra force applied to Ian when the bolt hits the rear of the receiver. In the 1921/28 that force appears to be far less, almost looking like it didn't bottom out at all with some rounds. As though it was accidentally constant recoil.

Man, this was a great series. Very entertaining and informative.

This just keeps getting better

5:17 a reenactment of valentines massacre. I NEED ma MONEY Ya see.

Was really cool seeing the rounds actually being pushed in like that during the slow-mo portion.

Thank you. I have learned so much about weaponology from you. I've never been able to find out this information from any other place. Had a book once when I was a kid but that didn't tell me much. Good job keep it up.

From the side shots, the 1921 climbs quite a bit, especially compared to the 1928. The 1921 seems to recoil, or jump around a little less, which I’ll guess has to do with the additional weight of the bolt in the 1928 and M1. It looks like the design was optimized around the lower weight actions.

It's gotta be impossible to fire one of those bad boys without making gangsta voices, I dont know how Ian held out until the end of the vid! 😊

Wow, the slow motion at the highspeed camera footage at the end is very cool. Look at how high those spent casings go when they get ejected from the M1921! They get *blown* outta there, there's hardly ever two casings in the shot at the same time

One of the coolest scenes in movies ive seen the tommy gun in was with Gary Oldman in Lawless when he has a cigarette and he pulls over to light up the guy chasing him infront of Shia. What a badass scene

The 21 is my favourite of the 3

Thank you ,Ian .

That surprised, professional, but somewhat disappointed "Hmm" at 3:33 kills me!

Nice finish to the series. One more chapter could be a run-n-gun using the Thompson. Thanks again!

I'd love to see an M1919 Thompson, if wikipedia is to be believed about it being a 1200rpm gun in .45ACP.

In my career as a tanker in the US Army I had the pleasure of shooting the M3 and M3A1 Grease Guns (we carried them as crew served weapons on M60 series tanks as well as M113s). I loved the M3A1 and, because of the charging handle and small ejection port, didn't like the M3 so much. They were both really heavy after you had to carry them for a period of time so, I can sympathize with any soldier, LEO, or gangster that wielded a Thompson for any length of time.Thanks for a great series.

Got to say, those spent cases look so graceful and captivating in slo-mo.

The SMP were very early adopters of these - it would be interesting to see you go through Fairbairn’s methods, and any changes made by the armoury.

But wait, THERE'S MORE!!!

The whole time I'm sitting here watching and saying to myself "drum mag, get the drum magazine" and then 5:18 happens. Nice lmao.

I'd be tempted to suggest that the Blish lock increases the dwell time of the M1921, allowing more of the propellant gases to exit the barrel before cycling rearward; whereas the M1A1's straight blowback cycles much faster and a slightly higher pressure in the barrel as it begins travelling back results in greater gas residue being blown back in the shooter's face from the ejection port. Just a thought.

Was so disapointed when i didnt see a drum on the table Ian. But i forgot that disappointment is not your thing!Thanks for another awesome video Ian.

An excellent end to the Thompson Series! I think we all are surprised that the one with the highest rate was the easiest to shoot; it’s also interesting to see that the continued evolution of the original design did not result in a better, more suitable design but in fact made it harder to shoot. The M1/M1A1 is practically a different gun internally, with only the outer appearance having a family resemblance. It was also interesting to see that the Cutts Compensator actually does work to make the guns more controllable, after hearing for years that it was a gimmick. I’d be curious to know your opinion if you thought the Thompson SMG was a success or a failure as a gun in the context of history; it certainly has a reputation and image with the public at large. However, it’s initial timing (coming out as WWI ended), its complexity, it’s weight, it’s ergonomics, coupled with the cost and effort to produce it all seem to work against it in terms of its overall success as a military firearm. In contrast, the M3/M3A1 was designed from the ground-up to be cheap, mass produced, have a low rate of fire, and be a simple and utilitarian automatic weapon that stayed relevant much longer.

