It always makes me do a double take when I see cowboys and 19th century characters sporting automatic and semiauto guns. I suppose you have to remember that the sun didn't really set on 'the frontier' until the 30's and maybe even into the 40's in some areas.
I fear that in the days ahead, we are going to be in desperate need of such weapons again, and in large numbers.
Glen, along with wanting to drive a tank, one of my guilty pleasures would be firing a Thompson. They are incredibly wasteful of ammunition, but what an experience it must be.
ReplyDeleteWell TB, I've done it. I lived out in Pierre, SD, and a friend of mine owned the gun store out there. On my last day in town he took me out shooting - and what a time we had!
DeleteThe Thompson he had used a 30 round magazine, and from watching other people shoot it, I'd say that you could either shoot it or you couldn't. I set up a line of plastic water bottles and took 'em all out, one shot per bottle. I swear a man could shoot skeet with that monster, but you have to keep your eye on the fun meter ($/box .45), and you have to shoot red hot loads, least your blaster fail to cycle a round now and again.
They'll chew up the ammo alright, and they aren't all that quick to reload. Still and all, there's very little recoil.
My father was trained with a Thompson along with the 1911 in the Air Force. He told me that they had a tendency to climb. If you ever see an old vet wrap the sling as a habit, that's probably why. He'd be 92 today.
ReplyDeleteYou are absolutely correct about 'the frontier' lasting as long as it did. Amazingly, the Arizona Rangers were not created until 1901!
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