WELCOME TO THE WOOORRRLLLD OF TOMORRRROW!

That slightly distant camera picks up a _really_ nice signature Thompson sound.

great video! never seen those 3 compared to each other before. wish u would have broke them down and explained what made the cyclic rates differ from one to the next.

5:18 Edward G. Robinson intensifies

"There's a thing there." -Forgotten Weapons, 2018

In the slow mo footage at the end, its so cool that you can see each round being pushed into the chamber.. Look at the tiny gap between the mag and barrel.

I have shot a model of 1928 Thompson. If you don't lean into it the recoil will push you back on your heels. Leaning forward makes them very controllable and shooting from the hip makes them very easy to control. I shot at an indoor range and it was kind of dim. Was cool to see flame shooting out the end of the barrel, straight up through the compensated and also out of the ejection port. Keep up the good work Iaian!

It basically turns into an eye exam at 4:28. "Number 4 or number 5?" "Umm... let me see number 4 again" "Number 4..... number 5"

"It's my Chopper ya see! It's my Chicago Typewriter!"

You have the life friend. The rest of us only dream of having this much fun. Much respect for the knowledge you have, and the way you present it.

So cool to see them all fired side by side. What a great opportunity.

22 dislikes...must have been with Sonny Corleone at the toll booth...

I do see

The episode in which Ian lives out my dreams. I wonder if the 1921 and 21/28 have less gas washing back because of the delaying action of the Blish Lock.

Very nice. I managed to find two mags welded together here in the NL at a former battlefield. By welding them together it was, I guess, possible to change mags very quickly.

You mentioned the M1A1 blowing more gas back at you. I think that's because the 21 and 28 were both blishlock mechanisms, whereas the M1A1 was reengineered to be a straight blowback

Ian the Divine thompson gunner

5:16 This man is a national treasure.

Yep that's put a Smile on my face today!! Thanks!

I guess he is rewarding people for watching until the end with these links to unreleased videos

Was this meant to be unlisted (as of 9/29/18), because I didn’t get notified of its posting (and I do have notifications enabled), and the video is listed in the WWII guns playlist.

Watching the slow motion shots between the M1921 and M1A1 you can really see the difference the compensator makes. You can see where your shoulder is taking the recoil effect and it is significantly lower in the shoulder on the M1921. Great footage

No one has forgotten the Thompson. I woke up with one on my mind.

How did I comment on this before it released? MAGIC.

You should have tried to spell IAN out in some paper out there with the 1921 and drum, would have completed the gangster feel

Absolutely awesome series of videos on the Tommy. Thanks for sharing with us.

Great series on the Thompsons!!

Hold up let’s talk about that little mag toss he just pulls off while talking at 3:56

I like the Thompson historically, but I can see why Berettas and German MPs were very popular pick-ups with the US Army. Throwing .45 ACP out of an SMG requires more money than Uncle Sam was willing to put in, alas.

Thank's for the video's 0n the thompson SMG brought back memories of my grandfather and his work equipment for the U.S. government. He cared a Colt 1911.45 APC snub nose.38 special and the thompson was in the trunk of his work car. the thompson was the 1921 as I remember the big fat spring as compared to the over stamp 21/28 and the bolt being on top not like the M1A1 side bolt. Again thank's for the video's for on the thompson's .

Looks like you had a lot of fun doing this one

“I needs my money, you’s see!”- Sayith Gun Jesus, Amen.

"I'm gonna give you to the count of 10, to get your no good ass out of my house" "Okay I'm leaving" "1,2,...10" 5:21

Ian, that was a real treat. Thank you for doing this series on Tommy guns!😎👍

I think you’ve said before there’s a kind of inverted bell curve for controllability and rate of fire. The constant recoil impulse of the ‘21 and the semiauto-like rate of say the grease gun are the most controllable where everything else just jumbles you and the gun